Lesson Plan: Warrior Ants: No Wounded Left Behind
II. While Reading Activities: Word Inference
- termite |ˈtərˌmīt| noun-a small, pale soft-bodied insect that lives in large colonies with several different castes, typically within a mound of cemented earth. Many kinds feed on wood and can be highly destructive to trees and timbe
- scout |skout| noun- a soldier or other person sent out ahead of a main force so as to gather information about the enemy’s position, strength, or movements.
- peculiar |pəˈkyo͞olyər| adjective– strange or odd; unusual: his accent was a peculiar mixture of Cockney and Irish.
- evolution |ˌevəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n| noun-the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
- recuperate rəˈko͞opəˌrāt| verb-recover from illness or exertion: she has been recuperating from a shoulder wound | Christmas is a time to recuperate.
- participating |pärˈtisəˌpāt| verb –take part: thousands participated in a nationwide strike.
- march |märCH| verb –walk in a military manner with a regular measured tread: three companies of soldiers marched around the field.
- empathy |ˈempəTHē| noun-the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
- injured|ˈinjərd| adjective-harmed, damaged, or impaired: a road accident left him severely injured.
- substantial |səbˈstan(t)SHəl| adjective-of considerable importance, size, or worth: a substantial amount of cash.
Source: New Oxford American Dictionary
Reading Comprehension: Fill-ins
Does it remind me of mammalian helping? Well, not really…noting that the ants don’t seem to be intentionally helping each other. One reason why one might think that they’re not is that if they encounter that same injured ant on the way to the hunt, they ignore it…Wounded ants only get carried home if they’re encountered after the battle.
Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition
It’s clear that bringing injured warriors home has huge benefits for the ant colony. The number of ants that are saved by this behavior is about equivalent to the number of ants that are born each day in that colony. So they’re making this substantial contribution to the ant colony.
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