Summary
Leafcutter ants march home with leaf pieces held high -- but they don't eat the leaves. Deep Look shows how a colony farms a fungus on chewed leaves, with every ant doing a job to feed the whole group.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Leafcutter ants don't eat leaves; they grow a fungus garden on them and eat that. Cutters, carriers, and gardeners each do a task so the colony's shared farm feeds everyone.
- What do leafcutter ants actually do with the leaves they carry?
- How do different ants share the work of running the farm?
- Why does the whole colony depend on everyone doing a job?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: colony, fungus, cooperate, group.
Try it: Think of a job chain in your class where each person adds a step. Write how leafcutter ants share work the same way.