Lesson 8: Ants in Action

Image source: Muhammad Mahdi Karim, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons

Learning Intention

We will observe some ants in the playground, learning about their behaviour and connect to our natural environment.

Inquiry Questions

What are the ants in the school yard doing?

How do you feel whilst watching the ants?

Outcomes

Science: ST2-1WS-S

PDHPE: PD2-8

Ant watching

Pawel Bieniewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Петров Эдуард, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

On our excursion students hunted for invertebrates. We found a variety of invertebrates including ants. There are 1300 species of ants in Australia.

Activity 1

Students find some ants in your playground. They then lay down and watch what they are doing. Ask:

  1. How many ants do you see in one minute?

  2. How many different kinds of ants are there?

  3. How many legs/feelers/wings/body parts does the ant have?

  4. Watch an ant carry something. How does it do this?

  5. What happens when ant's meet each other?


Activity 2

Ask the students:

  1. How does it make you feel laying or sitting and watching the ant?

  2. Does it make you feel calm?

  3. Do you find the longer you watch, the more you observe and the more interesting the ants are?

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