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Master of the Killer Ants
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Viewing Ideas
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Before Watching
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Use a map to locate the Mandara Mountains in Cameroon.
Using a world map, have students first locate Africa and then
Cameroon (the section of land between Nigeria and Chad). Finally
have them locate the Mandara Mountains (along the Nigerian
border in the northwest section of Cameroon at about 11°N,
14°E). Organize students into five groups. Assign each group
one of the following features to research and report on
regarding Cameroon: climate and terrain (e.g., When is the rainy
season? How much arable land exists?), natural resources and
land use (e.g., What types of crops and/or livestock are
commonly produced?), current environmental issues (e.g., What
diseases are prevalent?), and lifestyle issues (e.g., What is
the birth and death rate? What are the major languages and
religions?), and government and economy (e.g., What type of
government rules the country? What is the per capita income?)
Have each group present a poster that includes information it
has researched.
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Ask students to list everything they know about ants.
Have students brainstorm a list of all the characteristics they
know about ants. Are ants insects? What types of ants have
students encountered? What kind of interactions do humans have
with ants? Where do ants live? Are ants beneficial, harmful, or
both? Ask students to come up with questions they may have about
ants and what kind of experiments they could design to help
answer those questions.
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Provide students with definitions of different species
interactions. Provide students with the following definitions of species
interactions, including predator-prey
(one species feeds on another species), competitive
(one organism competes with another for resources such as
food and/or living space),
communalistic
(one organism benefits and the other is not harmed), mutualistic
(both organisms gain benefit from the other), and
parasitic
(one organism benefits and the other is harmed).
Ask students to provide examples of each type of interaction.
Make a list of their responses on the board.
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Evaluate the role of insects in the lives of the Mofu
tribe. Copy the following table for the students. Explain that the
table lists some of the different insects mentioned in the
program. Organize students into five groups and assign each
group to one of the insects listed. As they watch the program,
students should indicate on the table the role each insect plays
in the lives of the Mofu and the type of species interaction
between the Mofu and the insect. (Note that some insects have
more than one role.)
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Insect
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Role of insect in Mofu life
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Type of interaction
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Red army ant
(jaglavak)
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Black ant
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Termite
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Grasshoppers
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Red velvet mite
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After Watching
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Discuss students' findings from the program. Why are
insects so important to the Mofu? What role did each insect play
in the lives of the Mofu? What are some beneficial roles of
insects in students' lives?
(Some benefits include aiding in production of fruits and
vegetables by pollinating flowers, helping improve the soil by
burrowing through the surface layer, devouring remains of dead
plants and animals, and producing products such as honey or
silk.)
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Define the term animism. The Mofu people in the program practice a form of
animism. Explain to students that animism is a type of religious
belief that maintains that all components of the universe,
including humans, animals, plant life, rocks, and so on, contain
some form of life force, soul, or spirit. Some are seen as
friendly spirits; others as tricksters. Ask students to provide
some examples of this belief from the program. (Examples include use of the rain stones, the Mofu chief's
invoking the spirit of the mountain, the shaman's praying for
the jaglavak.)
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Study a folktale or myth in the African tradition.
Explain that oral traditions play an important role in African
cultures, and that African myths and folktales (like those of
many places) were designed to teach as well as entertain. Have
students select an African myth or folktale to share with the
class orally (see Links & Books for
a resource with stories). Discuss the characteristics of the
story: the characters, plot, symbolism involved, ironies,
allegories, and so on. What values or moral lessons are being
conveyed? What importance is placed on nature and/or wildlife in
the story? After students have presented their stories, have
them explain what, if anything, the story taught them about a
particular African culture, nature, or history. How could they
apply this information to their own lives? Are there any themes
in the stories that students can relate to?
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Compare and contrast social animals. Organize students
into four groups and have each group research the organization
of one of the following animals, including social hierarchy and
roles of society members: ants, termites, bees, and naked mole
rats. After groups have finished their research, create a chart
on the board and list what students have learned. How are these
societies alike? How are they different?
Links
NOVA—Master of the Killer Ants
www.pbs.org/nova/ants
Features information about the role of the ant queen, a sampling of
edible bugs, and a matching ants game.
African Folktales
ccs.clarityconnect.com/NRiggs/AfricanFolktales.html
Includes an online collection of folktales from different regions of
Africa.
Ants Can't Hurt You, Can They?
www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/268feature1.shtml
Describes some of the different types of ants found in Africa.
Mandara Mountains Homepage
www.mandaras.info/
Introduces the life, environment, and material culture of the people
of the northern Mandara Mountains.
Terrestrial Ecoregions: Mandara Plateau Mosaic
www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/
terrestrial/at/at0710_full.html
Presents an ecological description of the Mandara Mountains along
with a satellite map of the region and a discussion of the climate
and growing conditions.
Books
An Anthology of Myths, Legends and Folktales from Cameroon:
Storytelling in Africa
by Emmanuel Matateyou. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1997.
An anthology of myths, legends, and folktales from Cameroon,
collected from oral performances throughout Cameroon.
Ants and Termites
by Anna Claybourne. Mankato, MN: Stargazer Books, 2005.
Describes the physical characteristics, behavior, life cycle, and
habitat of various types of ants and termites.
Indaba My Children: African Folktales
by Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa , editor. New York: Grove Press, 1999.
Features a collection of African folk tales that chart the story of
African tribal life since the time of the Phoenicians. Reconstructs
the past of the Bantu of Africa and demonstrates the intertribal
friendships and hatreds, and how they were kept alive.
West African Folktales
compiled by Stephen A. Gale. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook
Company, 1995.
Includes more than 40 tales from 15 West African countries.
Viewing Ideas Author
Margy Kuntz has written and edited educational materials for 20
years. She has authored numerous educational supplements, basal text
materials, and trade books on science, math, and computers.
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