Lesson 46 Teacher Guide & Scoring Rubric
Teacher Key
Literary Background: Dr. Isaac Watts published this classic poem in Divine Songs for Children (1715). It has remained a cornerstone of English language learning for three centuries, celebrating the honeybee as the quintessential emblem of industry, foresight, and natural geometry.
Standards Addressed: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4 (Rhythm, Rhyme & Word Meanings in Verse), RI.2.1 (Scientific Observation in Nature), L.2.2.A (Capitalization in Poetry), W.2.8 (Personal Reflection & Experience).
Section 1: Nature Inquiry & Bee Observation
1. Season & Place: In spring and summer, in gardens, meadows, orchards, and around flowers.
2. Daily Work: Sweet nectar and yellow pollen to make honey and bee bread.
3. Purpose of Honey: To feed the hive, nourish the young, and survive the cold winter when flowers do not bloom.
4. Caution: In beehives (or hollow trees). We must not disturb them because they will sting to defend their colony.
Section 2: Poetic Craft & Vocabulary Insight
A. Meaning: [✓] Make diligent and good use of time.
B. Rhyme Scheme: hour rhymes with flower | cell rhymes with well.
C. Architecture & Homophone: honeycomb (or hive / comb). Note connection to Lesson 38 homophones (cell / sell).
Section 3: Stanza Transcription & Memory Practice
Expected Student Reproduction:
How does the little busy bee / Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day / From every opening flower!
• Check capital letters starting every poetic line (How, Improve, And, From).
• Check comma after hour and exclamation mark after flower!.
Section 4: The Virtue of Diligence (Sample Student Answers)
• I will listen attentively to my teacher and finish my reading lessons before playing.
• I improve each hour by helping my parents with chores and practicing my handwriting.
• Recitation Meter: Guide children to recite with a bright, brisk cadence matching the buzzing energy of the bee. Emphasize the exclamation mark at the end of stanza 1.
• Nature Geometry: Point out that bees build hexagons—a six-sided shape that holds the maximum honey using the minimum wax.
• Homophone Cross-Reference: Review Lesson 38 where students learned cells (honeycomb) versus sells (a merchant selling goods).
| Evaluation Metric |
Exemplary (5 Pts) |
Proficient (3-4 Pts) |
Developing (1-2 Pts) |
| Nature Inquiry |
Demonstrates complete, accurate knowledge of bee season, diet, hive, and winter food. |
Answers all 4 inquiry questions correctly; minor brevity in explanations. |
Misidentifies seasons or purpose of honey; questions left incomplete. |
| Poetic Rhyme & Meaning |
Identifies rhyming pairs (hour/flower, cell/well); understands 'improve each shining hour'. |
Identifies rhymes correctly; understands general moral meaning of diligence. |
Struggles to identify rhyme pairs; chooses incorrect phrase definition. |
| Transcription Accuracy |
Transcribes stanza 1 with 100% precision in capitalization, punctuation, and neatness. |
Transcribes with 1 minor punctuation error; letter casing beginning lines is preserved. |
Multiple omissions, lowercased line beginnings, or missing exclamation mark. |
| Application & Recitation |
Recites verse with expression; writes an eloquent personal reflection on diligence. |
Recites with minor hesitation; writes a thoughtful, complete sentence on diligence. |
Recitation halting; reflection sentence fragmented or off-topic. |