Part 1a: Discovering Ants
A great start into the fascinating world of ants.
Part 1a: Discovering Ants
A great start into the fascinating world of ants.
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Learning. By Doing. Real Science. With Citizen Science. And Ants.
Students learn about science in practice. They collect their own data. Contextualized.
The foundation: Ants.
Nature & Digitalisation cominbed in one program. The workshops teach subject knowledge from the world of ants and insects, which serves as the basis for independently applying scientific methods.
The objectives include both biological content with a focus on ants and other arthropods as well as fundamental principles of scientific work.
Core topics vary depending on the program and include: the biology of ants, identifying characteristics of ants and other insects, and scientific methods. The programs are progressive (Part 1a, Part 1b, Part 2), so it is recommended—but not required—to follow this order.
The programs involve active participation, individual learning, and project-based learning. They often address all four learning styles—auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and communicative—and engage nearly all the senses: touch, sight, smell, and hearing. Materials for viewing and hands-on exploration are provided, and there are movement-based activities and games.
The acquired skills and competencies vary depending on the program.
€ 150,- per lesson unit excl. travel and material (varies depending on the program and number of students)
A part of my programs is currently fully funded (100%) through Science Classes of the province of Lower Austria and the Wiener Bildungsschancen initiative.
5 – 12
Getting to know the most important aspects of the natural history of ants.
3 lesson units, € 450 excl. material and travel
Optional in warm months with outdoor part: 4 hours, €600 excl. materials and travel
Interactive program that engages (almost) all the senses!
Agenda and content may vary based on circumstances.
5 – 12
Exploring the most common insects and arthropods and learning how to recognize and differentiate between groups.
With over one million described species, insects make up the largest group of animals on Earth—about 80% of all known animal species. By comparison, there are only around 5,000 species of mammals worldwide.
What even is an insect? How do you distinguish them from spiders, crustaceans, and myriapods?
Doch welche Tiere gehören eigentlich zu den Insekten, und woran kann man sie erkennen?
In this workshop, we playfully dive into the fascinating world of insects. Along the way, we also explore the diversity of arthropods, which include not only insects but also crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods.
Together, we discover their characteristics, lifestyles, and the important roles they play in nature. In doing so, we engage (almost) all of
our senses!
Here’s a small selection of the animals we’ll be exploring: dragonfly, lacewing, wasp, bee, beetle, true bug, aphid, spider, harvestman, centipede, millipede.
3 lesson units, € 450 excl. material and travel
Optional in warm months with outdoor part: 4 hours, €600 excl. materials and travel
Coming soon
5 – 12
Learn scientific working in practice.
Together, we will carry out the citizen science experiment Ant Picnic, including preparation and follow-up: understanding the three stages of scientific work, formulating our own research question, and learning how to arrive at a well-founded scientific conclusion. We’ll briefly discuss the students’ own Ant Picnic data. A short introduction to the world of ants and insects focuses on key distinguishing features (Part 1a and Part 1b are recommended as preparation). We will also build a simple insect collection tool (“aspirator”).
Only for upper secondary level (Sekundarstufe II): Additional focus on understanding the concept of species and the taxonomic classification of ants within the animal kingdom. On request, we introduce the potential for an empirical pre-academic paper (VWA) based on the Ant Picnic experiment or a variation of it.
Interactive program with an outdoor component.
Agenda and content may vary based on circumstances.
5 – 12
Know and apply basic statistical concepts; analyze data independently.
Introduction to basic statistics – data (vs. numbers), summary statistics, data analysis and graphs
Secondary Level II: The “Iceberg”: How to critically consider graphs and tables
Work with your own Ant Picnic data from Module 4.
Program in development. If you’re interested, please get in touch!
Program in development
It is possible to book a focus project covering approximately 10 teaching units, which includes all program elements and can be implemented across multiple subjects such as mathematics, computer science, creative arts, geography, German, English, and more. The program is developed in collaboration with the teacher and tailored to individual needs.
Diefenbach Gymnasium | Mittelschule Bad Großpertholz | Gymnasium Katzelsdorf | Mittelschule Stella Seebenstein | Karl Stingl Volksschule Mödling | Volksschule Weissenbach | Allgemeine Sonderschule Pitten | ISTA Sommercampus | Volksschule Höflein a.d. Hohen Wand | NMS Marchegg | Volksschule Maria Enzersdorf | NMS Ybbsitz | Egon Schiele Volksschule Tulln | Volksschule Königstetten | Volksschule Eggenburg | Volksschule Schwadorf | NMS Heidenreichstein | Volksschule Bisamberg | BRG Wr. Neustadt | Volksschule Bergern | NMS Sieghartskirchen
Created by D.M. Sorger © 2022
