Fire Ants virtually attack a Bundaberg school
Published on 09 July, 2003
Year 2 students at a Bundaberg primary school had the chance to see up close what exactly a fire ant looks like when Queensland’s most dreaded creature hit their school premises recently.
Ground staff however breathed a sigh of release. The tiny creatures feared by the Department of Primary Industries, were magnified onto a computer screen thanks to Central Queensland University, the University of Queensland and a fire ant expert.
The students connected via the Internet to the University of Queensland’s CyberSTEM facilities to gain access to scientific instruments which are not available in regional centres.
CQU Bundaberg Education Lecturer, John Hunt was very enthusiastic about the morning’s activities.
“The last time I worked on a project like this with the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, a group of school children looked at a fruit fly. But with fire ants being such a hot issue at the moment, it seemed appropriate to show these young students the characteristics of a fire ant.
Students saw the external features of the ant, which was dried, coated in gold and placed under an electron microscope offering up to 40,000 times magnification. The students then looked at around 10 different images.
“It was a great moment for the children, for them to have gone home and told their parents that not only did they see fire ants at school, but they spoke to and saw a real scientist in Brisbane on the net was just fantastic.
For John Hunt, anything that may increase a child’s enthusiasm for science is worthwhile.
“Not only are fire ants topical, but the ant theme ties in with the ants reading text being used by the school at that level, so it makes their learning more interesting and real.
“The world of science is amazing with incredible opportunities for our young people. That is one of the benefits of regional campus universities such as CQU, we can open up a world for locals to things that they might not otherwise have access to.
Above: Thanks to the University of Queensland CyberSTEM,. the head of a fire ant and a whole fire ant.