Ant Farms and Child Education

Article by Darnell Kuykendall

Ant Farms and Child Education – Education – Science

Search by Author, Title or Content

Article ContentAuthor NameArticle Title

Home
Submit Articles
Author Guidelines
Publisher Guidelines
Content Feeds
RSS Feeds
FAQ
Contact Us

Educating Children: Ants as Pets

There are many types of species of ants (within the Formicidae family). The ant is a type of insect that is close to other insect families such as the bee and wasp. They are considered social insects, not only because they are usually found in large ant colonies, but also, they work together within a hierarchy and status type groups to grow and survive. There are some that have wings and can fly, some with venom and poison, stingers, workers, soldiers, queens, and drones. Most people are not fond of ants because they can be a nuisance when invading your home, getting into your food, colonizing in places that you don’t want. However, ants are also a great educational tool for children who seek to learn science as well as about insects, plants and animals. An ant farm teaches children how to keep pets, about nature, science, and an appreciation for working together.

Ant Habitats

Ants live in all types of habitats and ecosystems. Formicidae have been found wet ecosystems such as the Brazilian rainforests, to the driest parts of the world as the Amazon deserts. Having an Formicidae farm will teach a child about the various types of habitats and ecosystems that ants can survive in. Additionally, a child will learn what role each type of ant plays within the ant colony. There are many types of commercial ant farms that are available on the market place. Some ant farms consist of a 1 to 2 inch encapsulated glass frame filled with sand. Some ant farms have a gel-like substance that can easily be tunneled by ants. This way, a person can view the various types of tunnels that are created by the ants.

Child Learning

With an ant farm, a child will learn how ants will be able to adapt to their habitat. Formicidae communicate with each other through their antennae and pheromones. The ants have a structured society, whereas, there will be a certain set of ants, usually the worker ants, which will be tasked with building the various tunnels. There will be various tunnels used for certain things, such as the Queen Ants headquarters, laying of eggs, and tunnel space for food storage. A child will be able to analyze the various roles and functions of the various types of ants.

Behavioral Insights

The work ethic of ants is mesmerizing. Not only can ants lift 100 times there body weight, but also, they are consistently working to accomplish the tasks at hand. In an ant colony, each ant has a specific task to do. From continued observation, children will learn how ants persevere over various obstacles; learn about productivity, and working together. These are all qualities that humans must adhere to in the real world. A child can learn these qualities by observing and caring for their own Formicidae farm.

Discipline and Care

Children can also learn how to take care of pets by having an ant farm. The child will learn to provide a home for their pet, feed the ants on a daily basis. Now, with technology, a child can also conduct research online about ants and improve on what he or she may already have with their ant farm. Given that ants don’t require a ton of detailed care, children will simply have a responsibility of maintenance, feeding and monitoring. This would be a good tool to use before upgrading to a higher maintenance type of pet such as cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits or even snakes.

About the Author

Darnell Kuykendall is founder & Fusion Publishers, a software production and new media publishing firm. He is a Certified Microsoft Technology specialist and Certified Microsoft Professional, specializing in all Microsoft platform and framework products who enjoys science & education.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.

Darnell Kuykendall

Article Directory
About
FAQ
Contact Us
Advanced Search
Privacy Statement
Disclaimer

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.