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Grade Level: | First |
| Health Topic: | Self-esteem | |
| Subjects: | Health, Science, Language Arts, Music |
Time of year: Ants are mostly active after the last frost and before the first frost.
Overall Objective: Over a three or four day period while looking at obstacles that humans and insects encounter, students will predict, observe and record strategies to overcome them using discussions, role play, and charts.
Set-up: Little Me In A Big World
Activity sheets:
Teacher Preparation:
- Scout the playground for active ant colonies. Look for areas that are easy for the class to work in and that are ideally not in high traffic areas. Avoid areas with poisonous plants, venomous animals and treacherous terrain.
- Many of the observations and discussions are greatly enhanced if you have access to a live ant colony that you could keep in the classroom. To be successful, a colony must have a queen ant.
- Once you have identified the colony you will be using for the observations, notify the custodian so that he/she does not try to kill the colony while you are doing the lesson.
- Prepare copies of Ant Observation sheets (for Activities 2 and 3) and Songs (for Closure Activity).
- Obtain obstacles brainstormed in Activity 2. Direct the discussion towards easily obtainable items.
- Five discussions are recorded on butcher paper (Activities 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
- Prepare bulletin board space or other wall space for displaying charts throughout the lesson.
- Gather remaining materials and books (see Bibliography).
Materials:
- Ant nest (indoor or outdoor; if inside, set up colony at least one week in advance).
- Individual student journals or writing paper.
- Chosen obstacles (sticks, rocks, leaves, pencils, etc.).
- Butcher paper
- Books: Chris Van Allsburg, Two Bad Ants; Michael Chinery, Ants; Arthur Dorros, Ant Cities; Polly Cameron, I Can't Said the Ant; Pat Hutchins, Happy Birthday, Sam.
- Any supporting fiction and non-fiction literature that may not be suggested in the bibliography.
Lesson Plan: Little Me In A Big World
Length of sessions:
- Five 30 minute sessions
- Two 45 minute sessions
- One 45-60 minute session
- One optional 30 minute session
Introduction Activity:(30 minute session)
Read Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg. Introduce the meaning of the words "obstacle" and "overcome" using examples from the story. Have the students cite examples from their lives to show they know the meanings of the words. Discuss obstacles the ants had to overcome and how they did it. If your students are interested, go on a preliminary trip around the school to look at where ants live and what they are doing.Activity 1 (30 minute
session)
Using Ants by Michael Chinery or Ant Cities by Arthur
Dorros, introduce background information on ants and their
behavior. Have the students contribute what they already know about
ants. Ask them to share what they would like to learn about ants.
Teacher record on butcher paper. If applicable, record discussion
as a 'web' of ant, where the word "ant" is at the center and lines
extending out are labeled with adjectives, observations and facts
about ants.
Activity 2 (Two 30 minute
sessions)
Review record sheet, counting body parts and legs. Discuss what to
look for when observing ants. (Ant behavior - what are they doing?)
Discuss observations. (Why do you think the ants do what you saw
them do?) In teams, find and observe active ant nests on school
grounds. Record observations. Brainstorm possible obstacles that
could block an ant trail. Categorize the chosen obstacles. Teacher
records on butcher paper, and checks that each category is
represented. Each team chooses its obstacle. Make predictions of
how the ants might handle the chosen obstacles and what they do
with them on the record sheet. Send a copy of the first observation
sheet home with the students to share with their parents. Ask the
students to look around their home for different ants and complte
the sheet. Remind them that ants may bite or sting and to use
caution around the colony.
Activity 3 (30 minute
session)
Review discussions from Activity 1. Have the teams observe the
ants' activity and record information gathered on Day 2 box of the
record sheet. Gather the obstacles. Each team places their obstacle
along the ant trail one at a time. Observe and record on record
sheet what the ants did with each team's obstacle (words or
pictures). Discuss how the ants overcame the obstacles. Teacher
records ideas on butcher paper.
Rainy Day Alternative Discuss the rain as an obstacle and have the students speculate on how the ants handle rain. Compare how humans deal with rain. After rain, check the ant nests. You might add this to the song.
Activity 4 (45-60 minute
session)
Review discussions from activity 2. Read I Can't Said The
Ant by Polly Cameron. Ask each team to share one thing they
have learned. Brainstorm obstacles that the students have or will
have to overcome in their own lives (e.g., reaching the sink,
crossing the road, etc.,). Record them in their journal or on paper
(pictures or words). Brainstorm strategies to overcome these
obstacles. Teacher records on butcher paper. Compare with the ants'
strategies discussed in the last activities. Look for similarities
and differences.
Activity 5 (45 minute
session)
Read Happy Birthday, Sam by Pat Hutchins. Discuss. Give each
team an obstacle and have them role-play different ways to overcome
it. Discuss feelings about overcoming the obstacles. (Is it better
to keep trying or give up?) Teacher records on butcher paper.
Closure Activity (45 minute
session)
Teach the students the song, "High Hopes." Review the feelings
about overcoming obstacles as recorded on butcher paper. Sing the
song.
Extensions
- Ants on a Twig, Project W.I.L.D.
- Show - excerpts from "Honey I Shrunk the Kids!"
- Activity 1 - for higher grade levels use smaller teams; 3 or more of the same obstacles.
- Create paper bag ant puppets and use them in a play.
- Use the template provided with paper plates to create ant hats.
- Make a book using "The Ants go marching" rhyming with the numbers.
- Using construction paper, draw a large wall size colony, label each area and place ants in different rooms.
- Have the students write or tell a sequel adventure to Two Bad Ants.
- Adapt the third grade lesson Me and My Family to learn more about family life and communities using ants.
- Hypothesis:
- (hypotheses, plural): a tentative explanation for a question that can be tested using experimentation.
- Observe:
- to look at and pay special attention to what something does, what it looks like, and how it changes.
- Obstacle:
- anything that stands in the way.
- Overcome:
- to do something in spite of extra difficulties. (To master an obstacle.)
- Predict:
- to guess what you believe will happen.
Bibliography
Banner, Angela and Bryan Ward. Ant and Bee: Alphabetical Story for Tiny Tots. New York: Kaye & Ward, 1972
Cameron, Polly. I Can't Said the Ant. Illustrated by the author. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1961
Carrick, Malcolm. I Can Squash Elephants. New York: Viking Press, 1978
Chinery, Michael. Ants (Life Story). Mahway, NJ: Troll Associates, 1991
Clay, Pat and Helen. Ants. London: A.& C. Black, 1984
Darby, Gene. Jerry Finds Ants. Austin, TX: Steck Vaughin Co., 1964
Dethier, V.G. The Ant Heap. Princeton, NJ: Darwin Press, 1979
Dorros, Arthur. Ant Cities. Book and cassette. Illustrated by the author. New York: Harper Trophy/Harper Collins, 1987
Fischer-Nagle, Heiderose, and Andreas. An Ant Colony. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1989
Freschet, Bernice. The Ants Go Marching. Illustrated by Stefan Martin. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973
Glenn, George S. Ant Rancher's Handbook. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1990
Greenland, Caroline. Getting to Know Nature's Children: Ants. Ontario, Canada: Grolier Educational Corporation, USA.
Hoke, Helen. Ants (A First Book). New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1970.
Hopf, Alice L. Biography of an Ant. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974
Hutchins, Pat. Happy Birthday, Sam. New York: Puffin Books, Viking Penguin, 1978.
Hutchins, Pat. You'll Soon Grow Into Theirs, Titch New York: MacMillan Company, 1971
Hutchins, Ross E. A Look at Ants. Illustrated by the author. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1978
Kraus, Ruth. The Carrot Seed. New York: Harper and Row, 1945
Lavine, Sigmund A. Wonders of the Anthill. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1960
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. New York: Random House, 1963
Lvenn, Nancy. Nessa's Fish. New York: Atheneum, 1990
Martin, Bill. Ants Underground. Sound recording with book. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britanica Education Corp., 1975
Myrick, Mildred. Ants Are Fun. New York: Harper and Row, 1968
O'Toole, Christopher. Discovering Ants. New York: The Bookwright Press, 1986
Overbeck, Cynthia. Ants. Minneapolis: Lerner Natural Science, 1982
Peet, Bill. The Ant and the Elephant. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972
Pluckrose, Henry. Ants. Illustrated by Tony Waver and David Cook. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1981
Project W.I.L.D Elementary Activity Guide, Boulder, CO: Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 80302, 1983
Ryan, Will (adapted by). Grasshopper and the Ant: An Aesop Fable. With cassette. Chatsworth, CA: Alchemy Communications, 1987
Sheridan John. How Ants Live. Bethell, WA: Wright Group, 1992
Sushiela, LC. Ant and the Grasshopper: A Love Story. Hollywood, CA: Running Water, 1990
Suzuki, David. Looking at Insects. New York: Warner Books, 1987
Van Allsburg, Chris. Two Bad Ants. Illustrated by the author. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972
Wang, Mary L. Ant and the Dove. Chicago: Children's Press, 1989
Zolotow, Charlotte. I Like to be Little. New York: Harper & Row, 1987
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stopped to suck his thumb
Chorus:
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain.
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching two by two,
The little one stopped to tie his shoe,
(Chorus)
The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah.
The ants go marching three by three,
The little one stopped to climb a tree,
(Chorus)
Additional verses
4x4: Shut the door
5x5: Look at a hive
6x6: Pick up sticks
7x7: Stopped to go to heaven
8x8: Shut the gate
9x9: Pick up a dime
10x10: Look at a hen
Name:
Obstacle for the ants:
What I think the ants will do with the obstacles
