Title:
Just Hanging Around - Spider Webs
Grade Levels: 3
- 5
Subjects: Science,
Language Arts, Math 
Learner Outcomes:
-
Students will be able to explain
how physical characteristics of a spider will help it to survive in its
environment.
-
Students will be able to compare
and contrast spiders' webs and describe the types of webs that spiders
weave.
-
The student will be able to explore
and explain how a spider gets its food.
-
The student will be able to explore
and explain why a spider does not stick to its own web.
Duration of lesson: 50
minute class period for one to two days
Materials: Sugar
cubes, styrofoam cups, eye droppers, tape, cooking oil, variety of art
supplies (paint, glue, glitter, construction paper), cooked spaghetti
Technology Tools/Courseware:
Multi-media computer, Projection device
Teacher Notes: Caution
students about never touching or disturbing a spider. Have a signed
Acceptable Use Policy for each student.
Procedures:
-
Orally review yesterday's lesson
about the characteristics of spiders. Summarize the data in a K-W-L
chart.
-
Introduce the concept of how a
spider gets its food by doing the following activity. Group students
into groups of 3 or 4. Give each group a styrofoam cup with several
sugar cubes in the bottom. (The cubes are hard like the inside of the insect's
body.) Give each group a small cup of water and an eye dropper.
Instruct the students to pour a few drops of water onto the cubes and observe
what happens.
-
Explain that the water dissolves
the sugar cubes just as the spider's venom dissolves the insect's body.
When the spider spreads venom into the insect's body, a spider turns its
food into a liquid - it can eat without chewing!
-
Explain that spiders are classified
into two main types based on how they get their food - hunters
and web spinners.
-
Read the following descriptions
- have the students decide if the spider is a web spinner or hunter:
a) The comb footed spider uses the comb of hairs on its hind legs to throw
liquid silk over an insect that's been netted.
b) The common house spider often sets up camp in the corner of rooms waiting
for a stray fly or other insects fall into its trap
c) Tarantulas dig burrows. Some cover the burrow with a trap door.
When an unsuspecting insect walks by, the tarantula is ready and waiting.
d) Jumping spiders have short legs and are covered with thick hair.
They creep up on their prey and jump on it.
e) Water spiders live most of their lives underwater in an air bubble "bell."
When an insect comes along, the water spider is there to grab it.
-
Brainstorm the reasons why a spider's
prey might be caught in the web, but the spider does not stick in it.
Give each student a strip of tape. Instruct them to hold it down with one
hand and use the fingers of their other hand to tiptoe like a spider across
the tape. "what happens?" (Their fingers stick.) Put a little
oil on a napkin. Ask the students to touch the oil and then "walk"
across the tape again. "What happens now?" (Their fingers do not
stick.) Explain that this is how a spider's oil glands work.
-
Introduce the five types of webs
that spiders spin:
-
Allow students to work in pairs
to reproduce one of the webs using any of the following materials - yarn,
string, cold spaghetti, glue, or tempera paint.
-
Ask students to research traditional
printed encyclopedias and on-line resources to find the type of spider
that makes the type of web they have chosen to model. Allow students
time to share their creations and research findings.
-
Summarize the lessons by presenting
a Power Point presentation on spiders.
Modifications: Pair
children with consideration to reading levels.
Evaluation/Assessment: Participation
and completion of listed projects.
Enrichment: Have
students write spider poems using the following guidelines:
Line 1 - one noun
Line 2 - two adjectives
Line 3 - three verbs ending in "ing" 
Line 4 - four nouns
Line 5 - three verbs ending in "ing"
Line 6 - two adjectives
Line 7 - one noun (synonym for the first word)
Write a paragraph detailing
which spider (web spinner or hunter) has to work harder for their food.
Have at least two reasons supporting their opinions.
WV
State IGOs:
Language Arts
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.9, 3.15,
3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.20, 3.23, 3.28, 3.30, 3.35, 3.37, 3.43, 3.70, 3.75,
3.76, 3.92, 4.1, 4.3, 4.5, 4.9, 4.19, 4.20, 4.21, 4.22, 4.32, 4.43, 4.44,
4.45, 4.81, 4.85, 4.100, 5.7, 5.12, 5.15, 5.19, 5.21, 5.23, 5.28, 5.33,
5.36, 5.167, 5.173, 5.186
Social Studies
3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.45, 4.45,
4.49, 5.15
Science
3.6, 3.15, 3.16, 3.25, 3.32,
3.39, 3.56, 3.63, 3.77, 3.85, 3.86, 4.3, 4.6, 4.14, 4.18, 4.24, 4.26, 4.27,
4.32, 4.34, 4.37, 4.79, 4.80, 4.81, 5.16, 5.18, 5.32, 5.33
National
Standards:
Language Arts:
Uses the general skills and
strategies of the writing process
Uses the general skills and
strategies of the reading process
Uses reading skills and strategies
to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
Science:
Understands relationships
among organisms and their physical environment
Understands the nature of
scientific knowledge
Geography:
Knows the location of places,
geographic features, and patterns of the environment
Understands the physical and
human characteristics of place
Understands that culture and
experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions
References:
www.sedl.org
AIMS Education Foundation
Spiders Creative Teaching
Publications
Powerpoint Presentation by
Nancy Carpenter
Classmate, April/May/June,
1989
Authors:
Harrisville Elementary School
Tanya Barker
Linda Campbell
Karen Prim
Lesson1
Lesson3 
Lesson4 
Lesson5 