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Ant Habitat Investigation

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Ant Habitat Investigation

Students are studying ants along a trail. They will observe ants without disturbing the nest. Read the results and use them to plan a safe observational study. Never touch ants or their nest.

A short observation study

The students watched a trail from a marked spot for five minutes on three mornings. They did not move food or block the ants. The soil was damp after overnight rain on Tuesday and dry on Wednesday and Thursday. The air was coolest on Tuesday.

Day

Soil condition

Ants passing the marker in 5 minutes

Tuesday

Damp

Wednesday

Dry

Thursday

Dry

Investigate the evidence

1.Which statement best describes the results? Choose one.

More ants passed the marker on the two dry days than on the damp day.
More ants passed the marker on the damp day.
The number of ants was identical each day.
The observations prove that dry soil caused more ants to pass.

2.Calculate the mean number of ants passing the marker on Wednesday and Thursday. Show your working.

3.Name one physical condition recorded in the study and one condition that was not measured but could affect ant activity.

4.Can these results prove that dry soil made more ants move along the trail? Explain why or why not.

Plan a safe observational study

Plan an observational study about how soil moisture is associated with ant activity. Observe ants in their natural habitat; do not handle ants, dig up a nest, or change soil moisture or other nest conditions. Compare naturally occurring soil conditions and record ant activity.

5.Write an investigable question for this observational study. State which naturally occurring soil conditions you will compare and what you will measure.

6.For your question, identify the condition you will compare and the ant activity you will measure.

7.Give two factors to keep the same so the observations are comparable.

8.Describe one way to make the investigation more reliable.

9.Choose the safest action when observing ants along a trail.

Watch from a safe distance and leave the nest and trail undisturbed.
Pick up an ant to check its body closely.
Pour water into the nest to test its response.
Block the trail to see which direction ants take.

10.Ant colonies include different workers and a queen. Explain one way a colony may benefit from having a queen that lays eggs, especially when conditions change.

11.Suggest one improvement to the students’ observation study and explain how it would help.