The ANTZ go marching!
This lesson plan was originally developed in a 7th and 8th grade setting. However, this lesson can be
used for all levels of instruction. It would be particularly suitable and easily adapted for advanced
biology students, as it is logistically feasible for students to pursue long-term manipulative or
observational research projects using ants, either in captivity, or in “the wild.”
BACKGROUND:
This lesson plan is designed to give students an opportunity to perform an inquiry-based investigation of
their choosing as a way to familiarize them with all aspects of scientific inquiry. Teachers can guide
students’ investigations toward life science topics that are to be covered during the year if so desired, so
that these projects can also fulfill life science performance objectives, and to give students opportunities
to present the results of their work as part of the life sciences curriculum.
Teachers should be familiar with ant life cycles, basic physical structure, and social and reproductive
organization. A useful primer for any teacher who would like to use this lesson to its full potential (it can
really cover almost anything in both the inquiry and life sciences strands) is Journey to the Ants: A Story
of Scientific Exploration by Bert Hölldobler and E. O. Wilson. This book is accessible to people at all levels
of familiarity with ants, and is quick and fun read! It even has a chapter on how to successfully keep ants
that is useful for maintaining a classroom colony for observation.
Students will be given an assessment survey to gauge topical interest and background knowledge and
misconceptions.
Objectives: Minimally, students will be able to:

Propose, design, and carry out an experiment or observational study to answer a particular
question of interest

Communicate the results of their research to others
Additionally, this lesson may be used to meet many life science performance objectives. In the ideal,
extended-format use of this lesson plan, where students are allowed several weeks to complete their
projects, the usefulness of the lesson can be maximized by steering individual student projects to
focus on one or more of the specific life science performance objectives for the grade.
We used this lesson plan for both 7th and 8th graders, and we chose to use this lesson in an all-inclusive
approach to achieving the following performance objectives.
AZ State Standards: Grade 7
Strand 1 – Inquiry

Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
o
PO 1. Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a
hypothesis
o
PO 2. Select appropriate research information, not limited to a single source, to use in the
development of a testable hypothesis
o
PO 3. Explain the role of a hypothesis in a scientific inquiry

Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
PO1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures (e.g., use and care of
technology, materials, organisms) in all science inquiry
o
PO 2. Design an investigation to test individual variables using scientific processes
o
PO 3. Conduct a controlled investigation, using multiple trials, to test an hypothesis
using scientific processes
o
PO 4. Perform measurements using appropriate scientific tools (e.g., balances,
microscopes, probes, micrometers)
o
PO 5. Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions, and ideas using tools
such as written and/or computer logs
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
o
PO 1. Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends
o
PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequences of
events (e.g., construct a cause-and-effect chain that explains a sequence of events)
o
PO 3. Analyze results of data collection in order to accept or reject the hypothesis
o
PO 4. Determine validity and reliability of results of an investigation
o
PO 5. Formulate a conclusion based on data analysis
o
PO 6. Refine hypotheses based on results from investigations
o
PO 7. Formulate new questions based on the results of a previous investigation
Concept 4: Communication
o
PO 1. Choose an appropriate graphic representation for collected data:

Line graph

Double bar graph

Histogram
o
PO 2. Display data collected from a controlled experiment
o
PO 3. Communicate the results of an investigation with appropriate use of qualitative
and quantitative information
o
PO 4. Write clear, step-by-step instructions for following procedures (without the use of
personal pronouns)
o
PO 5. Communicate the results and conclusions of the investigation
o


Strand 4 – Life Science

Concept 3: Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
o
PO 1. Compare food chains in a specified ecosystem and their corresponding food web.
o
PO 2. Explain how organisms obtain and use resources to develop and thrive in:

Niches

Predator/prey relationships
o
PO 3. Analyze the interactions of living organisms with their ecosystems:

Limiting factors

Carrying capacity
o
PO 4. Evaluate data related to problems associated with population growth (e.g.,
overgrazing, forest management, invasion of non-native species) and the possible
solutions
o
PO 5. Predict how environmental factors (e.g., floods, droughts, temperature changes)
affect survival rates in living organisms
o
PO 6. Create a model of the interactions of living organisms within an ecosystem
AZ State Standards: Grade 8
Strand 1 – Inquiry




Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
o
PO 1. Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a
hypothesis
o
PO 2. Use appropriate research information, not limited to a single source, to use in the
development of a testable hypothesis
o
PO 3. Generate an hypothesis that can be tested
Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
o
PO1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures (e.g., use and care of
technology, materials, organisms) in all science inquiry
o
PO 2. Design a controlled investigation to support or reject an hypothesis
o
PO 3. Conduct a controlled experiment to support or reject an hypothesis
o
PO 4. Perform measurements using appropriate scientific tools (e.g., balances,
microscopes, probes, micrometers)
o
PO 5. Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions, and ideas using tools
such as written and/or computer logs
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
o
PO 1. Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends
o
PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequences of
events (e.g., construct a cause-and-effect chain that explains a sequence of events)
o
PO 3. Interpret data that show a variety of possible relationships between two variables,
including:

Positive relationship

Negative relationship

No relationship
o
PO 4. Formulate a future investigation based on the data collected
o
PO 5. Explain how evidence supports the validity and reliability of a conclusion
o
PO 6. Identify the potential investigational error that may occur (e.g., flawed
investigational design, inaccurate measurement, computational errors, unethical
reporting)
o
PO 8. Formulate new questions based on the results of a previous investigation
Concept 4: Communication
o
PO 1. Communicate the results of an investigation
o
PO 2. Choose an appropriate graphic representation for collected data:

Line graph

Double bar graph

histogram
o
PO 3. Present analyses and conclusions in clear, concise formats
o
PO 4. Write clear, step-by-step instructions for conducting investigations or operating
equipment (without the use of personal pronouns)
o
PO 5. Communicate the results and conclusion of the investigation
Strand 4 – Life Science

Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior
o
PO 1. Explain how an organism’s behavior allows it to survive in an environment
o
PO 2. Describe how and organism can maintain a stable internal environment while
living in a constantly changing external environment
o
PO 3. Determine the characteristics of organisms that could change over several
generations
o
o
PO 4. Compare the symbiotic and competitive relationships in organisms within an
ecosystem (e.g., lichen, mistletoe/tree, clownfish/sea anemone, native/non-native species)
PO 6. Describe the following factors that allow for the survival of living organisms

Protective coloration

Seed dispersal

Pollination
National Standards: 5-8
Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry
Content Standard C: Life Science
• Structure and function in living systems
• Regulation and behavior
• Populations and ecosystems
• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Content Standard E: Science and Technology
• Abilities of technological design
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science
• Nature of Science
MATERIALS:
Basic ant farm set-up
A basic set-up can be accomplished using commercially available ant farms, and can be used in
combination with an advanced set-up.
 Commercial ant farm (preferably with multiple “pods” that can be connected to each other with
tubing)
o These ant farms do not have a reproductive queen and are stocked with non-reproductive workers only.
As a result, these ant farms have a finite lifespan of a few months. Also, ants are difficult to acquire
during the winter months unless you live in the Southwest and can collect your own. This is a viable
option for stocking multiple ant farms, or for re-stocking ant farms once the first ants have died.
Advanced ant colony set-up
An advanced set-up is accomplished using a captively-maintained ant colony with a reproductive queen.
The last chapter of Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration details how to capture and
maintain entire ant colonies of small ant species, but by far the easiest way to get a colony is to capture
reproductive individuals when they are out for their nuptial flights. Your local ant biologist and the
nearest university will know when and where to look, and will be able to give you lots of advice on how
to get your colonies started and thriving. In fact, he or she may be out collecting in the spring for him or
herself, and may be willing to take you along. See below for tips for getting your ant colony started.
An advanced set-up can be used in combination with a basic set-up, and this is recommended, because
the commercial ant farms will be more suitable for use with some projects than others, because they are
essentially expendable (having no reproductive individuals). This lesson plan was designed for use with
harvester ants, but it is possible to culture other ant species in the lab as well. You can use whatever is
locally available.

One well-started ant colony (with more than just one or two workers)
Supplies for both ant farm and any colony set-ups
 Under-tank heater (available in the reptile care section of a pet-store)
 Reptile thermostat (available in the reptile care section of a pet-store)
o Ants will do well at room temperature (77 degrees F), but my school is quite cold! I will maintain the
at least some chambers of the ant farm at 82 degrees F, and the brood chamber of the ant colony will be
maintained at 82°F .
 Flexible plastic tubing (for attaching additional chambers, food receptacles, etc.)
 Additional small plastic, lidded containers (to serve as additional chambers, for food trials, etc.)
 Food: commercial grass seed, occasional insects—these can be captured and cut into pieces, e.g.,
crickets, mealworms, roaches, etc.
 Water source—could be a test tube filled with water and stopped with a cotton ball, a paper
towel that can be re-moistened, drops of water on the bottom of a container. Avoid bowls of
water, because the ants can become trapped and drown.
 Testor’s brand craft paint (can be used to individually mark ants)
 Toothpicks
 Hand lenses
 Indoor/outdoor thermometer with probe and hi/low memory (can be found at Home Depot)
Materials for observations of wild ants
 Small wooden stakes and marking tape (students may wish to cordon off ant hills around school
grounds for observation)
 Long insect tweezers (students may wish to collect wild ants for closer inspection in the lab)
 Insect collection jars (just something plastic and see-through with a lid)
Notes on classroom set-up and maintenance of an ant colony
The ant colony will have a queen, and some workers. The queen will be housed in a brood
chamber constructed of a test tube partially filled with water and then blocked with a cotton ball. This
provides a humid, but not wet, atmosphere for raising the brood. This brood chamber can be placed
within a larger container, where forage can be supplied to the ants. For harvester ants, commercially
available Kentucky blue grass seed is suitable, and this can be supplemented with cricket parts (it is
easier for the ants to access the tasty parts of the crickets if you cut them up, because they don’t deal well
with the tough exoskeletons). The container in which you keep your ants should have a lid. Harvester
ants do not climb well, so there is no need to coat the sides of the container with anything to prevent the
ants from climbing out. This is handy when you need to do colony maintenance, because need not worry
that the ants will climb out while you have the top of the container removed.
When the water from the brood chamber is mostly evaporated, provide the colony with an
additional test tube with water blocked by a cotton ball. Once the original brood chamber becomes too
dry, the ants will move the brood into a more suitable spot. Then, you can replenish the original brood
chamber and replace it. There are many ways to set up the ant colony as described in Journey to the
Ants. To ensure that your ants are provided with an optimal brood chamber, it may be wise to always
provide them with a couple of test tubes half-filled with water and blocked with a cotton ball just to give
them as many choices as possible.
Before taking your ant colony into the classroom, it will be necessary to find out what the
temperature is like in your classroom. You should aim to maintain at least the brood chamber of your ant
colony set-up at 82°F so that the colony will continue to reproduce at a good rate. You can do this using
your indoor/outdoor thermometer. Place it where you plan to keep the colony, and determine the
minimum and maximum temperatures at that spot. Likely, you will need to heat your colony to keep it
near 82°F. Install your under-tank heater where you would like to set up your colony. The under-tank
heater can be affixed to a large ceramic tile, or it can be used unaffixed. Bring in a mock set-up of your
brood chamber—a box of similar material and size—and place part of it on top of your under-tank heater.
Affix the probe of your thermometer inside your colony enclosure. You want to know the temperature of
the place where you’re going to put the brood chamber so you don’t cook or freeze your ants. Affix the
probe of the thermostat to either the under-tank heater itself, or to the box where it contacts the undertank heater, or to the tile to which you’ve affixed your under-tank heater. Plug your under-tank heater
into the thermostat and the thermostat into an electrical outlet. The thermostat will turn the under-tank
heater on an off to maintain a set temperature of your choosing. Take a few days to adjust the thermostat
so that it is achieving a temperature of around 82°F in the colony enclosure. Once this is done, you can
bring your colony in to the classroom and keep it sufficiently warm.
When you first bring your colony in, make sure you put your thermometer probe in the box with
the brood chamber(s), and keep a close eye on the temperature. Adjust the thermostat if necessary. Now
your ant colony is ready to reproduce and grow for your students in the classroom! With a little luck and
some dedication, you can use this colony in your classroom for years!
TIME REQUIRED: This lesson plan will take a minimum of 7-8 school days, but will be most useful of
student projects are allowed several weeks for completion and presentation of results. The days spent on
the lesson need not run consecutively, and students need not work every day (or all class period) on
extended projects, so this lesson can be inserted into the regularly scheduled curriculum at your
convenience (though naturally, it would make more sense if the first several days of the lesson plan were
executed near the beginning of the life science curriculum to allow more time for group projects to be
completed).
PROCEDURE:
DAY 1
 Introduce students to the life science performance objectives for their grade, or to the life science
performance objectives you wish to cover using this lesson. Ask students to ask a question about
the ants and design an investigation of that question that can be related to one of the life science
performance objectives.
 Introduce students to the materials you have available for them to use, and remind them that
they can also observe ants outside, and they can bring in materials that may be appropriate for
their projects (e.g., other kinds of seeds for food preference experiments, sticks of different sizes
to place in the way of ant trails outside, etc.)
 Hand out “Getting to know the ants” (Formative assessment questionnaire) and collect.
Goals:
 Provide teachers with ideas about student interests, student content knowledge, and to allow
teachers time to think about the best group-formation strategies for student projects. Ideally,
students should work cooperatively on a project of their own interest to reduce the number of animals
needed to answer each question (this can be introduced as an ethical issue as well as a logistical one).
However, teacher-management of groupings may be necessary to ensure positive and productive group
dynamics.
DAY 2
Pre-lesson activity
 Watch the hour-long video: Supersocieties from the series Life in the Undergrowth, narrated by
David Attenborough (check your library, and NetFlicks also carries it)
 Have students complete “Now that you know the ants better” and collect. (After watching the
video, students may have different questions they want to answer than they did before watching
the video)
Goals:
 To provide students with some background knowledge about ants in a fun an accessible way.
 To generate interest in doing an ant-related project.
Teacher prep.
 Using the project ideas articulated by students in “Now that you know the ants better” and
“Getting to know the ants,” teachers will need to decide how best to organize students in groups
that can work together on designing and executing a research project.
 Some research projects may need some shaping into projects that can be related to a desired
performance objective. Some projects may not be possible due to logistical constraints. Plan
suggestions to encourage students to modify their project ideas in these cases.
Lab exercise
DAY 3
 Give students the project evaluation criteria and review it with them. They will know from the
beginning what you expect from them during project execution.



Organize students into groups and have them work together to formalize their project idea and
write out their planned project procedure. Have them pay attention to clearly articulating their
hypotheses.
Have students include how many days of observation/experimentation their project will entail.
Students need to consider how much time their projects will take to complete. Teachers check on
students during this stage to ensure that projects are designed properly and that student time
goals are reasonable and suitable given other curriculum constraints. Teachers will help students
with planning project time management. Not all projects need take the same amount of time. Some
questions will require more time to answer than others. Teachers may want to consider whether extensive
projects can be used as science fair projects, etc.
Have students plan what their data analysis will be and how they will present their results to
their classmates (could be a powerpoint, a large poster, etc.--all components will ideally involve an
oral presentation of results).
Throughout the research project, students should record their procedures, observations, data, and any
relevant background information they have used in a lab journal.
DAYS 4  Have students carry out their research projects. Teachers will oversee and assist with guiding
observations, asking further questions, etc. during the research process.
 Upon completion of students projects, have students analyze their results and complete a
presentation to be given to the class (or to younger classes).
 Schedule student group presentation of results as desired. Not all groups will finish at the same
time, so you might choose to schedule them one at a time throughout the block, or all at once at
the end of the block, according to your scheduling needs.
Getting to know the ANTZ!
Name:
1) What would you like to know about ants? (This will be the question that you will design your project
to answer.)
2) How would you design a project/experiment to find the answer (or answers) to your question?
3) What do you already know about the answer to your question?
4) What do you already know about ants that might be related to your question, even if it doesn’t answer
the question directly?
Now that you know the ants better . . .
Name:
1) Now that you know a little bit more about ants, what would you like to know about ants? (This will be
the question that you will design your project to answer. It can be a new question, or you can stick to or
slightly change your old question.)
2) How would you design a project/experiment to find the answer (or answers) to your question?
3) What do you already know about the answer to your question?
4) What do you already know about ants that might be related to your question, even if it doesn’t answer
the question directly?
EVALUATION:
Formative assessment, pre-project

Use “Getting to know the ANTZ!” and “Now that you know the ants better” worksheets to assess

What students think about ants

What students know about ants

Student misconceptions

Student sophistication in designing projects to answer their questions of interest

Where students need help in designing projects to answer their questions of interest
Formative assessment, during project
“Time for reflection”
At least once during the project (you decide when for each project), students must answer in their lab
notebooks: “How are your ideas about your results different from your ideas about what your results
would be in the beginning? AND What do you think about now about whether your results are leading
you toward one conclusion or another?”
Summative assessment of scientific inquiry abilities
Students must present in their final presentation:
1) What were some new questions that developed during your project/experiment?
Individual summative assessment of scientific inquiry abilities
Individually, students should turn in a written answer to the following:
“Now you are an ant researcher!”
2) Choose one of these new questions and explain how you would design a research project to answer
this new question (here you are not limited by staying in Arizona, you have unlimited lab resources, but
you STILL must think about being conservative about the number of ants you use and the potential for
damaging/disturbing the environment.
General assessment criteria for project grade (to be handed out to students on Day 3)
This will be turned into a formal rubric with points assigned to each component by Ms. Stanley.
1) Students worked cooperatively to generate and articulate a hypothesis of interest. Project hypothesis is
clearly articulated in the lab notebook, and the general importance of the hypothesis (its relevance to one
of the science performance objectives) is clearly explained.
2) The project design is appropriate for addressing the project hypothesis.
3) The proposed procedures are clearly outlined.
4) Time estimates for carrying out the proposed procedures are clear and reasonable.
5) The dates and times of observations and procedures are all neatly recorded in the lab notebook (Here,
it may be best for you to be using a data table. You will already have checked this with your teacher, and
you will already have explained how you are going to do this in step 3.)
6) According to the dates and times of observations recorded in the lab notebook, students kept on track
and devoted sufficient time and focused energy to the project.
7) Students completed “Time for reflection” in their notebooks and gave sufficient thought and effort to
the task.
8) Students successfully analyzed their data according to the procedures and on the timeline they
outlined in steps 3 and 4.
9) Students worked cooperatively to produce a public presentation of their findings, including presenting
questions for future research.
10) Students completed “Now you are an ant researcher!” individually in their lab notebooks and
devoted sufficient thought and effort to the task.