ABC, I Believe

The Letter A

Consider the Ants
Written by Carolyn Warvel

Bible Reference: Proverbs 6:6-8

Printable Bible Verse Cards -  (Younger children) Print out onto card stock, write the Bible verse on the cards and make copies. (Large file or small file), Blank cards (Large file or small file

Dictionary word: (Older Children)

Sluggard (slug): a person who does not like to do any kind of work, but likes to sleep or be idle all the day long, a lazy person.

Teaching Concept:  We can learn from the ants and become wise. The ants do their work even when they don't have someone telling them what to do or checking up on them.

Getting Connected - The Lesson

Preparation: Before class set up a trail in a separate room or down the hall. You can use stickers or pieces of paper. At the end of the trail hide pieces of paper with one each of the following words written on them. "Do your work without being told to do it." Write numbers on the backs of the papers in the order of the sentence so you will know where to place each word.

Have you ever stopped to watch a colony of ants next to their anthill? What did you see? (Let the children share their thoughts.)

You probably saw the ants all scurrying around in all different directions going in and out of the anthill, bringing in bits of animal parts, seeds, and other things and bringing out little rocks and plant materials. They all seem to be doing something, don't they?

Did you ever see any of the ants just sitting around watching the other ants work? Did you ever see an ant just sitting there waiting for someone to tell him what to do? No.

Every colony of ants has a queen ant, but she doesn't tell them what to do. She doesn't organize them or give them pep talks. No, she's too busy laying eggs. She lays eggs all day long. All the ants in the colony have a job to do. There are lots of things to do in an ant colony. Some of the ants help take care of the larva or baby ants. The anthill has to be kept clean and in good repair. New quarters have to be built as the colony grows. The anthill has to be protected. Some of the ants have to go out and find food and then carry it back to the nest. All the ants have a job to do and they do it. They don't worry about who's doing what or how hard they're working. They see something that needs done and they do it.

They don't need someone to tell them it is time to get to work, or remind them what has to be done. They just do whatever they can to keep the colony going.

What would happen if the ants didn't do this? They probably wouldn't get much done. What if a little ant saw some garbage or trash lying on the floor of the colony and she said to herself, "I didn't put it there, so I'm not picking it up. I didn't make the mess, so I don't have to clean it up." The colony would soon become clogged with garbage, wouldn't it?

God made the ants. He gave each one a job and they do it. They don't need someone telling them what to do all the time. They just do it.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that we can learn from these little ants? That's right. (Open your Bible and read the verse.) In Proverbs 6:6 it says, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." Now we are going to find out what the ants can teach us and how we can be wise. (Write on the board or a piece of paper, "What can we learn from the ants?") An ant has left us a scent trail and the answer to this question. (Show your children the beginning of the trail. Have one child at a time follow the trail and bring back one piece of paper with a word on it. While a child is following the trail have the other children try to figure out the answer to the question by reading the words that the children have already found. You can also ask them what they think we might be able to learn from the ants. Continue until all the words are brought back and they know the answer. If you are teaching only one child, you can make more than one ant trail. Each time he comes back with another piece of paper, let him try to figure out what the message says by placing the papers in order. If you have preschool children, number each paper, and have your children place the papers in order by number. Read the sentence, or part of the sentence pointing at each word as you read, each time a new paper is added.)

Ants don't have anyone to guide them and tell them what to do. They don't have someone watching over them to make sure they do their job right. They know what they are supposed to do and they do it. They don't need someone to make sure they do it and do it right. This verse is telling us that we should be more like the ants. When we see something that needs to be done, we should do it. We shouldn't have to wait for someone to tell us to do it.

If you see a crayon on the floor, you should pick it up. You know crayons don't belong on the floor and they can get stepped on and squished if they remain on the floor. Even if you didn't use the crayon, you should still pick it up because it needs to be picked up. You don't have to wait for your teacher to tell you to pick it up. You can be wise and decide for yourself that that is the right thing to do.

Do you have chores? What kind of chores do you have? (Let the children respond.) Do you wait for you mom or dad to tell you to do your chores, or do you do them because you know you have a job to do? Your parents shouldn't have to tell you to do your chores everyday. You should try to remember what you are supposed to do and do it without someone having to tell you to do it or remind you everyday.

The older you get the more jobs and responsibilities you will have. Your parents can't remind you every day to do everything you are supposed to do. A wise child will try to remember what he is supposed to do and do it without having to be told. Can you think of some things that you are supposed to do that you can try to remember to do without having your parents tell you each time? (Let the children respond.) Here are some examples: Make your bed, brush your teeth, comb your hair, pick up your toys when you are done playing, clean off the table after you are done eating, do your chores, etc. When you do these things without being told, you are being wise like the ant.

What are some of the jobs Jesus wants us to do? -- Show people we care, listen to others, share our faith, invite a friend to worship, help to keep the church clean, etc. Do we have to wait for someone to tell us to do these things? No, if we are wise, we just do them because they need to be done.

Prayer

Father, Help us to be more like the ants, to get our work done without having to be told what to do all the time. Help us to be more responsible to do what we are supposed to do without having to be asked to do it. Help us to be aware of things that need to be done and do them even though we haven't been asked to do them. Help us to be diligent in our work and not to give up to easily when things get hard. Amen.

Staying Connected

Preschool - Third

1. Make a list - Print out the ant paper (small file or large file) and make copies. In class have the children make a list of things that they will try to remember to do without having to be reminded. Review their list each day. When you see your child doing something without being told, you can compliment him and tell him what a good little ant he is being. Preschool children will have a hard time remembering to do things without being asked, but you can give them little reminders during the day without actually asking them to do something. For instance, at bed time you might say, "It's almost time to go to bed, I wonder what a wise little ant would do before he goes to bed?" When your child remembers to do something without being told place an ant sticker or a star on their ant paper next to the thing they remembered to do.

2. Review the lesson - (This game is played with two or more children.) Before you start write the letters a, n, and t on the back of the ant cards (small file or large file). Place the cards face down in the middle of the table. The object of the game is to be the first player to spell out the word "ant". Ask the first player a question from the lesson or from what you have studied about ants. If they get it right, they get to pick a card. The first player to get all three letters to spell out the word "ant" wins. (To make the game harder and to review other letters, you can write different letters on the cards.)

3. Review the Bible verse - Write one word of the verse on each ant card (small file or large file). Make a set for each child. Mix up the words and give a set to each child. See who can put their cards in order first. If you have children that can't read yet, write the verse on a sheet of paper before you start so that the child can match the words on the cards to the sheet of paper.

4. Talk about how every person is special - Explain again to your children that God gave ants a special job to do in their colony. Talk about how God made each one of us special and has created us to do something special for him. Talk about people in your children's community who have special jobs to do such as: Doctors, policemen, construction workers, mothers, fathers, teacher, pastors, Sunday school teachers, librarians, and grocery store clerks. Talk about what it would be like if we didn't have these special jobs. Don't forget to talk about the people in your family and the special jobs they have to do.

5. Working together - Review what you learned about ants working together to keep the colony running. Explain that a family must also work together to keep the household running smoothly. Everyone must do his part. If someone doesn't do his part, then problems will arise; the home may be a mess, or someone in the family may be over worked to make up for the work that isn't being done. Talk about each person's duties in the household. Also explain that as people get older, they take on more responsibilities. Ask your child what he is doing now that he couldn't do before. Also talk about what you would like him to be able to do in the future or new things he can learn to do to help out.

6. Bible Truth Review Fan-Folded Book - Print out the patterns and cut them out. Do not separate the pages. Glue them together to make a long page as shown in the picture above. Cut the words apart and mix them up. Have your children glue them to the book in order. Then fan-fold the pages with the cover page on top. The last page is blank.

Penmanship

1. Practice printing and writing - Your child should practice the same worksheet for several days. This will not only help with his writing, but will help him remember the Bible verse. On the third or fourth day, your child should draw his own picture relating to the Bible verse and then write the letter, word, or Bible verse on the bottom of the page. On the fifth day, your child should try to write or say the letter, word, or verse from memory.

 

A - (Proverbs 6:6)

1. Tracing dotted letters - gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

2. Printing using arrows - gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

3. Cursive writing letter A - gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

4. Cursive writing Bible Verse - gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

5. Printing the whole Bible Verse - gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

6. Print the word "ant" - gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

7. Letter A Poster - Use this sheet to hang up in your room to make a whole collection of the letters with the Bible verse and related animal. gif format 100 dpi, gif format 72 dpi

Printing Problems? Click here

Art

Preschool

1. Make "Wise Ant Headbands" - This is a great way to reinforce the lesson. Make headbands out of strips folded construction paper. Children can use pipe cleaners to make ant antennae. On the front of each headband write, "Wise Little Ant Julie." (Substitute your children's names for Julie.) Invite the children to wear them while they complete their daily tasks.

Preschool - Third Grade

2.Thumbprint Ants - (Study Point of View) - Have your children draw an anthill on a piece of paper (or use the color sheet below). Show them how to press their fingers on an inkpad to make ants. Add legs and antennae with a pencil or marker. Talk about the body parts of an ant as they work. Use the correct terms: head, abdomen, and thorax. Also tell them that ants have six legs; all insects have six legs. Count as they draw the legs. Second and third graders will enjoy learning about point of view. Show your children how to make the ants from different points of view. Show them that if you draw the ant from a side view, you may only be able to see three of its legs and only one eye. The legs and eye on the other side are hidden by its body. See how many different viewpoints from which you can make the ants. You can also use a model ant (see below) to demonstrate point of view. Hold the model straight in front of your children and ask them how many legs, eyes, and antennae they see. Place it on the floor and have your children look down on it. Ask them how many legs, eyes, and antennae they see. Hold it above their head. Ask them how many legs they see, and if they see the eyes and antennae.

Preschool - Third Grade

3. Color a picture of an ant - (Study the use of texture in art) - Print out the color sheet. Have your children color it. If you have sand in your back yard, take your children outside to look at the sand in the sun. Ask them if they can see the sand sparkle in the sun. Have your children sprinkle glitter over the sand on the anthill to make it look more like sand. Older children may enjoy trying to draw sand as realistic as they can. Have them study some sand before they start. Show them that the sand isn't just one color, but a combination of many colors. Suggest that they use different shades of tan and browns in their picture.

Texture - how something feels on the surface. Texture in art can be real or drawn. For example, artists often use different materials with different textures to make collages. Or they may use really thick paint or layers of paint to create texture. Artists also create texture using different brush strokes, color, and shading. For example, an artist may use a very fine brush and many colors to create the texture or an animal's fur.

Look at pictures from different artists in the children's books you have at home. Compare the drawings of animals. Discuss which artist made the animal's fur look more realistic or softer. Find pictures of water drawn by different artists and compare the pictures. Ask your children which artist made the water look more realistic or wetter. See if you can find pictures with the following textures in your books: Fluffy, wet, dry, soft, smooth, rough, hard, jagged, slimy. Discuss what in the drawing makes the picture look like the specific textures.

Kindergarten - Second

4. Make a paper ant - Go to the Crafts Pattern Page for a pattern and directions. Note: You can use this ant as a craft and as a teaching tool. You can use it to improve reading and writing skills by leaving your children messages. This little messenger ant can leave messages such as "I love you" or "You will find a treat under your chair". My child loved finding "Andy Ant" in different places in our room each morning, reading the message, and following the instructions. It's a great way to teach reading and writing skills to children who find reading and writing frustrating. You can even have your children write notes for the "messenger ant" to take back to it's family at the end of the day. They can write questions such as, "How many ants are in your family?" The messenger ant can deliver the message to his family and then bring a note back the next morning with the answer.

Second - Third Grade

5. Make a model ant from Styrofoam - Go to the Bugs Crafts Page on Danielle's Place for directions.

6. Make sock clothes for an ant or other animal or doll - This is a great way to recycle your old socks. Your children will love creating their own clothes designs with these easy to follow instructions. If you don't have old socks that will work, you can probably find some at your local thrift store. Go to Danielle's Designs Page on Danielle's Place for directions.

God's Wonderful Creation - Science

Preschool - Third Grade

1. Study Ants - Set up an ant farm and watch the ants work. Or go for a walk and look for ants. What are they doing? Follow them back to their homes. Set out a plate of different foods near an anthill. At the end of the day go out and check up on the plate to see if any ants have come for a meal. What did they like best? Older children will enjoy graphing the results. See the math section for more information.

2. Read about Ants - Get books from the library about ants or check out these web sites.

Books:

"Those Amazing Ants" by Patricia Demuth. This book has great pictures and interesting information. For instance, did you know that the ants fold up their six legs and their feelers and sleep snugly at night and when they wake up, they yawn and stretch just as we do. Your children will love this book. You can probably find it at the library. Appropriate for preschool thru third grade.

Web Sites:

Gakken's Photo Encyclopedia "Ants" - You'll find lots of great photographs and drawing of ants on this site. Don't miss it!

3. After reading about ants encourage your children to design their own anthill using blocks, Legos, milk cartons, boxes, etc. Have them tell you about their anthill. Older children may want to draw their own anthill and explain or label what each room is used for in their design.

4. God Created The Ants Worksheet - small file or large file - Children learn about the parts of an ant, and write the numbers, one, two, three, and six.

Second and Third Grade

5. Label parts of ants - Enchanted Learning has an ant printout that older children can use to learn the parts of ants.

 

Those Amazing Ants by Patricia Brennan Children of all ages will love this book! I loved this book because the pictures were so amazing. I wanted to reach down and pick up the ants, especially the ones that were all curled up sleeping. The artist made them look so appealing and interesting. You may be able to find it in your local library. If not, Amazon.com has used ones. They may even have one in paperback. Just click on the picture to the left to go to Amazon. If you click on the link "Search inside this book" under the picture of the book on Amazon.com, you can see the picture of the ants curled up sleeping.

 

1. Read "One Hundred Hungry Ants" by Elinor J. Pinczes - Introduction to division. Print out 100 ant cards or use another object such a pennies. Practice dividing up the pennies into two rows of 50, four rows of 25, etc.

2. Counting Ants - (Counting, addition, or Roman numerals) Draw anthills on ten paper plates and number them one to ten. Give your children raisins and have them place the correct number of ants on each plate. Then eat them all up! If you have older children write addition problems or Roman numerals on the plates.

3. "Counting Ants" Itty Bitty Book - Beginning reading will enjoy this Itty Bitty book. Print out the pages (Pattern 1 and Pattern 2), cut them apart and staple together to make a book. For directions on how to assemble this book go to Printing Instructions Page.

3. "Build your Colony" Math Game - (Counting, adding by 2s, 3s, etc.) Print out several copies of the ant cards (small file or large file) and cut them apart. You can also use the anthill (small file or large file.) Place all the ants in the middle of the table. Players take turns throwing a die. Each player takes the amount of ants from the pile that is shown on the die and adds them to his colony. The game ends when all the ants are gone from the middle of the table. Whoever has the biggest colony at the end of the game wins. Have older children add up their ants counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, etc.

Note: You can buy 12 jumbo, foam dice from Oriental Trading Company for five dollars to play this game. Just type in "dice" in the search box on the left.

4. Math Match game - Use this game to review any math facts your child is learning. Before class write two of each number, addition fact, multiplication fact, Roman numerals, shapes, etc. on the back of each ant cards (small file or large file). Turn them all over and play match game.

5. Math War game - (Addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division facts) Before class write numbers, addition facts, multiplication facts, Roman numerals, shapes, etc. on the back of the ant cards (small file or large file). Deal out all the cards to the players. Each player places a card face up on the table the player who has the highest number, or the highest solution math problems wins all the cards. If the cards are equal, each player places a card face down on top of the first card and then another card face up on the second card. The second cards are then turned over to see who has the highest card. The player with the highest card wins all the cards. Keep playing until one player wins all the cards.

6. Review math facts - (Addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division facts) Write numbers on the backs of the ant cards (small file or large file). Have children take turns picking up two cards and telling what the sum, difference, product, or quotient is depending on what they are studying.

7. Find the Baby Ants Addition and Subtraction Review Game - This game goes along with the short movie "Addem and the Ants - Lost Babies" in which Addem Ant helps Ann Ant find the lost baby ants. After viewing the movie children can play the role of Ann Ant. They use addition and subtraction facts to help them figure out how many babies are missing.

What to do: Print out the baby ant patterns, small file or large file or black and white small file or large file and cut them out. Decide how many ants you want to use depending on the age or your child or the math facts you would like to review. You can start with a few ants and then add more to make it harder. Place all the ants in a bowl or other container. Count the ants with your child to see how many are in the bowl. Tell your child that he is going to play the part of the ant that keeps track of the baby ants. Give him a piece of paper and tell him to write the number of ants he counted on the paper. Tell him to turn around while you hide some ants and that when he turns around he needs to figure out how many ants are missing by counting the ones left in the bowl. Once he counts the ants left, ask him how many are missing. If he doesn't know show him how to subtract the number of ants left from the number of ants he had altogether. Then show him the ants that are hiding. Have him count the hiding ants to see if he was correct. If you don't want to use subtraction, you can show him on a number line how many ants are left and have him count up to the number that he originally had to find out how many are missing. Keep playing until you child has memorized his math facts for the amount of ants. He shouldn't need to use the number line to tell you how many ants are left. Add more ants to the total amount of ants and play again.

8. Graphing - Print out the ant graph paper worksheet. Take a paper plate and divide the paper plate into four sections with a black marker. Place a different type of food in each section. Write the type of foods you used on the work sheet. Place the paper plate on the ground near an anthill. (You may want to place a rock on the paper plate if it is a windy day so it doesn't blow away.) Wait about an hour and then go back to check on your plate. Count how many ants are on each section. Graph them on the worksheet. If you have more than one child, have each child prepare a plate using the same foods, but place them in different locations. When they are done graphing, have them compare their graphs.

9. Ant Multiplication - Some ants can carry 20 times their body weight! To make this more realistic to your children, find out how much your children could carry if they were ants. Weigh each child and multiply their weight by 20. (Or have your children figure it out.) If a 50-pound child was an ant, he could carry 1,000 pounds. An average car weighs 2,000 pounds; so two 50-pound children could pick up a car.

1. Make a letter "A" Anthill - Show the children how to draw a large letter A on their papers. The A is the anthill. Show the children picture of what anthills look like inside. Have them draw in their own tunnels. They can also make ants using their fingerprints or glue raisins on the paper for ants.

2. Decorate the Letter "A" - Print out the letter "A" pattern (large file or small file), cut it out, and have your child decorate the letter. Here are some ideas to decorate the letter:

1. Look for pictures that start with the "a" sound, cut them out, and glue them to the letter. 2. Have your child use his thumb to make ants on the letter. (See the Art and Crafts section.) 3. Decorate it with ant stickers. 3. Big letter "A's" - Go outside and write the letter "A" with chalk on your sidewalk or driveway as big as you can. Sit awhile and look around. Do you see any ants busy at work doing what they are supposed to be doing without being told? (If you have older children, have them write their spelling words or words they are having difficulties remembering on the sidewalk instead.) 4. Read "What do People Do All Day?" by Richard Scarry - Remind your children that all jobs are important, and we should do them as though we are doing them for the Lord.

2. Ant search and find sheet - "One little ant got lost today. He looked around, then he stopped to pray. God was with him and showed him the way. Can you find the Ant?" Search through the picture to find the ant that was lost. You will also find many other desert animals such as a snake, quail, lizard, blister bug, owl, jackrabbit, butterfly, etc. small file, or large file

3. Ant Maze - Help the ant finds its home maze on The Learning Page.

4. Play "Ant House"- Help your child draw an ant colony on a big sheet of construction paper or poster board. Use the big ant patterns small file or large file or small ant patterns to play "house". Cut out egg and larva shapes. Decide which rooms will be the pantry, the nursery, the queen's quarters, etc. Your children will love playing with all the little ants. They can go out and look for food, fight off enemy ants, take the larva out on a sunny day, clean out the hive, etc. Children of all ages will love this project. My daughter used black poster board for the background. Then she drew the ant rooms onto a piece of big fun foam. She then cut the rooms out leaving the surrounding dirt. She glued this piece to the black poster board. This gave it a little bit of a 3D effect.

5. Rent the Woody Allen movie "Antz".

Songs

"There's An Ant" Written by Marie (Sung to "If You're Happy and You Know It") There's an ant at my picnic, at my picnic; There's an ant at my picnic, at my picnic; Oh, I wish it would go away, But I think it's here to stay, There's an ant at my picnic, at my picnic.   Ant Chant by Carolyn Warvel Left and right, left and right. We work hard all day and night. Left and right, left and right. Working hard is our delight. Left and right, left and right. We don't whine; we do it right. Left and right, left and right. Jesus is our guiding light. ©Carolyn Warvel - Do not reprint without permission

"Do What We Should Do" Written by Marie (Sung to "Yankee Doodle") There was an ant, lived in the dirt That did his jobs each day. No one had to tell him how He did them the right way. We can be just like this ant God gave us this gift too; We should not have to be asked, To do what we should do.   Building a Tunnel Written Nancy Foss (Sing to the tune of "The Bear Went Over the Mountain".) The ants are building a tunnel The ants are building a tunnel The ants are building a tunnel To be all they can be. The ants are gathering food The ants are gathering food The ants are gathering food Crunch, crunch, chop, chop, chop, chop

"The Ants Go Marching" - Go to Kididdles.com for the lyrics and music.

Phonic Song A - (Ants on an Apple) - Kiddy Song Corner web site has a fun song to learn the Letter "A" sound. (http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Cottage/3192/)

A-B-C-D-E-F-G, Jesus Died For You and Me - This song can be found on Kiddles web site http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/a025.html

Alphabet Song - This song can be found on Kiddles web site. (http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/a004.html)

Web Sites

The Ant Kingdom - http://ant.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/BE/Kingdom/0405/0405e.html

Copyright © 2004 Carolyn Warvel
Contributing writers: Nancy Foss and Marie
Danielle’s Place of Crafts and Activities
http://www.daniellesplace.com

All rights reserved.   No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information or storage retrieval system, except for local church or school use only.  This copyright notice must be included on all copies. Requests for permission to copy this material for any other uses should be addressed to Carolyn Warvel, 588 Duran Street, Henderson, NV  89015 or e-mail me at care@daniellesplace.com

Comments

We would love to hear your comments about this lesson. If you taught this lesson, we would love to hear how it went, if you changed anything, added anything, what age you taught and was it appropriate.  Any comments that would help others teach this lesson are welcome.

Just wanted to say thanks for the alphabet lessons. I started to use them for a penmanship lesson for all three of my children. (Thanks to the cursive and printing lessons.) I thought I would tell you of the added idea we did with the ant cards. We printed out a set; and we wrote additional chore ideas or helps on them and put them in a basket. The children can pick one each day for another way to pitch in around home. It seems to be helping here. God's Blessings, Dione