A Bug's Life

	A Bug’s Life (1998)

	Concept featured in clip: Nature of Science;Thinking Outside of the Box; Creativity
	Location of clip:
	DVD: 0:00:30 - 0:06:12 Play Flickclip Here (Quicktime)

Summary of clip: The movie begins with a scene showing the ant colony working to collect food for storage. Flik created a seed collection instrument that he uses to collect the seeds in a different way from the old fashioned way.

Connection of flickclip to the concept: Flik is an ant that consistently thinks outside of the box to try do common chores in a more efficient way. Although Flik’s seed collection machine caused a bit of trouble in this clip, it could be perfected and used for efficient collection by all of the ants. The other ants think that Flik is crazy for thinking the way that he does but in the end can’t his crazy ideas do wonderful things for the community?...

Suggestions to teachers:

1. Suggested questions for students after viewing the clip:

a. Why do the other ants think that Flik is crazy?
b. What would happen in our society if people do not invent “crazy” new machines?
c. What are some examples of things that people would have considered crazy before they became very useful machines?

Have the students do a research project on an important invention or thought that was first considered “crazy” but then became very useful (i.e. the sun revolves around the earth, the earth is flat, gas masks being used in a contaminated mine shaft to rescue miners, etc.) Have the students act out their inventor/philosopher’s attempt to publicize his/her idea/findings and the public’s response to it.

Have the students make an invention out of a paper plate, straw, spoon and piece of yarn that will make their everyday life easier. It should demonstrate one of Newton’s Laws of Motions.