Wasp Works Anchor Chart Wasp Works
The Many Jobs of the Paper Wasp Colony
Colony Founder
The Queen
She starts the nest in the spring, lays all the eggs, and serves as the colony's leader. Every other wasp works to support her and the growing hive.
Builder
Scrapes wood fibers from old fences or logs. Mixes wood with sticky saliva to create paper "pulp" for building and repairing the hive.
Forager
The hunters and gatherers. They hunt caterpillars (protein) for larvae and drink nectar (sugar) for their own energy.
Nurse
Responsible for feeding the larvae! They chew up protein-rich insects and feed them to the hungry wasp "babies" growing in the cells.
Guard
Standing sentry at the hive entrance. They release scent alarms to tell other workers if a predator (like a bird) is nearby.
Climate Control (The Fan)
When the nest gets too hot, these workers vibrate their wings to create air currents . This keeps the eggs and larvae from overheating!
🐝 Paper wasps are social insects, meaning they live together in a colony and share work to survive!
Hive Hustle Worksheet Hive Hustle
Paper Wasp Role Review
NAME:
DATE:
Part 1: Who Does What?
Match the job title to its correct description by drawing a line.
The Builder
The Queen
The Guard
The Nurse
The Forager
Hunts caterpillars and gathers nectar for food.
Watches for predators and alerts the colony.
Mixes wood and saliva to build the hive.
The leader who starts the nest and lays eggs.
Feeds hungry larvae their protein-rich lunch.
Part 2: Hive Scenarios
A bird is circling the nest! Which wasp job is most important right now?
The summer sun is burning hot! Which job will cool the larvae down?
Part 3: Choose Your Role
If you lived in a paper wasp colony, which job would you want? Draw yourself as a wasp doing that job and explain why you chose it below!
I would want to be a ________________________ because...
Hive Hustle Answer Key Answer Key
Hive Hustle Worksheet
Teacher Resource
Part 1: Who Does What?
The Builder Mixes wood and saliva to build the hive.
The Queen The leader who starts the nest and lays eggs.
The Guard Watches for predators and alerts the colony.
The Nurse Feeds hungry larvae their protein-rich lunch.
The Forager Hunts caterpillars and gathers nectar for food.
Part 2: Hive Scenarios
Scenario: A bird is circling!
The Guard
They release pheromones to warn others.
Scenario: Burning hot sun!
The Fan
They vibrate wings to create air flow.
Part 3: Evaluation Guide
Students should select any role from the chart. Their explanation should reflect the function of that role as described in the lesson.
Example: "I want to be a Builder because I like to create things and find wood to make paper."Example: "I want to be a Forager because I like to explore outside and find snacks for my friends." 
