Lesson Plan

Two Bad Ants Lesson Plan

  • Grades: PreK–K, 1–2

About this book

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.9
Lexile Measure: 780L
Guided Reading Level: P
Age: Age 6, Age 7, Age 5
Genre: Adventure
Subject: Manners and Conduct, Safety

Overview

I use Two Bad Ants to teach about perspective in drawing. I also use this book in a Chris Van Allsburg author study. My students love the story and the illustrations in Two Bad Ants. They have selected this book as their favorite book of the year.

Objective

Students will find the differences among visual characteristics in the illustrations of the story.

Materials

  • Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg

Set Up and Prepare
Share information about ants from various Internet sites. See resource list below for links.

Directions

Have the students discuss the illustrations and what they notice. Have the students make predictions from looking at the illustrations.

Lesson Extensions

The students could rewrite and illustrate the story from a different character's perspective; baby, dog, cat, giraffe, squirrel, Superman. Brainstorm other ideas for characters.

The students could use a Proscope HR to take close up pictures of objects. Next they use a digital camera to take a photo of part of the same object. Finally they take a photo of the whole object. Note: Proscope HR is a usb microscope that connects to a computer. It allows viewing objects closely on the computer screen. Push a button and it takes a snapshot of the object and saves it as a .jpg.

The students could use the three photos of an object to illustrate their rewrite of the story.

Related Resources
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Proscope HR - www.proscopehr.com
Behavior of real ants - http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~mdorigo/ACO/RealAnts.html
Ant information and activities - www.zoomschool.com/subjects/insects/ant/
Our Animals: Ants - www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/animals/ANTS.htm
Stapleless book - www.readwritethink.org/materials/stapleless/index.html
Chris Van Allsburg website - www.chrisvanallsburg.com

  • Subjects:
    Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences, Writing, Arts and Creativity
  • Skills:
    Drawing Conclusions, Writing
  • Duration:
    3 Class Periods
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