Guiding Comprehension

Plot • Critical

What happens at the beginning of the story that is important?

The ants leave their colony and journey into the woods in search of more crystals for the queen.

then… use the skill and strategy instruction on
p. 363.

If… students have difficulty identifying the beginning of the plot sequence,

Plot

Simile • Literal

Reread the last sentence in paragraph 1 on p. 363. What does the author say the crickets' chirping sounds like?

Distant thunder.

SKILLS

STRATEGIES IN CONTEXT

Plot

TEACH

Remind students that stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Stories also have a problem. The problem often occurs at the beginning of the story.
Explain to students that as they read, they should decide which events are important to the story and which do not further the action.
Model identifying the beginning of the story.

MODEL I must decide which of the sentences at the beginning of the story are important. The ants leave their home to go on a long and dangerous journey. They are going to find crystals and take them to the queen. This is important to the story line. It presents the problem the ants will face.

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

Have students reread p. 363 and identify any important events. Be sure students understand that while these details make the story more interesting and help the reader better understand the ants' journey, they are not key to the plot sequence.

Simile

Tell students that authors sometimes use similes to compare two different things that are alike in some way. A simile uses the words like or as. Have students use similes to elaborate descriptions and incorporate figurative wording in their own writing.

"Two Bad Ants"
by Chris Van Allsburg

Student Edition
Unit 6, pp. 358–375

An animal fantasy is a story with animal characters that behave like humans. What is unusual about these two ants?

The scout came back to the ant hole carrying a huge, white crystal. The queen ant tasted the sugar. It was sweet and delicious. The discovery of the crystal made her joyful. The scout said that to please her, he would take other ants with him to get more.
The ants prepared for the long journey, and the scout led them through a forest of grass. Then they came to a large mountain of bricks. The line of ants climbed up the wall to a large, rectangular opening and entered a strange place. They crossed a huge shiny land and came to the curved wall of a sugar bowl. Each ant climbed in, picked up a crystal, and headed back out. They would give their crystals to the queen. Their goal was to make her happy. When she was happy, the entire kingdom was happy. Two ants decided to stay behind. They liked the land of the crystals. They ate and ate the sweet-tasting stuff until they could eat no more.
They fell asleep and so were unaware that a huge scoop was digging into the bowl. They ended up on the scoop with some crystals and fell into an ocean of hot, brown water. The scoop stirred and stirred. Finally it stopped, and the ocean was lifted up. Some of the brown water poured into a huge mouth. They had to get out of the water! They climbed the walls of the cup and ran to hide in a slice of bread.
Oh, no! The bread was lifted and dropped into a slot. They saw a red glow, and the slot became very hot. Then they were popped up and into the air. They landed near a fast-running stream of water. They went over to get a drink and cool their feet. But they fell in, and the stream swirled them into a dark hole. Half-eaten food was everywhere. Then a grinding noise began, and the food began to spin and break up. The food bits disappeared as water washed the bits down into pipes below. Finally the spinning stopped.
Tired and sore, the two ants climbed the walls and once again saw light. They saw something else too. A long line of ants was heading toward the sugar bowl. The two ants went to the back of the line and pretended to have been there all along. Each grabbed a crystal and marched with the others back to the ant nest.
The two bad ants were happy to be safe at home again. They had had enough adventure!



	Close
	Access Content Help students understand the setting by examining the second sentence on p. 362. Guide students in understanding the meaning of the words dusk and twilight and how they compare to night. Ant Classes Some species of ants, like the two bad ants, live in underground tunnels. There are three classes of ants in a colony. The queen lays eggs. The male ants are generally winged. The workers, all female, build the nest, gather food, take care of the young, and fight enemies.

"Two Bad Ants" by Chris Van Allsburg

"Two Bad Ants"
by Chris Van Allsburg