#211. I Love Spiders

other, level: Elementary
Posted by Addie Gaines (againes@netins.net).
Science Units (spiders and more)
Seneca Elementary School, Seneca, MO USA
Materials Required: Depends on activity
Activity Time: Depends on activity
Concepts Taught: Integrated

We begin our spider unit with the book, I Love Spiders by John Parker. This delightful story rambles along with rhyming text and a surprise ending.

We also read a factual book about spiders from the Wright Group and a story from a book called Science Big Books. The pictures are black and white. One of these days, I'll get them colored. I think the book is published by Creative Teaching Press and contains other science stories too.

Spider art: Cut two circles from const. paper, one large for the body and one small for the head. Attach 8 strips of const. paper for legs (can be left straight, curled with scissors or pencil or accordian folded) and draw eight eyes on the head.

Edible Spiders: Cut a circle from bread, spread peanut butter, add 8 pretzel legs and 8 raisin or m and m eyes, eat!!!

Have students bring in spiders to observe. Be sure to caution students that some spiders are dangerous and they should have an adult's help with capturing spiders.

Make a Spiderweb Room: Use a ball of yarn. Tie the end of the yarn to a table leg and call a name and toss the ball to that student. That student winds the yarn around a table leg, calls a name and tosses the ball of yarn. Continue activity until everyone has had a turn.

Spider poems:

Cobweb Ride
Little spider likes to climb up a flower hill
Up and up and up he goes
Up and up until
He stands upon the very top
Then quickly down he slides
I think it must be lots of fun
To go on cobweb rides.

I run off the poems on a piece of tagboard with a large flower drawn on the side. A hole is punched near the top and bottom and student string a piece of yarn through the hole. They also make a small spider from two black circles and little const. paper strips. We punch a hole in the spider and string it on the yarn. Then tape the yarn to the back of the poem. The students can act out the poem as it is read.

We also use the itsy bitsy spider and make a manipulative to go with it. Students color a small spider, rain cloud and sun and cut them out. Glue each to a straw or popsicle stick. Then cut 3 small holes in an inverted styrofoam cup and run the straw or popsicle sticks through the holes. The children can work the puppets as the song is sung.