Critical Thinking Through Film – Bug’s Life

When is "the way things are" actually "the way things could change"?

In A Bug's Life, a colony of ants lives under the story that they're too small and weak to resist the grasshoppers who demand their food. But is that story fact—or just an untested belief?

This capstone unit from The Critical Thinker's Toolkit (Level 2) uses a beloved animated film to teach students how power, fear, and stories work together—and how critical thinking can break them apart.

Students will learn to:

• Distinguish facts from inherited beliefs (Know vs. Believe)
• Uncover hidden assumptions in phrases like "that's just how it is"
• Recognize when leaders use fear to stop questioning (Media Literacy)
• Evaluate whether evidence is strong enough to support a claim
• Build and test reasoning chains about power and change
• Examine their own "stories in their heads" about what's possible

The Capstone Question: When a powerful group uses fear to keep others in line, how can those others test the story they've been told—and what evidence is strong enough to change it?

What's Included:

• Teaching Guide with scene-by-scene discussion questions, possible responses, and skill connections
• Student Workbook with worked examples, scaffolded activities, and a culminating challenge

Key Features:

• Evidence-based instruction built on Hochman Method principles
• Explicit skill scaffolding with worked examples for every activity
• Flexible format—works for family discussions or classroom use
• No prep required beyond watching the film together

Perfect for students ages 9–14 who have completed The Critical Thinker's Toolkit Level 2, or as a standalone introduction to critical thinking through film.

Runtime: One film viewing (95 minutes) plus 2–4 hours of discussion and activities