This lesson developed by Reach Out!
Recommended Age: Preschool and Early Elementary
What is a spider?
What you need:
- Black pip cleaners
- Small to medium round styrofoam balls
- Black paint
- Yarn or a fuzzy material
- Sequins and other decorations
What to do:
- Do you know that a spider is an arachnid? All arachnids have four pairs of legs. That means they have 8 legs! Spiders use their legs to walk. Most have bodies that are mainly two different parts: an abdomen and what they call a cephalothorax. A cephalothorax is a head and thorax put together. Arachnids have one to six pairs of eyes. Most spiders have one pair of eyes! Finally, on their abdomins, spiders have spinnerets. These make silk which the spiders use to spin a cocoon around their eggs to protect them or to make a web to trap insects for their food!
- Use all your materials to make a model of a spider. See if you can tell what the body parts are and what they are used for.
- You might like to check out the many different kinds of spiders there are on our earth. Go to a library and find reference books on spiders. Some spiders are little and some are pretty big. Some live in wet areas and others can be found on a desert. Many spiders are harmless, but others can bite or sting and make you sick or even die! Spiders are pretty neat. Have fun learning about them!
What is happening?
Spiders are arachnids. They have two main body parts- an abdomen and a cephalothorax. The cephalothorax has both a head and thorax. Spiders have four pairs of legs- or actually eight legs. Some spiders are harmful, but many are not! Spiders have a body part called spinnerts that spin and make silk. Spiders use silk to make a cocoon around their eggs to keep them safe from harm. They also use their silk to spin and make webs which can catch other bugs and flies for them to eat!