Arachnid anatomy!

This lesson is part of a science unit entitled “Spiders: Fact and Fiction.” During this lesson, learning will focus on specific body anatomy, functions and distinguishing characteristics of spiders.

A lesson plan for grade 2 English Language Arts and Science

By Susan Sharples

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Learning outcomes

Students will be able to identify the body parts and functions of arachnids. They will also be able to classify arachnids by their distinguishing characteristics.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

• Spiders by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House; ISBN: 0823410064)
• Zoobooks: Spiders (Creative Education; ISBN: 0886824109)
• construction paper, scissors, glue
• different colored index cards
• bulletin board sized web
• large picture of spider or board on which to draw the parts
• “captured” web or materials to capture real web—construction paper, plastic wrap, hair spray, tape

Technology resources

• Internet accessible computer if use of web site is desired.

Pre-activities

Begin spider (arachnid) unit by making a KWL chart in the form of a bulletin board web. (KWL lists what students know; what they want to know and what they learned.) Color code the information—things students know on one color index card, questions or what they want to learn on a second. Read Spiders by Gail Gibbons, which is a general fact book.

Activities

1. Review with students the questions from their web (the “What do you want to know?”) that relate to spider bodies.
2. Read the portions of Zoobooks: Spiders that relate to body parts and functions.
3. Discuss distinguishing characteristics and classify arthropods such as spiders, dust mites, and scorpions according to their body parts.
4. Explain the two large groups of spiders—wandering and web building.
5. Use individual pictures of spiders to help students classify various spiders and discuss their interesting features.
6. Use a large poster or drawing on the board to help students identify the body parts common to all spiders. This can also be done with a flannel board. Make the body parts of different colors and explain each function as you put it on the board with a label.
7. Discuss the functions of each part and how and why it differs for the two groups of spiders.
8. Display a real web captured by spraying it with hair spray and then lifting onto dark construction paper and wrapping it in plastic wrap. Provide pairs of students with the equipment to capture their own webs and allow them time to locate and capture some.
9. Discuss the locations of the webs captured and reasons for this.
10. Students will cut out construction paper spiders to glue on large construction paper. Students then label each body part and write spider facts with their spider creations.
11. Students can then work in cooperative groups to create a song about the spider facts learned to this point—body parts and functions, groups of spiders etc. They can use the tune of “London Bridge” or “Frere Jacques” or any other they wish.

Assessment

For evaluation, teachers will:

• Check the accuracy of the labeling and facts written by each student.
• Evaluate the cooperative group work on the basis of accurate information and ability to work together.
• Examine a T-graph or Venn diagram comparing the two large groups of spiders. This can be done individually or as a group with teacher using the overhead or chart to record student generated facts.

For the unit, assessment will include completing the KWL web with the learned information. This can be done individually first. Then, using the information on their sheets, students will come to a consensus regarding what information to put on the large board.

Supplemental information

Comments

This is part of a week long integrated unit focusing on spider facts and Anansi spiders in African Literature. The unit involves music, visual arts, language arts, math, science and social studies. It was taught to a multiage class of first and second graders.