I. Concepts to be taught:  ·Arachnids/ Spiders

II. Behavioral Objectives:
·The student will be able to describe the characteristics of a spider.
·The student will be able to classify whether a spider is an insect or arachnid by analyzing its characteristics.
·The student will be able to describe and name the types of webs that spiders weave.
·The student will be able to explore and explain why a spider does not stick to its own web.

III. Materials/ Media Needed:
·Skein of Yarn (Any color)
·Styrofoam Balls (Small and Medium Sized)
·Pipe Cleaners
·Wiggly Eyes (optional)
·Strips of clear tape (one for each student)
·Vegetable or baby oil

IV. Teaching/ Learning Procedure:

A. Motivation
·Read: The book, "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle.

B. Instructional Strategy
Activity #1
·Ask the Children:
"Are spiders insects?" (Most will answer yes)
"Let’s list the things that an insect must have" (write on the board answers will be 3 body segments and 6 legs)
"Look at the characteristics that we listed for insects- Do spiders have those same things?" (no)
"How are spiders different?" (Write answers 2 body segments and 8 legs on the board)
Make Spiders from a small and medium sized Styrofoam ball to represent each body segment. Insert 8 pipe cleaners (4 on each side) and joint them to make the spider stand. Glue on eyes if desired.
Explain that spiders are arachnids and discuss the types of spiders we commonly see around our area. Also explain the two types of spiders: Web Builders and Wanderers

Activity #2
Discuss how spiders catch their food (webs or pouncing).
Name the four types of webs that web building spiders spin: Orb, Triangle, Sheet, and Tangle.
·Ask the children:
"Would you like to spin a web?"
Have the children make a circle on the floor, instruct them to use the skein of yarn to weave a web by wrapping it around them once and then throw it across the floor to someone else in the circle. Once the web has taken shape ask the children which of the webs that they think it most resembles. Ask the children to step out of their loops leaving the web on the floor and return to their seat. (Teacher will tie loops together to hold the shape of the web and then hang in the classroom)

Activity #3
·Ask the children:
To brainstorm the reasons why a spider’s prey might be caught in the web, but the spider does not stick on it. Write all responses on the board. Have the children sit a their seat and give each of them a strip of tape and tell them to hold it down with one hand and use the fingers of the other hand to tiptoe like a spider across the tape.
"What happens?" (Their fingers stick)
Put a little oil on a napkin and allow the children 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 spiders oil glands work.

C. Closure
·Discussion:
Allow the children to take their spiders and hang them from the spider web and quickly review what we talked about: Spider characteristics, webs, etc. Have the children write a story about what they learned about spiders for the "All about Spiders" class book.

V. Evaluation:
I will observe the children in the process and make sure that all participate in the activity and grasp the concept. I will review their stories at the end of the lesson when I bind the book to see if the students enjoyed and understood the activity.

VI.Professional Reflection:
Everything flowed very smoothly and the children were great and caught on very quickly. We were not rushed for time at all today and the lesson took about 45 minutes rather than 40 minutes because the children really took their time writing and drawing pictures of what they learned. Judging from the students spider stories, their favorite part of the lesson was the Web weaving. Plus the giant spider web with all the spiders on it was a great spooky class decoration! It really turned out great!

Dana L. Craig