SPIDERS

SPIDERS

AGE: FIRST - THIRD GRADE

BY: BRYAN CUNNIGNHAM, HEATHER DIES, and JAIME SCOTT

MATH AND SCIENCE METHODS

DR. GERMAINE TAGGART

DECEMBER 4, 1998

TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

When Halloween comes around, you can bet that you will see spiders crawling around. A spider is an eight-legged animal and is known best for the web that it spins. Spiders' webs are made out of silk and they use these webs to catch insects for food. There are a lot of people who are scared of spiders, but spiders are helpful to people because they eat insects that are harmful. There are more than 30,000 known kinds of spiders, but scientists think there are at least 50,000 to 100,000 kinds. Most of the spiders people see are small, but there are some spiders that are smaller than the head of a pin and some that are bigger than a person's hand.

Contrary to what some people think, spiders are not insects. They are classified as arachnids. Spiders differ from insects in many ways. The biggest difference is that spiders have eight legs and insects only have six. Another difference is that insects have wings and antennae and spiders do not.

Spiders are interesting looking animals; they may be either short, fat, long, thin, round, oblong, or flat. The most common colors of spiders are brown, gray, or black. The spider's body has two main sections: the cephalothorax, which includes the head joined to the thorax or chest, and the abdomen. The cephalothorax is the front section of the body and the abdomen is the back section. Each of the sections has appendages or attached parts and a thin waist or the pedicel, which connects the cephalothorax and the abdomen.

A spider usually has eight eyes, which are on the top and near the front of its head. The eyes are arranged in two rows of four, however, some spiders may have either two, four, or six eyes. Some spiders have better vision than other spiders and some that live in dark places have no eyes at all. The spider's mouth is an opening below its eyes. Spiders do not chew like humans because they only eat liquids. All spiders have fang and most spiders have poiso glands. They use these fangs and glands to capture the animals they eat. The spider has a pair of appendages called the chelicerae that they use to seize and kill its prey. These appendages are located above the mouth opening and just below the spider's eyes.

A spider has eight legs, four on each side of its body. The legs are attached to the cephalothorax and each leg has seven segments. Most spiders have two or three claws at the tip of the last segment. Each of the spiders' legs is covered with sensitive bristles, which are used as the organs of touch and sometimes the organs of smell. The legs of a spider do not all move at the same time as one would think. The first and third leg on one side of its body move with the second and fourth leg on the other side. Spiders have muscles in their legs, which allow their legs to bend at the joints.

Attached at the rear of the abdomen is what we call spinnerets. Spinnerets are short, fingerlike organs that allow the spider to spin silk. Most spiders have six spinnerets, but there are some spiders with two or four. The spinning field is the tip of the spinneret and the surface of each spinning field is covered by approximately a hundred spinning tubes. These tubes allow liquid silk to flow from the silk glands into the spiders' abdomen and then to the outside of its body. After all this, the silk hardens into the thread that we see when we look at a spider web.

Spiders do not use their silk just to make webs. The silk they use to make their web, also has other purposes. An important use of their silk is for protection. No matter where a spider goes, they leave a trail of silk thread behind them. This is called a dragline or lifeline. The spider uses the dragline to escape from enemies when it is in danger. When the spider is in danger in its web, they will use the dragline to drop from the web and hide in the grass or they can dangle in the air until the danger is gone. The spiders also use their silk to spin attachment disks. Attachment disks are tiny masses of sticky threads that are used to anchor their draglines and webs to various surfaces.

There are thousands of different types of spiders all over the world. Some of the more common types of spiders that we may know are tarantulas, water spiders, wolf spiders, and black widow spiders. The tarantula is the world's largest spider and can be found in the Southwestern United States. The biggest tarantulas can be found in the South American Jungles. The tarantula does not spin a web, but digs a burrow for its home. The only spider that lives most of its life underwater is the water spider. They build spider webs under the water that are shaped like a bell. One of the most common types of spiders is the wolf spider. Wolf spiders are excellent hunters and have large hairy bodies. The wolf spider can live either in a web or a burrow. The black widow spider is a comb-footed spider and spins a tangled web that they use as a hideout to trap their food.

Most spiders live only about a year, but some tarantulas have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity. Most spiders are loners, except during the mating season. Once mating has occurred, it may take weeks or months for the female spider to lay her eggs. The size of the female spider will determine how many eggs she lays. The average sized female will lay approximately 100 eggs. Some of the largest spiders lay more than 2,000 eggs. The mother spider will secure her eggs in an egg sac made out of silk. The spiderlings will hatch inside the egg sac. They will not leave the sac right away, but after spreading their outer skin(molting), they are ready to leave the sac.

Brief description

In this unit, we are going to cover what a spider is. We will be teaching the students the body parts of a spider and what they use some of their body parts for. The students will also learn how spiders make their webs and how spiders are different from insects. The students will be learning where certain spiders are from and where some are most commonly found. We also plan to have fun with the students and do some art projects with them as they learn about spiders.

Major concept

The major concept of this unit is to teach the students the body parts of the spider and what some of them are used for and to teach them the differences between spiders and insects.

Objectives

1. The students will identify and summarize different facts about spiders and be able to accurately label all parts of a spider and construct one accordingly.
2. While creating projects, the students will demonstrate their fine motor skills and language/writing abilities, which will be evaluated by neatness and accuracy.

~ 2 oreo cookies

~ 4 pieces of thin red licorice

~ 2 Chinese noodles

~ 6 round cake decoration candies

~ 6 shelled sunflower seeds

~ assignment from 'Spiders from Where' activity

~ world map

~ small pictures of spiders (shrink spider paper and use)

~ direction worksheet

~ pencils

~ encyclopedias

~ paper

~ large sheet of paper

~ crayons or markers

~ spider paper (spider theme pattern)

~ graph showing the difference between spiders and insects

~ book "The Lady and the Spider"

~ spider paper or regular paper

~ computer with a drawing program (if one is not available use crayons)

~ egg cartons cut into two-sections

~ hole punch

~ black, brown, or gray paper

~ paint brushes

~ 4 12" pipe cleaners

~ paper scraps

~ book Be Nice To Spiders

~ 8 1" x 9" strips of black or brown construction paper

~ 1 9" x 12" piece of black or brown construction paper

~ scraps of colored paper

~ 1 piece of string or yarn

~ glue

~ scissors and stapler

~ several 9" x 12" pieces of white paper

~ a dark color of spray paint

~ spider fact sheet

~ several 9" x 12" pieces of white paper

~ a dark color of spray paint

Teacher references

Dewey, Jennifer Ownings. (1993). Spiders, near and far. New York: Dutton.

Duell, Michelle. (1997). What A Year for Creepy Crawly Spiders. The Hays Daily News.

Henwood, Chris. (1988). Spiders. New York: Franklin Watts.

Martinez, Karen. (1997). Don't Like Spiders? The Hutchinson News.

Pringle, Lawrence P. (1990). The Golden Book of Insects and Spiders. New York: Golden Book.

Spiders. The World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 18. 1997 Edition. Pp. 182-191.

Wooton, Anthony. (1979). The Amazing book of Spiders. Benicia, CA: P/Creative Education.

Student references

Back, Christine. (1984). Spider's Web. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdett Co.

Synopsis: This book takes us through the steps of how a garden spider builds her web. We read about all the small little details that a spider puts into her web. We also learn about how the spider uses her web to catch her food.

Carle, Eric. (1984). The Very Busy Spider. New York: Philomel Books.

Synopsis: The farm animals try to distract a busy littlõ spider from spinning her web. The little spider persists

Emerton, James. (1961). Common Spiders of the United States. New York: Dover Publications.

Synopsis: Throughout this book, we read about the many different kinds of spiders that live in the United States. We learn about what part of the United States they live in, what kinds of food they eat, and how they catch their food.

Everett, Eileen. (1985). Spiders. New York, NY: Franklin Watts.

Synopsis: This book talks about the similar characteristics between spiders. It also tells us about spiders' reproductive cycles and some of the methods used when spiders spin their webs. We also learn how spiders catch their prey.

Gerholdt, James E. (1996). Jumping Spiders. Minneapolis, MN: ABDO & Daughters.

Synopsis: This book tells us about the amazing jumping spiders. We learn that the jumping spiders can jump up to forty times the length of their bodies. We also learn about the size, shape, colors, and senses of this spider. We are told where these spiders live, how they defend themselves, and how they catch their food.

Gerholdt, James E. (1996). Wolf Spiders. Minneapolis, MN: ABDO & Daughters.

Synopsis: In this book, we read about the size, shape, color, and how the wolf spider defends itself against enemies. We also learn where these spiders are from, where they build their webs, and how they catch their food.

Goldin, Augusta. (1964). Spider Silk. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.

Synopsis: In this interesting book, we learn about spider webs and what they are made of. We are also told how spiders spin their webs and how they use their silk to catch food.

Graham, Margaret Bloy. (1967). "Be Nice To Spiders". New York: Harper & Row.

Synopsis: A little boy takes his spider, Helen, to the zoo. He has to leave her at the zoo because his family is moving and he cannot take Helen with him. As we read this book, we find out that instead of the zoo taking care of Helen, Helen takes care of the zoo.

Martin, Louise. (1988). Bird Eating Spiders. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises.

Synopsis: In this book it talks about some of the world's largest spiders and their physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment. We also learn where these spiders build their nests, what they eat, and a little about their babies.

Martin, Louise. (1988). Black Widow Spiders. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises.

Synopsis: This book discusses the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the black widow spider. It also talks about how the female black widow spider is poisonous and the male is not.

Martin, Louise. (1988). Fishing Spiders. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises.

Synopsis: Two kinds of fishing spiders are discussed in this book. They are the North American Dolomedes Triton and the European Argyroneta. The book talks about where each of these spiders originate from, how they live, and what they eat. We can also read about the physical characteristics and habits of each spider.

Martin, Louise. (1988). Funnel Web Spiders. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises.

Synopsis: The funnel web spider is one of the most poisonous spiders in the world. This book tells us about their physical characteristics, habits, and their natural environment, which is in Australia. We also learn how these spiders got their name.

Martin, Louise. (1988). Tarantulas. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises.

Synopsis: This book talks about the characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the tarantula. In this book, we learn some very interesting facts about the tarantula and how that its bite is not as deadly as it was once believed to be.

Petty, Kate. (1982). Spiders. Windermare, FL: Rourke Publications.

Synopsis: This book discusses how many different types of spiders there are. It tells us about spider webs and what they are made of. It also talks about how some spiders make their webs and the different types of spider webs. It also tells us about the physical characteristics of many different types of spiders.

Podendorf, Illa. (1962). The True Book of Spiders. Chicago, IL: Children's Press.

Synopsis: In this book it discusses how spiders are alike and how they are different. It talks about where spiders live and what they eat. It tells us how spiders protect themselves, how they can be helpful, and whether or not they are harmful. It also introduces a new idea to us-spiders as engineers!?

Content related words

arachnid- the scientific name for spiders

spiders- an eight legged animal

cephalothorax- the front section of a spider that includes the head

thorax- the spider's chest

abdomen- the back section of a spider

appendages- attached parts on the spiders body

pedicel- the spiders waist

chelicerae- a pair of appendages used to seize and kill the spiders prey

spinnerets- fingerlike organs that allow the spider to spin its silk

diamante- a seven lime poem

SPIDER MOBILES

Topic: The students are going to build a spider mobile to hang around the classroom.

Materials:

~ 8 1" x 9" strips of black or brown construction paper

~ 1 9" x 12" piece of black or brown construction paper

~ scraps of colored paper

~ 1 piece of string or yarn

~ glue

~ scissors and stapler

Steps:

1) Cut out an oval shape for the spider's body.

2) Cut a slit halfway up the oval.

3) Overlap and staple the body (makes it look three-dimensional).

4) Accordion fold the strips and glue them to the body.

5) Add eyes and fangs using paper scraps.

1. Hang around the classroom using string or yarn.

SPIDER POSTERS

Topic: The students will create a picture of why people should be nice to spiders.

Materials:

~ book "Be Nice To Spiders"

~ paper

~ crayons or markers

Steps:

1) Read the book, "Be Nice To Spiders" to the students and discuss. Ask questions to make sure the students understand the story.

2) Explain to the students that they are going to be drawing a picture telling why we should be nice to spiders or how spiders can be helpful to us. Be sure and tell them they need to leave enough space on their picture to write a sentence to go along with their pictures.

3) Allow time for students to create their pictures.

EGG CARTON SPIDERS

Topic: Have the students make a spider out of egg cartons.

Materials:

~ egg cartons cut into two-sections

~ hole punch

~ black, brown, or gray paper

~ paint brushes

~ 4 12" pipe cleaners

~ markers

~ paper scraps

Steps:

1. Explain to students the body parts of the spider. Draw a picture of a spider on the board and have students label the body parts.
2. Next, tell the students they are going to be constructing a spider of their own based on what they just learned.

3) Give one two-section length of egg carton to each student.

4) Go around the classroom and punch four holes on each side of the front section.

5) Have the students paint their spider. Let them dry. (If not enough time, painting is optional).

6) After spider is dry, poke the pipe cleaners through the holes, do not cut the pipe cleaners. Bend the pipe cleaners to make them look like spider's legs.

7) Using either paper scraps or markers, let the students draw faces on their spiders.

Super Spider Sentences

Topic: The students will write creative sentences about a spider.

Materials:

~ paper

~ pencil

~ computer with a drawing program(if one is not available just use crayons)

Steps:

1) Explain to the students that they are going to be writing super sentences. Super sentences are sentences that have descriptive words in them.

2) Go over adjectives with the students and make a class list of some adjectives they could use to describe spiders. Give an example of a super sentence(The brown, creepy spider slowly crawled to its sticky web to eat its prey.)

3) Lets students choose or assign a spider to each student. Have students go to the library and find one interesting fact about their spider.

4) After this, have the students write a sentence about their spider using descriptive words. When students finish, proofread the sentences with the student and correct them if needed.

5) When all students' sentences are descriptive enough, have them draw a picture about their sentence on a computer program or using paper and crayons.

6) Hang pictures and sentences up around the classroom.

Spider Poems

Topic: The students are going to write a seven-line poem about spiders.

Materials:

~ spider paper

~ pencils

~ crayons(up to teacher)

Steps:

1) Go over with students and explain to them what a diamante is. Tell students there are many different kinds of poems and the most common types are poems that rhyme. Ask if students understand or have any questions about the diamante.

2) Write on the board what each line of a diamante is supposed to have.

First line- one wordà a noun

Second line- two wordsà adjectives

Third line- three wordsà end in "ing"

Fourth line- four wordsà nouns

Fifth line- three wordsà end in "ing"

Sixth line- two wordsà adjectives

Seventh line- one wordà synonym for first word

3) Go over and remind the students what nouns, adjectives, and "ing" words are. Explain to them what a synonym is and give some examples(Ex. Spidersà arachnids)

4) Pair up the students and have them buddy-write their poems.

Spiders Like Us

Topic: The students will learn how spiders are similar to humans.

Materials:

~ book "The Lady and the Spider"

~ pencils

~ spider paper or regular paper

Steps:

1) Read the book, "The Lady and the Spider" to the students and discuss it.

2) Explain to the students that they are going to be writing a sentence or two on how spiders are similar to humans.

3) Hand out spider paper(regular paper if you want a picture). Tell students to think back to the story and write a similarity about spiders and humans. Remind them of correct sentence punctuation.

MATH CONNECTIONS

Topic: The students will work on math problems relating to the differences between spiders and insects.

Materials:

~ pencils

~ paper

~ graph showing the difference between spiders and insects

Steps:

1) Using the graph, explain to the students the differences between spiders and insects. Ask questions to make sure the students understand the differences. Also, go over addition and subtraction with them to help them remember.

2) After students understand the differences, hand out worksheet with several spider and insect math problems on it.

3) Explain the assignment to the students. Tell them what a word problem is and then work one of the problems together so the students understand.

SPIDER EIGHTS

Topic: The students will work on their addition, subtraction, and multiplication skills.

Materials:

~ scissors

~ pencil

~ spider paper

~ crayons

Steps:

1) Hand out the spider paper and have students color their spider.

2) When they are finished coloring, have them cut the solid lines on the spider. After that, cut out the strips of problems.

3) Show the students how to weave the strips through the spider's body so that the problem shows.

4) Go over some addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems with the students.

5) Have them work with a partner or individually. Tell them to write their answers on a separate sheet of paper so the strips can be reused.

SPIDER GRAPH

Topic: The students will make a graph of how the school feels about spiders.

Materials:

~ large sheet of paper

~ crayons or markers

~ paper spiders

Steps: 1) Explain to the students the parts of a graph and what they are used for. Also, go over why graphs are used. Ask some questions to make sure students understand graphs.

1. Send students in groups to go and ask the rest of the school how they feel about spiders. Tell students they need to be sure to write the information down.
1. Make sure students know what the choices are for how students feel. They are: scary, interesting, dangerous, helpful, or disgusting. Send an adult with students.

4) After gathering their information, have students make a small graph. When they are finished, overlook it to make sure it is right and then copy it onto the large sheet of paper.

Spider Observation

Topic: The students are going to observe the daily activities of a spider.

Materials:

~ glass jar with holes in the lid (1 jar for 4-5 students)

~ soil, dead leaves, and twigs

~ cotton balls

~ spiders

~ paper

~ markers

Steps:

1) Read the book, "The True Book of Spiders" to the students and discuss it with them.

2) Explain to the students that they will be observing a spider for about three of four days.

3) Start preparing the jars for the students' spiders. First place a little bit of soil on the bottom of the jar. To that, add a couple of dead leaves and twigs. Place a cotton ball soaked with water at the bottom of the jar.

4) Place the jars so that they are out of the sun.

5) Place this list near the observation area:

--Use a magnifying glass to observe the spiders' body parts

--After observing, draw a picture of your spider.

--Watch as the spider makes its web.

--After a web has been made, add an insect. Watch the spider trap and eat its prey.

--Keep a daily record of the spiders activities.

--Compare your spider to an insect. Note the similarities and differences.

6) Explain the list to the students and answer any questions they may have about the experiment.

Spider Fact Chart

Topic: The students are going to learn several facts about spiders and illustrate one.

Materials:

~ spider fact sheet

~ pencils

~ spider paper

~ crayons or markers

Steps:

1) First ask students what they know about spiders. After taking several answers, go over the spider facts with the students.

1. Explain to the students that they are going to be grouped together and given a spider fact. Tell them they are going to be drawing a picture about that fact and writing a sentence to explain it.
1. Give an example of what you want the students to do. (Ex. On the board, draw a spider with eight eyes. Then write a sentence underneath that says: Most spiders have eight eyes.)

4) Group the students with a partner or in small groups.

5) Assign a spider fact to each group.

6) After the students have been grouped, remind them that their sentences need to be neat and that they need correct punctuation at the beginning and end.

Make A Web

Topic: The students will go outside and look at a real spider web and then make one of their own.

Materials:

~ several 9" x 12" pieces of white paper

~ a dark color of spray paint

~ scissors

Steps:

1) Read the book, "Spider Silk" to the students and discuss with them how spiders make their webs and what their webs are made of.

2) Explain to the students that they are going outside to look at a real spider web and that they are going to make their own.

3) Take the students outside and have them look for a spider web that is dry, without dew, and does not have a spider in it. Group the children into small groups.

4) With some help, have one student from each group spray paint the spider web. Tell them they need to spray it lightly and start from the center and move their way outwards.

5) While the paint is still wet and sticky, have another student gently press the paper against the spider web.

6) Have another student cut away the supporting threads around the edge of the web. Do this while the paper is still pressed to the web.

1. Have another student gently remove the paper from the web. The web should stick to the paper. Take the paper inside and lay down flat for them to dry.

Spiders From Where?

Topic: The students are going to learn about different types of spiders.

Materials:

~ encyclopedias

~ paper

~ pencils

Steps:

1) Explain to the students that they are going to be given a spider to stuy and then are going to go to the library and using encyclopedias to research their spider.

1. Before going to the library, assign a spider to each student(if there are not enough spiders for the entire class, pair them up). Take the students to library and help them find the encyclopedia they need.

   3) Tell the students that when they find their spider in the encyclopedia, they need to write down where their spider is from and where it is most commonly found.

4) When all students have found the correct information, go back to the classroom and make a class list of all the spiders, where they come from, and where they are most commonly found.

Directional Webbing

Topic: The students will work on directions using spiders.

Materials:

~ direction worksheet

~ pencil

Steps:

1) First, ask students if they know what the directions on a compass are. Once you have some answers, tell the students the main directions (N, S, E, W). Then go over the combined directions (NE, NW, SE, SW).

2) Ask some practice direction questions and then ask if students have any questions.

3) Hand out the direction worksheet and have students read the directions and complete it on their own.

 

 

Mapping Spiders

Topic: The students will work with the world map.

Materials:

~ assignment from 'Spiders from Where' activity

~ world map

~ small pictures of spiders(shrink spider paper and use)

Steps:

1) Go over the world map with the students. Use a blank map and ask students where countries are to see what they know.

2) Hand out their assignment from previous activity (Spiders From Where?). Have the students individually go up to the map and place their spider on the country their spider comes from.

3) After all students have placed their spider on the map, talk about all the different places spiders live in the world.

CULMINATING

ACTIVITIES

SPIDER TREATS

Topic: Have a party for the students and make spider treats out of oreo cookies.

Materials:

~ 2 oreo cookies

~ 4 pieces of thin red licorice

~ 2 Chinese noodles

~ 6 round cake decoration candies

~ 6 shelled sunflower seeds

Steps:

1. As you put the spider together, review the body parts of the spider.
2. Place the two cookies side by side.
3. Open one of the cookies and lay each piece of licorice across the middle of the cookie. These are the legs.
4. Lay the decoration candies on the top of the cookie with legs. These are the eyes.
5. On the front of the same cookie, stick the two noodles in to the filling. These are the fangs.
6. On the back of the second cookie, place the six sunflower seeds into the filling. These are the spinnerets.

FIELD TRIP

Take the students to a natural history museum to view a spider collection. Have the students think of some questions to ask when the trip is over with.

Evaluation

1. The students need to explain facts about spiders and accurately label all the parts of a spider.
2. The students need to produce projects that illustrate their neatness and accuracy while working on their fine motor skills and language/writing abilities.
3. The students need to accurately solve math problems and correctly construct a graph.

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