Along
Came A Spider
A Thematic Unit
About Our Creepy, Crawly, Eight-Legged Friends
October
is
the month for spiders!
Even
children who are afraid of these wonderful bugs are captivated by pictures
and stories about spiders, from Charlotte's Web to The Very Busy Spider
to everyone's favorite fingerplay, The Itsy Bitsy Spider
On
this page you'll find many wonderful ideas and activities for studying
spiders, plus songs, poems, and suggested books. To find out more about
a book, click on the cover or the title to go to Amazon.com, then use your
browser's BACK button to return here for more great ideas. Amazon
will save your books in your electronic shopping cart until you're ready
to check out, now or anytime in the next 90 days.
Getting
Started
I begin my spider unit by singing The
Itsy Bitsy Spider, and by teaching the children the Little Miss Muffett
poem. I have both on 1/2 sheets of posterboard, and we keep them
in our Song & Poetry box, which is used as one of our Literacy Centers.
After the song and poem, I make a Language
Experience / KWL chart about spiders, listing the facts my students know
and also the things they'd like to learn. We also make a graph ...
Are You Afraid of Spiders?
I have groups of students draw large
webs with black marker on orange bulletin board paper. We hang these
around the room, and use them for recording facts we know (and learn) about
spiders. At the end of the first week of spider study, we transfer
these facts to single pieces of construction paper, and individual students
illustrate the pages to make a class book.
Many of the activities I use are listed
below, along with great ideas from KinderKorner mailing list members.
Have a great time teaching and learning about spiders!
Spider
Facts
Spiders
are not insects. Insects have three body parts and six legs.
Spiders have eight legs and two body parts, the abdomen and the thorax.
Spiders have silk spinning glands called spinnerets, at the tip of their
abdomen.
Not all spiders spin webs.
Spiders belong to the Arachnid family.
There
are more than 30,000 species of spiders.
Spiders
are oviparous, which means their babies come from eggs.
Most
spiders have either six or eight eyes.
All spiders have fangs, through which venom is ejected. Spider bites
can be quite painful, and a select few can be fatal.
Fear
of spiders is called Arachniphobia. It is one of the most common
fears among humans.
Tarantulas
shed their furry skin as they grow, leaving behind what looks just like
another tarantula.
Spiders
eat many types of harmful insects, helping to keep your garden free of
pests.
Here
are a few of my favorite books for getting your spider unit off to a great
start!
The
Itsy Bitsy Spider
My class LOVES this book! The traditional fingerplay gets
five new verses as the spider climbs the kitchen wall, a pail, a rocking
chair, and a maple tree, and has encounters with a cat and a mouse.
A must-have book with beautiful watercolor pictures. Under $6.
|
The
Very Busy Spider
A board book edition of the best-selling story features thermographic
pages and a raised spider web children can feel for themselves. Under
$5
Also available in hardcover.
|
Miss
Spider's ABC
From ants to the zebra butterfly, Miss Spider's friends prepare
for her giant surprise birthday party: "Bumblebees blow balloons ... Earthworms
entertain ... Fireflies fandango ... Moths mingle ... Owlflies ogle."
More Miss Spider books can be found further down this page.
|
Mighty
Spiders!
A Hello Science Reader
From tiny spiders the size of a grain of sand to their larger relatives
that are bigger than your hand, this delightful rhyming book introduces
children to the world of amazing arachnids. Under $3.
|
Spiders
A beautiful science book from popular author Gail Gibbons, presenting
the diversity of spider habitats and behavior, and explaining the way different
spiders build their webs. Under $6.
|
Spider's
Lunch
By acclaimed Magic School Bus author Joanna Cole
An introduction to the arachnid world explains how a hungry garden
spider must obtain food by carefully building a web and then patiently
waiting to catch something. Under $4.
|
Amazing
Spiders
Dramatic photos, time-lapse sequences, and detailed artwork
show how a spider spins a web. Learn about a spider that flings its
own poisonous hairs at its enemies, and about spiders as large as a dinner
plate.
|
Anansi
The Spider
A Caldecott Honor Book
When Anansi sets out on a dangerous journey and gets into all sorts
of trouble, each son does one thing to help, and all their efforts together
save their father. Under $5.
|
The
Lady and the Spider
A Reading Rainbow book
A spider who lives in a head of lettuce is saved when the lady who
finds her puts her back into the garden. I also use this book during
my Come Into the Garden unit. Under $5.
|
Spiders
Have Fangs ... and Other Amazing Facts About Arachnids
From the "I didn't know that" series ... lots of information that
your students will love.
|
Spectacular
Spiders
A young girl takes readers on a tour of her yard, explaining how
garden spiders trap insects for food, spin webs, and leave retractable
silk draglines wherever they go.
|
Dream
Weaver
An evocative, hypnotic picture book about a little boy watching
a tiny yellow spider, in the up-close
and personal vein of Verdi and Stellaluna. My personal favorite
spider story.
|
Spider Songs & Poems
One of my favorite spider songs is There's
A Spider On the Floor, written by Tom Paxton and made even more famous
by Raffi. It's available as a book, as a song on several different
children's tapes, and the full words are right here. Kids love acting
out the words. Enjoy!
There's
A Spider On the Floor
There's a spider on the floor, on the
floor.
There's a spider on the floor, on the
floor.
Who could ask for any more
Than a spider on the floor?
There's a spider on the floor, on the
floor.
There's a spider on my leg, on my leg.
There's a spider on my leg, on my leg.
Oh it's really really big
This old spider on my leg.
There's a spider on my leg, on my leg.
Now the spider's on my stomach, on my
stomach.
Now the spider's on my stomach, on
my stomach.
Oh he's just a dumb old lummock
This old spider on my stomach.
Now the spider's on my stomach, on
my stomach.
Now the spider's on my head, on my head.
Now the spider's on my head, on my
head.
Oh I wish that I were dead,
I've got a spider on my head!
Now the spider's on my head, on my
head.
And he jumps off! ....
Now there's a spider on the floor,
on the floor.
(repeat until you can't stand it any
longer :o)
|
Little Miss
Muffet
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds
and whey.
Along came a
spider
And sat down
beside her,
And frightened
Miss Muffet away!
|
The Spider
Watch the busy
spider
He's helpful
as can be.
Eating insects
all day long
Now they won't
bite me!
contributed by
Purplebabs
|
Spider
Song
(tune: Oh, Susanna!)
I was sitting
in my room one day
When it came
right through the door
A big spider
sped right by me,
Went racing 'cross
the floor!
Chorus
Oh that spider
Oh how it scared
me so
But spiders can
be good friends
And so I let
it go
I watched it crawl
up on the wall,
To find a spot
just right
It spun a web
so beautiful
And then went
out of sight
Chorus
Now bugs and flies
do not scare me
For I know that
its true
That a spiderweb
is good to have
Bugs stick to
it like glue
Chorus
|
Spider Webs
by Amy Goldman Koss
The spider weaves a sticky web
To capture bugs to eat.
What keeps the spider's sticky web
From sticking to her feet?
Spider webs are very tricky
Because not all the strands
are sticky.
Unlike the passing hapless fly,
The spider knows which strands
are dry.
But if she accidentally stands
Upon one of the sticky strands,
She still would not get stuck,
you see --
Her oily body slides off free.
contributed by April in TN
|
Spiders
by Janet Bruno
Spiderlings hatch from eggs.
Each one has eight tiny legs.
A spider has more eyes than you.
Most have eight, and you have two.
A spider has two body parts.
Across its web it quickly darts.
From a spider's spinnerets
Sticky spider silk jets.
Spiders feel the frantic tugs,
Of their favorite food -- it's bugs!
contributed by April in TN
|
The
Spider in the Web
(tune: Farmer in the Dell)
The spider in the web,
The spider in the web
Spin, spin, oh watch him spin,
The spider in the web.
The spider eats a (bug name)
The spider eats a _________.
Spin, spin, oh watch him spin,
The spider in the web.
|
Tommy's
Pet Spider
(tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Tommy's pet spider climbed up the bedroom
wall,
In came the wind and made the spider
fall.
When Tommy's mom came in to sweep his
room a clean,
She saw that spooky spider,
and boy did mommy scream!
contributed by Leigh in Texas
|
LITTLE SPIDER
(tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider)
See the little spider
Climbing up the wall,
See the little spider
Stumble and fall.
See the little spider
Tumble down the street,
See the little Spider
Stop down at my feet.
contributed by Ellyn
|
|
The Itsy
Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again.
|
I'm a Little
Spider
(tune: Little Teapot)
I'm a little spider, watch me spin.
If you'll be my dinner,
I'll let you come in.
Then I'll build my web
to hold you tight,
And gobble you up in one big bite!
We always made a Big Book of this (at
least two copies) with student illustrations.
|
More
Spider Books We Enjoy!
Be
Nice to Spiders
A sweet story about a little boy who gives his spider to the zoo,
because his apartment doesn't allow pets. Lots of good information.
|
Anansi
and the
Moss-Covered
Rock
Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest
to trick all the other animals, until Little Bush Deer decides he needs
to learn a lesson.
Under $6.
|
The
Adventures of Spider
Six folktales about Spider, including those which explain how he
got a thin waist and a bald head and why he lives in ceilings and dark
corners.
|
Silly
Spider!
A spider pops up all around the bathroom -- in the sink, under the
soap, behind a towel. Features a separate spider that slips through die-cut
holes and pops up behind flaps on the following page.
|
Extremely
Weird Spiders
A wonderful book filled with pictures the kids really enjoy!
Under $5.
|
Insects
and Spiders Eye-to-Eye
Through the magic of stereographic photography, readers to come
face-to-face with some of nature's coolest creatures.
Under $8.
|
Identifying
Spiders
Outstanding photos everyone will enjoy!
Under $8.
|
The
Little Buggers
Insect & Spider Poems
Twenty Four poems that will make your students laugh and giggle
... fun pictures and great rhymes!
|
Nature
Watch Spiders
Written for older students, this book still makes a fine addition
to your classroom library and is a hit on the science table!
|
Spiders
Spin Webs
Incredibly lush illustrations and simple, airy verse introduce 15
types of arachnids: "Spiders spin webs / Like weavers of old, as / Their
spinneret
patterns, / Like magic, unfold. / That's how spiders spin
webs." Under $6.
|
Web
Weavers and Other Spiders
You'll squirm over the stunning full-color close-ups of strange
and dangerous arachnids doing what they do best - spinning, trapping, and
slowly digesting their prey. Under $5.
|
Like
Jake and Me
A Newberry Award winning book. Alex feels he doesn't have
much in common with his stepfather Jake until a fuzzy wolf spider brings
them together. Highly recommended.
|
Spider Art Projects
Spider Handprints
This is the art project I use on my
October homework calendar.
For the background, use a 7x10 inch
sheet of orange construction paper. Paint each child's hands and
fingers black -- do not paint their thumbs. Press one hand down in
the center of the paper, fingers pointing outwards. Repeat with the
other hand, overlapping the palm print. When dry, add peel-and-stick
ring reinforcer circles for eyes. We used yellow rings this year,
and they look great!
Spider Web Painting
Place an 8x8 inch square of white construction
paper in a gift box lid. Dip a marble in black paint and drop it
onto the paper. Roll the marble around by tilting the lid.
Repeat as many times as desired to create a spider web. Add a spider
sticker or glue on a plastic spider. These can also be done with
white paint on a black background.
Glittery Spider
Webs
Using thin lines of white glue, make
a spider web design on black posterboard. Sprinkle with silver glitter
and let dry. Make a tiny hole near the center of the web, and attach
a plastic spider ring to a 12 inch string or piece of fishing wire.
Thread the string through the hole (from front to back) and tape the end
to the back of the picture. Allow the spider to hang down from the
web, leaving a silk line. When he senses danger, pull the string
from the back of the board, returning the spider to safety.
Lacy Spider Webs
Using thin lines
of white glue, make a spider web design on a sheet of wax paper.
Sprinkle with glitter, if desired. When dry, carefully peel away
the wax paper. These can be used in other projects, or hung in the
window.
Paper Plate Spiders
Paint paper plates black. When
dry, add eight legs made of 1x18 inch construction paper, folded accordian
style.
Younger children especially enjoy making
these.
Thumbprint Spiders
Let the kids make a picture with lots
of thumbprint spiders (press thumb on black stamp pad, then add legs with
thin black marker). They can put their spiders in webs, in the garden,
in the house, etc. A great springboard for writing spider stories.
Circle Time Spider
Web
During circle time, hand a ball of
yarn to one student and have them toss it to another student. Holding
the yarn firmly, that student tosses the yarn to another child. Repeat
until everyone has had a turn. Be sure to take pictures of your great
spider web! This can also be done in a corner of the room, tying
the yarn to furniture, drawer and cabinet knobs, etc. Another fun
variation is to make a web and let students untangle it.
Spider Homes
(contributed by AmyNealW)
As a teacher in a K/1 class, the children
and I also made a variety of spider
homes ... we used shoe boxes for trap
door spiders and paper mache and paper towel rolls for purse-web spiders.
I found the directions in the resource
book Bugs
to Bunnies by K. Goin, E. Ripp, and K.N. Solomon, published by Chatterbox
Press.
Another idea ... how about painting
a styrofoam ball (or half of one) black, then stick on black pipe cleaners
for legs, and add googly eyes? You could also
use the individual cups from
an egg carton for the body.
Spaghetti Spider
Webs
(contributed by Tina in St. Louis)
I have done this project with my 1st
graders for a few years and they love
it. We create spider webs with
cooked spaghetti and glue. Take a bowl of
cooked spaghetti ( 2 lb. was more than
enough for my class of 25 last year),
add white glue (no certain amount).
The kids mix it up with their hands. Then
they pull individual strands of spaghetti
out and begin to design their web
on a dark piece of construction paper.
After it dries, you can usually (if
you are careful) pull the web off completely We have hung them on string
and used them for decorations. We talk about how spiders create webs &
why.
Two Spider Ideas
from Jennifer
We made up variations on "Itsy Bitsy
Spider" -
Great Big Spider (deep voice), Very
Sleepy Spider,
etc. Just spur of the moment
usually, but they always
liked the great big one.
One of the cool science things we did
was to "lift"
spider webs onto a dark piece of paper
- was
interesting to see the intricate designs.
Woven Paper Plate
Webs
contributed by Ellyn
Using a paper plate, I either punch
holes around the plate or make slits
around the plate - slits are easier
for younger children. Then I give them
some yarn and they weave back and forth
and make a spider web. If you
punched holes, it's helpful to put
some scotch tape on one end - making it
easier for them to put the yarn thru
the holes.
Afterwards, I give
them each a spider ring to put in their web.
Button Spiders
contributed by Teresa Harbin
Here is a super easy way to make a spider.
If you have access to
an Ellison machine, choose the button
die-cut. I used black construction
paper (or black foam sheets), cut out
one black button per child. Give them
two black pipe cleaners. Cut
both in half, thread 2 halves through each
button hole and shape like spider legs.
Instant spider! You could also
glue pin-backs to bottom of spider
to make a cute pin.
Paper Cone Spiders
contributed by Amy
Another idea is to take a half circle
of black construction paper and wrap it around to make a cone shape, then
add construction paper legs and eyes. You can hang them from the
ceiling or in a corner covered with that spider web stuff.
Miss
Spider Books
Miss
Spider's ABC
From ants to the zebra butterfly, Miss Spider's friends prepare
for her giant surprise birthday party: "Bumblebees blow balloons ... Earthworms
entertain ... Fireflies fandango ... Moths mingle ... Owlflies ogle."
|
My class enjoys
Miss Spider stories
all year long!
Little
Miss Spider
A story that takes us back in time to the very first day of Miss
Spider's life, surrounded by brothers and sisters but unable to find her
mother. The message is "your mother is the person who loves you best!"
|
Miss
Spider's Wedding
Meeting the man of her dreams, Miss Spider prepares for and enjoys
a beautiful wedding despite the scrutiny of her peers, in a story about
accepting and appreciating differences.
|
Miss
Spider's New Car
Miss Spider and husband Holley shop for a car, test driving a series
of vehicles, including ones composed of leaves, flowers, and other plant
parts.
|
Miss
Spider's Tea Party
Miss Spider eagerly waits for some guests to join her at tea, but
because spiders are in the habit of eating their company, no one
wants to join her. A great counting book, covering the numbers
one to ten.
|
Miss
Spider's Tea Party
The
Counting Book
A board-book edition of Miss Spider's Tea Party, with the text reduced
to one line per page. Despite the diminished text, my students thoroughly
enjoy this easy-to-hold book. I keep a copy with our math stories,
and another for thematic unit studies.
|
Spider Recipes
Marshmallow Spiders
For each spider,
use one large marshmallow for the body and one small marshmallow for the
head (attach with 1/2 a toothpick). Make eyes from mini M&Ms,
legs from pretzel sticks. Cover with chocolate sauce, if desired.
Oreo Cookie Spiders
Use an Oreo (or
other chocolate sandwich cookie) for the body. Attach 8 legs made
from thin black licorice.
Peanut Butter
Cracker Spiders
Make 2 "sandwiches"
from 4 Ritz crackers spread with peanut butter. Lay them side-by-side
on a plate, sticking them together with more peanut butter. Attach
peanuts or raisins for eyes, and make legs from pretzels.
Silly Spider Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 slices of bread
( use raisin bread!)
1 T Strawberry
cream sheese
8 Raisins or
red hots
8 stick Pretzels
1 piece of black
string licorice (about 4 inches long)
You will also
need:
1 paper plate
1 plastic knife
Measuring spoons
round biscuit
cutter
Directions:
Cut bread into
circles with biscuit cutter. Measure and spread cream
cheese on one
piece of bread. Place the other bread circle on top. Put
the 8 raisins
or red hots on the top piece of bread for eyes. Place 4
pretzels coming
out of each side for legs. Add licorice string at the
top to look like
your spider's drag line.
contributed by
Kibbles
Links to Other Spider
Sites
SEDL
Spiders Unit
A terrific 7 Lesson unit on Spiders
for Kinderkids
Kindergarten
Spider Project
Addie Gaines' page about the cooperative
Email and Internet spider project between two kindergarten classes, her
own and Amy Griffin's. Both Addie and Amy are KinderKorner subscribers.
Addie's page has tons of ideas and resources, plus great spider photos
taken by students.
Click here to visit Amy's
page, which has more resources plus wondeful pictures of class spider
activities.
Online
Spider Concentration Game
A fun site to visit, with superb spider
pictures.
My students love playing this game!
Thanks to Addie and Amy for this link.
The
Legend of the Christmas Spider
Thanks to Addie and Amy for this one,
too!
Beakman
Spider Webs Activity
Spiders
of North West Europe
This site contains more than 450 pictures
of
over 170 spiders commonly found in
NW-Europe, especially the area between
the
Netherlands and the south of France.
How
to Make a Spider Glider
from the Science Museum of Minnesota
Visit the Kinder
Korner Bookstore
for terrific teaching resources!
My bookstore pages
have lots of information on how I use various materials in my classroom,
and on activities you can do with your students. The thematic pages
are complete unit resources, with lots of poems, songs, and links on each
page. Make yourself comfortable and take a look around!
Choose from the
categories below.
Underlined subjects
are links, the other ones are coming soon!
Click below to
go directly to
Amazon.com
to browse for books.
This page went online October 2, 1999
These pages are
updated often,
so please come
back soon to see what's new at KinderKorner!
Kinder Korner
and all non-credited text materials on this page
are copyright
by Victoria Smith, 1998 & 1999.
All rights reserved.
Graphics on this page are from
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