Did you ever wonder why ants seem to have a one-track mind for sweets? Leave a cookie on the counter in a kitchen that has become residence to some ants, and it's guaranteed that they'll find it-quickly.

So what is it with ants and their collective sweet tooth? Do ants even have teeth? No, they don't have teeth. They do, however, have a chemical sensory aid that directs them to the foods they love the most. It would be like you having a built-in radar device that beeps whenever you get within 50 yards of an ice cream shop.

In this science fair project, you try to determine which foods from your kitchen ants like best. The experiment is not conducted inside the kitchen (much to Mom's relief), but outside in a corner of your yard or other area in which you can work.

To learn about the eating habits of ants, you can place several types of food in separate, flat container lids. Using a permanent marker, write on each lid the type of food it will hold. Be sure to include these three different types of foods:

  • Sweets, such as candy, brown sugar, or fruit juice
  • Proteins, such as meat, cheese, or milk
  • Carbohydrates, such as crackers, or cooked rice or pasta

Every day for a week, place a small amount of various types of food in a shallow lid. You can use just one food from each group or more than one-it's up to you. Just be sure to include at least one of each type of food. And remember to put about the same amount of food in each lid. Group all the lids together in a small area accessible to ants.

Ants are attracted to different types of foods.
Ants are attracted to different types of foods.

Also, set out a lid containing plain water. That will serve as your control. The foods are the variables.

Once you've placed the food in the lids outside, you'll need to watch it pretty carefully. You'll want to take a look every couple of hours to see what's going on.

Take a notebook with you and record what you see-don't count on remembering later on. Try to establish patterns by watching which foods attract the most ants, and which foods the least. How long does it take for ants to find the food? How long do the same ants hang out at the outdoor café you've provided for them? Do more ants appear once the food site has been established for several days?

When you've observed the behavior and habits of the ants over an entire week, you can chart your observations.

A creepy-crawly science project with legs!

Students learn about ants and how they are able to locate food with this printable science activity. With this hands-on project, students monitor how ants respond to different household foods.

Looking for project-based learning?

Check out our collection of hands-on projects that combine math, ELA, and science concepts with 21st Century and social-emotional skills!

Grades
5
6
7

Featured Middle School Resources

Test Prep Strategies and Practice for Students

ACTIVITIES

Test Prep Strategies, Tools, and Practice Questions

Help set your students up for academic success with this packet of test-taking tips, test preparation strategies, and pr...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Exit Tickets for Middle School Classrooms

ASSESSMENT

Exit Tickets for Middle School Classrooms

Exit tickets are a form of assessment that are often used informally to assess how well students grasped a lesson, what ...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Geography Activities for Middle School

CHOICE BOARDS

Geography Activities for Middle School

Help students explore the world and develop their geography knowledge with this packet of geography activities for middl...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

Related Resources

ACTIVITIES

The Sweetest Experiment – Chocolate and Solvents

The town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, has a slogan in which it claims to be the sweetest place on earth.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

ACTIVITIES

Making Eggs That Bounce

Did you ever try to bounce an egg? Don't! Not until you read through this experiment, anyway.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

LESSON PLANS

Is the DNA of a Cow Different from a Chicken's?

In This Section Understanding the basics of DNA Extracting and comparing DNA Isolating DNA Making qualitative observatio...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Animal Communication

Most animals (including people) use “body language” as well as sound and smell in order to communicate with one anot...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

WORKSHEETS

Animal Defenses

Animals' lives are not peaceful! They must be able to find food for themselves and their young (which often includes tra...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

ACTIVITIES

Do Odor and Bacteria Go Hand-in-Hand?

You know how sneakers get during those hot summer months when you wear them all the time, sometimes without socks? They ...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
loading gif