Encourage tinkering with ideas, relationships, connections. Set up situations where students have to find information not readily available in school texts. Provide opportunity for students to design open-ended explorations of the concept. Provide multiple options so students can plan a unique "proof" of learning.

Make an ant farm; keep an ant journal or classroom log of ant activities.

Objective: Home an shelter will further be defined as students participate in the building of a habitat for ants.

Activity: Find an ant nest in the soil. Dig deeply to get both the ants and the soil and put into a jar. Place the bottom of the jar in a flat pan of water. This will prevent the ants from escaping. Place black construction paper around the outside of the jar and tape into place. The ants will then tunnel close to the sides of the jar. Do not put the ants in direct sunlight and keep the jar at room temperature. When obseving the ants, take the black paper off the jar, you may wish to use magifying glasses. Replace after observation. When feeding the ants, feed them crumbs, bits of apple, honey or sugar. You can place the food on a small piece of cotton and place it in the jar. Make sure the ants have water either by placing it directly on the soil (use an eye dropper) or on a small sponge. (Other animal habitats may be substituted for this activity. Some suggestions are snail homes or earthworms.) Why do the ants need to make their home underground? How do ants work together to build their home? What other types of animals could live in this type of home? Could people live under the ground? Have students keep a daily journal or log about the ants' activities. Be sure to have students include illustrations, comments and questions in their ant log.

Assessment: Quality of the log content detailing the ant farm and the ants' activities.