+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ants in the Wild

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students investigate ants in the wild. In this insect lesson, students observe ant colonies and conduct experiments, such as putting food in the ants' path. Students record their observations.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Family and Me

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students discuss the family unit and compare it to an ant colony.  For this family lesson, students draw their family and extended family and talk about their jobs and family roles. They compare this to an ant colony and observe the...
+
Handout
Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr: Ant Colonies

For Students 9th - 10th
A study of social organization in ant populations and examines the need for a "leader" of an organization. The site is interactive and leads the user through the discovery of different roles within a colony. An extension is made to other...
+
Handout
Other

Study of Northern Virgina Ecology: Black Carpenter Ant

For Students 3rd - 8th
Lots of information about the black carpenter ant. Learn about their physical characteristics, colonies, life cycle, food sources, and predators. A detailed chart listing many plants and animals permits exploration of their relationships...
+
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs: Ants Go Marching

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Based off of the hit television show NUMB3RS, this lesson has students experiment and make observations on a directed graph. The lesson is framed in the context of an ant colony which is in search of the best path to get to food. If an...
+
Website
Other

Gakken's Photo Encyclopedia : Ants

For Students 3rd - 5th
A wonderful online encyclopedia of ants. Features close up photographs of ants eating, working, nesting, and living in their underground chambers.
+
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Building Ant Bot

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn how to build a robot that can mimic basic ant walking & running behavior.
+
Graphic
Hunkins Experiments

Hunkin's Experiments: How to Make an Ant Colony

For Students 9th - 10th
Hunkin's Experiments is a group of simple cartoon illustrations of scientific principles. Some would work well in the classroom, but others have little value beyond entertaining students. All of the projects are easy to do. This drawing...
+
Handout
Iowa State University

Iowa State Entomology: Odorous House Ant

For Students 9th - 10th
This site focuses on the "Odorous House Ant." It gives details about its description and where it makes its home. Learn more about this fascinating creature by checking out this website.
+
Article
Other

Desert Usa: Harvester Ants

For Students 9th - 10th
This article about harvester ants examines their behavior, but it also looks at the role these ants play in mythology, especially in Native American stories, and at the social structure of ant colonies. There is also a link to a related...