Ants

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In this outdoor activity, learners investigate ant behavior by testing ant feeding reactions to different types of food. Learners attempt to discover an ant "superfood" and use that food to try and get some ants from a colony to start a new one at a different location. Based on what learners observe, they also consider how ants communicate with each other.

Quick Guide

Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 11
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 30 cotton swabs
  • 1 to 2 liters of water
  • 1 sprinkler can or bottle
  • 12 small paper cups
  • 12 popsicle sticks
  • masking or transparent tape
  • 2 medicine droppers
  • ant foods (such as peanut butter, sugar, cereal, flour, meat)
  • 3 pieces of cardboard
  • 5 soda straws
  • action cards (see PDF)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Diversity of Life
      • Animals
    • Ecology
      • Populations
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • The Scientific Worldview
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Animals
  • Nature and Environment
  • Outdoor Activity

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • be mobile
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, The Regents of the University of California, 1980