by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
In this exercise, each student will adopt the persona of one of the characters from the book, and will then prepare a TED Talk–style speech on an topic or issue in How to Bee. Topics can include: the importance of bees; friendship; environmental stewardship; anxiety;...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
After you’ve finished reading How to Bee, celebrate by baking a passionfruit cake (just like the one that Peony bakes in the book) and have a picnic outside. If completing this activity as a class, bake the cake together if a kitchen is available, or combine the...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
There are four basic categories of conflicts in stories: man against man (stories in which characters are against one another); man against nature (stories in which the protagonist struggles against a force of nature, like environmental change); man against self...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
On page fourteen, Peony describes nature as a circle: “[t]he farm’s full of circles. Bees, flowers, fruit. Pests, chooks, eggs. People, bees, flowers, fruit, pests, chooks, eggs, people. . . All overlapping circles.” What does she mean by this? Can you think of other...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 25, 2026
As a group or a class, list the main characters in How to Bee. For each character, list their hopes, fears and motivations, as well as any identifying features. This list could include unique words they use or unusual things they do. Put all the characters’ names in a...
