Year 2 Science Investigation

Year 2 investigated and compared the suitability of materials of man-made skeps built as wasp hives and how wasps naturally make their own hives.

The children then used key vocabulary in order to describe the materials.

They found out that the skeps were too rigid and hard. They were made from straw or wicker then bound together. The dried straw or wicker was then reinforced and made waterproof. The children identified this by touching and observing the materials.

The children found out that wasps build nests from a papier-mâché-like material created by chewing dead wood and mixing it with their saliva, a process that forms a durable and waterproof paper. This pulp is used to construct hexagonal cells and a protective outer shell, forming a sturdy structure. The children found that the natural wasp nests were much softer, strong, flexible, stretchy and felt more comfortable.