Synopsis
Queen Bee's announcement has the whole hive reeling: she's outta there! To take the sting out of her sudden flight, she's brought in consultants to help the hive decide on a new governmental model. Though terrified at first, our clever bees soon embrace the challenge and delve into the wonders of representative democracy.
Preview the script and songs!Key Concepts
Government & Citizenship reinforces students' familiarity with the following terms and concepts:
- What does a government do and why do we need one? (insert jokes here)
- Types of government (monarchy, dictatorship, direct democracy, representative democracy)
- Constitutions and what they do
- Three branches of government
- Levels of government (federal, state, and local)
- Function of local government (insert more jokes)
- Good citizenship
Government & Citizenship is a great complement to your curriculum resources in social studies. And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Aligned with national standards! View the standards and vocabulary.Publication Info
Author: Lisa Adams and John Heath (Book and Lyrics) and Mike Fishell (Music) and David Joshua Aaron (Music)
ISBN:
978-1-886588-64-6
© 2015
Bad Wolf Press, LLC
5th Grade Teacher (verified owner) –
Great content, great learning experiences.
Debbie Bamberger (verified owner) –
Another wonderful musical from Bad Wolf Press – perfect for third grade! Dramatic device of bees needing to choose a new form of government for their hive enables the other characters (e.g., spiders, owls, branches) to teach the audience while teaching the bees. Clever script contains many teaching opportunities (e.g., word play, academic/content vocabulary) and humor appeals to audiences of all ages, from "here's the buzz" for kindergarteners to "that's been tried — it's called Berkeley" for their parents. Ensemble format gives every student their moment in the spotlight. You can't go wrong with The Beehive!
Catherine Wilson (verified owner) –
Songs are very catchy. Dialogue is easy to follow. Humor crosses generations. Easy to use. Easy to create costumes and stage.
The end seemed a little abrupt. We added the following lines to the announcer: “We interrupt this program for one more important announcement. Our class wanted to end this production with a big bear coming in and eating the hive. But Mrs. Wilson said, ‘NO.’ So then we suggested the queen sending a post card saying she’d changed her mind. The bees would keep their monarchy. But Mrs. Wilson said, ‘NO.’ So instead we are ending our production with the way it was written, with a song about citizenship. You see, government exists of the people, for the people and by the people. That’s you and me… citizens. So sit back and enjoy our last number, Good Citizens!”