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Should Our School Keep Bees?

5th grade reading

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Should Our School Keep Bees?

Letter A: Yes to bees! Our school should put two beehives on the flat roof above the library. Bees pollinate fruit, vegetables and wildflowers, and in many places their numbers have fallen. A school hive would give local bees a safe home. It would also turn our roof into a living science lesson: we could study how a colony works, measure how much honey it makes, and plant bee-friendly flowers in the playground. Several schools near us already keep bees, and the beekeepers say pupils are never near the hives, because the roof is locked. Letter B: Not so fast. I agree that bees are important, but I do not think hives are right for our school yet. Some pupils and staff are allergic to bee stings, and even a locked roof is close to open windows. Hives also need an expert to check them every week, and no one at school has that training. Instead, we could help bees in safer ways: plant a wildflower strip by the fence, build a bug hotel, and invite a beekeeper to visit with an observation hive behind glass. If, after a year, we find a trained volunteer, we could think about hives again.

  1. Question 1

    Read "Should Our School Keep Bees?". What do BOTH letters agree on?

    • A. Bees are important and worth helping.
    • B. Bees are dangerous and should be avoided.
    • C. The library should move.
    • D. The school should put hives on the roof now.

  2. Question 2

    Read "Should Our School Keep Bees?". What is the main DIFFERENCE between the two letters?

    • A. Letter A wants hives now; Letter B prefers safer ways to help bees first.
    • B. Letter A dislikes bees; Letter B loves them.
    • C. Letter B wants more hives than Letter A.
    • D. Both letters want the same thing.

  3. Question 3

    Read "Should Our School Keep Bees?". Which sentence from Letter B best supports the worry about safety?

    • A. I agree that bees are important.
    • B. If, after a year, we find a trained volunteer, we could think about hives again.
    • C. Instead, we could help bees in safer ways.
    • D. Some pupils and staff are allergic to bee stings, and even a locked roof is close to open windows.

  4. Question 4

    Read "Should Our School Keep Bees?". Which detail from Letter A best supports the idea that a hive would help learning?

    • A. the flat roof above the library
    • B. we could study how a colony works, measure how much honey it makes
    • C. in many places their numbers have fallen
    • D. the roof is locked

  5. Question 5

    Read "Should Our School Keep Bees?". What is the main purpose of both letters?

    • A. to persuade the reader
    • B. to give instructions
    • C. to entertain with a story
    • D. to describe a beehive

  6. Question 6

    Read "Should Our School Keep Bees?". What would most likely change the writer of Letter B's mind?

    • A. being given a jar of honey
    • B. finding a trained volunteer to look after the hives
    • C. seeing a picture of a bee
    • D. moving the library

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Answer key: Should Our School Keep Bees?

  1. 1. A. Bees are important and worth helping.

    • Comparing texts means finding where they agree and differ.
    • Letter A says bees pollinate plants and are declining; Letter B begins 'I agree that bees are important'.
    • So the answer is: Bees are important and worth helping.

  2. 2. A. Letter A wants hives now; Letter B prefers safer ways to help bees first.

    • Comparing texts means finding where they agree and differ.
    • A argues for two hives on the roof; B suggests flowers, a bug hotel and a visit instead, at least for now.
    • So the answer is: Letter A wants hives now; Letter B prefers safer ways to help bees first.

  3. 3. D. Some pupils and staff are allergic to bee stings, and even a locked roof is close to open windows.

    • The best evidence directly supports the claim.
    • This sentence names the actual risk: allergies and stings near open windows.
    • So the answer is: Some pupils and staff are allergic to bee stings, and even a locked roof is close to open windows.

  4. 4. B. we could study how a colony works, measure how much honey it makes

    • The best evidence directly supports the claim.
    • Studying the colony and measuring honey are learning activities.
    • So the answer is: we could study how a colony works, measure how much honey it makes

  5. 5. A. to persuade the reader

    • The writer's choices show their purpose.
    • Each letter argues for a choice and gives reasons.
    • So the answer is: to persuade the reader

  6. 6. B. finding a trained volunteer to look after the hives

    • An inference combines clues in the text with what you know.
    • Letter B ends: 'If… we find a trained volunteer, we could think about hives again.'
    • So the answer is: finding a trained volunteer to look after the hives