November 24, 2009

Homework:
Eat turkey

Today:
We took quiz 5.  The results are on the HAC.
We finished the movie and handed in the worksheet.
**The calendar of due dates is on my website.**

If you are interested, here are some things I discussed from the movie The Ant Bully.  The students must use some ideas from the movie in their debates.


Foreshadowing:
Many times in the movie, something was introduced that would be more important later. For example, the grandmother told Lucas goodnight, to not let the bed bugs bite, or lay eggs in his brain. That sounded weird, until later, when the potion was dropped in his ear. Also, the alka-root that made Lucas feel better was the same root that helped him escape from the frog. There were many other examples which I pointed out.

Perspective:
In reading, the students are discussing point of view. This whole movie is about seeing life from the point of view of the ants. Lucas bullies ants until he comes to understand them. We need to learn perspective in our own lives as well. We don’t really know someone until we have walked a mile in his/her shoes.

It is better to make an ally than an enemy:
After the ants shrank Lucas, they had a decision to make. They could destroy him and never have to worry about Lucas bothering them again, or they could change Lucas and help future generations. We discussed how killing Lucas would just bring more wrath upon them as ants. It’s like in Iraq now. Just killing everyone only makes enemies. It is better to change the way someone thinks. If they could get Lucas to understand them, he would be their friend.

Source of strength:
The ants find their source of strength in their colony, which is made up of ants doing their jobs for the good of the colony. The ants believe that their differences are what make them strong. Lucas believed that he could take care of his problems all by himself. He was bullied because he was different. He saw his difference as a weakness. By himself, he was weak. By themselves, ants are weak. Lucas pointed out that humans don’t work together for a common goal like ants do. Humans can learn some things from ants!

Finding the “ant within:”
I thought this was the deepest part of the movie. Hova saw the good in everybody, including Lucas, even when he was smashing the ant hill. She wanted to help Lucas become an ant. “There is goodness in him. There is an ant in him,” she told Zoc. Ironically, Zoc needed to find some “ant within” in himself, too. It’s almost like “ant within” represents a larger idea: love, compassion?

Finding your place in the colony:
Ants know their place in the colony. They work for the greater good. An ant will sacrifice himself for his friends. To find his place in the colony, Lucas must learn to think of others first. Which comes first: finding the “ant within” or finding your place in the colony? There are times when you can act a certain way. Zoc helped Lucas for less than totally altruistic reasons: he loved the colony, but he also loved Hova. I guess I think about it this way. When you put others and the greater good first, you begin to find the “ant within.” You see the world as a place where you can help and be of service. If you are selfish, you will not find that “ant within.” The “ant within” is tied to helping the colony. However, there can be moments of great change where the “spirit of the ant within” overcomes you and you act in a way you never have before. Lucas had this kind of awakening in the movie. Near the end, he understood what he needed to do. It was that understanding that gave him the strength he needed to act. As a result, he was given a new name, an ant wizard name, to recognize that transformation. The inner ant is recognized by his outer name.


Why I love this movie:
I love this movie because the story is about change. While many movies are about change, there is something about the way Lucas transforms; he does it reluctantly. By his own actions, he wound up in a situation where his way of life left him powerless. It was only through some painful lessons and trying moments that he came to rely on a greater power. By himself, he would fail. By trusting a power greater than himself, in this case a colony, he has found a strength he would have never known. I don’t know if you have ever experienced this. I have, and I am grateful I have found that power.