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Simple Synopsis: The story begins when a Child threatens to step on
an Ant, citing its insignificance in the Child's world. Before
squishing it, however, the Child allows the Ant it plead its
case, giving the reader a chance to hear both sides so that an
impartial decision can be made. Through a clever dialogue,
the Child and the Ant negotiate their differences. The
open-ended story line challenges children to decide for themselves
the Ant's fate.
To simply read Hey, Little Ant aloud
would be an injustice to this clever masterpiece. It lends
itself so nicely to acting that it can so easily be brought to
life in a classroom or in a family room. Solicit a child
to volunteer to be the Ant and lie on the ground. Get another
child to play the Child's role and simply stand over the Ant
with his shoe raised as if to squish it. Then read the
book aloud using a know-it-all voice to portray the Kid and a
smaller voice for the Ant's part. (With the musical notations
in the back of the book, you can also sing the words if you'd
like.)
Following the reading, begin a discussion
of the book with the following questions:
1. Are the Child and the Ant equal?
Why or why not?
2. Would it be fair for the Child to squish the Ant?
3. If they were to trade places, would the Ant squish the
Child? Why or why not?
4. Are there people in your life that might treat you like
a little Ant?
5. Can you share a time when that might have happened?
What did you do?
6. What can you do when someone tries to make you feel
smaller than they are?
7. What can you do to make sure that you do not treat others
like little Ants?
8. Do you think that the Kid should squish the Ant?
9. What if the Ant were a Mosquito? Bumble Bee? Snake?
Other insect or animal?
Ask for additional questions or comments before
using the following activities for follow-up and enrichment:
1. From Whose Point of View?
Every one has an opinion that is his/her point
of view. This book can serve as an excellent opportunity
to teach children about their point of view and where opinions
and points of view come from. It can also springboard a
lesson to guide children to base their opinions or points of
view on the Six Pillars of Character.
Divide your students by viewpoint - one group
for students who can see and share the Kid's point of view and
the other group for students who can see and share the Ant's
point of view. Ask the following questions to facilitate
a debate:
1. Why do you think that the Child should
squish the Ant?
2. Why do you think that the Child should not squish the
Ant?
3. If the Child does squish the Ant, what might happen
next?
4. If the Child lets the Ant go, then what might happen?
5. Could the Child actually be friends with the Ant? How?
Using the Six Pillars of Character as a guide,
help students share their points of view on other topics. Use
recycling, for example, or volunteering. Give them a statement
like "Everybody should recycle" and have them share
their opinions. Prompt their responses by asking questions
about citizenship, responsibility, and caring. To further
illustrate point of view, have the students draw something from
different points of view. For example, how would a pencil
look if you were an Ant? What does your town look like
to a bird? You could also have them draw three views of
their toothbrush.
2. What Happens Next? Writing Activity
Individually or in small groups of 3 or 4,
have the children continue the dialogue between the Child and
the Ant by writing the next two verses. This will allow
them to take a look at their sense of justice, fairness, and
equality as they decide in which direction the ending should
go. Help them with the rhyme as needed.
3. Decisions, Decisions
Using the chalkboard or large flip-chart paper,
make two columns for the group to see. Write the word Squish
at the top of the left-hand column and Don't Squish at the top
of the right-hand column. Using the book, ask the students
to help review the arguments that the Child and the Ant used.
For example, the Child was powerful or bigger, so you write
big/powerful in the Squish column. The Ant contends that, while
he might be small, for an Ant, he's important to his community,
so write important in the Don't Squish column.
Continue this until you have listed all of
the points they make. Then have the children assign a smiley
face to points that they see as important or good (pros) and
a frowny face to points that they deem unimportant (cons). Encourage
students to discuss and negotiate for each smile or frown. For
example - some might think that being powerful is important while
others might not share that opinion. Allow students to
explain why they think powerful is or isn?t worth a smiley face.
Prompt them to think about their decisions using the Six Pillars
of Character as a guide: Is it fair to use your size to
take advantage of someone who is smaller or weaker? When they
list that all of the Kid's friends are doing it, ask questions
like: should we allow our friends to pressure us into doing
something, or is it better to stand up for what we believe? Does
the Kid should integrity if he allows peer pressure from his
friends to help him make his decision? When they list the
fact that the Ant is needed to help feed nest mates, ask what
does the Ant's argument say about its loyalty to family and its
part as a citizen of the Ant community? Try to get a consensus
or take a vote as this will show the students visually how to
make solid decisions as a team.
At the end of the brainstorming session, look
at the smiley faces for what seems important or good. Whichever
column has the most smiley faces is usually the better choice.
Explain that sometimes with decisions there
is not a simple answer or clear choice. This strategy can
be a useful way to try to make decisions clearer and easier.
To extend this lesson, have the students think of a time
that they had a tough decision to make and have them sketch out
on their papers what the two sides were and what the smiley faces
and frowny faces about the two sides were. Have them share
with the class or a partner.
4. Bully Busters
In the Ant's world, the Kid would be considered
a bully. Bullies tease and threaten other people because
of their differences like size, accent, skin color, nationality,
religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, intelligence, or even
their character and the values that they hold dear. People
of character stand up for who they are and what they believe
it and wear their character like a badge of honor with pride.
Use this opportunity for a discussion about bullying with
questions like these:
1. Have you ever bullied anyone? Can
you explain when and what happened?
2. Talk about a time you were bullied. Was the bully
bigger than you? Older?
3. What are some differences that bullies target?
4. What can you do if you are being bullied?
5. Would it be considered tattling if you reported bullying
to an adult? Would this help?
6. What is it about our differences that can be so scary?
7. What can you do to make someone?s differences less frightening?
Reinforce the Golden Rule and remind students
how the Ant used it to plead for its life. Encourage them
to adopt the Golden Rule as their personal motto. Teach
them that people ought to judge others by what's on the inside
(their character) rather than by what they see on the outside
(weight, skin color) and that we should value and honor all people
from all walks of life.
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