Animals: Spiders
These sites are about spiders and their habitats, identification, bites, and more. There are some colorful illustrations, photos, videos, and interactive games. Lesson plans, writing and group activities integrating research and technology are provided. There is also a link to an eThemes resource about insects.
Grades
- 2,
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
- 6,
- 7
Links
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Multimedia Responses to Content Area Topics
In this lesson, students work cooperatively to build on prior knowledge and gather information about spiders. Groups research and create multimedia diaries using power point to demonstrate what they know and have learned.
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Why do spiders spin webs?
Observe a spider creating a web in a brief video clip. Next read about what webs are made of, how spiders learn to build webs, and why webs are spun. Directions for students to make a web are included.
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Creating a Vivarium
Students can create a "vivarium" for a spider using this one-page resource. Writing and observation activities are given.
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ARKive: Images of Life on Earth
Search "spiders" and find twenty pages of information on spiders from all over the world. Basic facts, photographs, and video clips of each animal is available. Lesson plans and games are provided.
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Tarantulas
This site provides instruction on caring and raising tarantulas as pets.
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Spiders
Integrate language arts, science, mathematics within a unit on spiders for primary students. This lesson is also in Spanish. Additional links on spiders are provided.
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Eek-A Spider!
Use this site for six 30-minute lessons in which primary students research and create a power point presentation on spiders. Students also learn and perform the nursery rhyme, "Little Miss Muffet".
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Smithsonian's World of Spiders
This site features extensive lesson plans with reproducible resources on spiders. Spider photographs can be enlarged with a click to view body parts and spider babies. Discover how a roasted trantula tastes.
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Bug Guide
Use this site to identify spiders and learn facts about them. Discover how to relocate spiders safely and use links to learn about spiders in various locations in the United States and Canada.
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Guide to Missouri Spiders
See pictures and read about common spiders found in Missouri.
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National Geographic: Tarantulas
This interactive site features various spiders from tarantulas to black widows spiders. Watch videos about daddy long legs and black widows. NOTE: This site contains ads.
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PBS: Ask the Scientists
This site has a transcript from an interview with an expert on tarantulas.
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BrainPOP!: Spiders
Watch a movie with Tim and Moby about spiders then take a pop quiz. Follow links-icons at the left for an experiment, timeline, and comics. NOTE: The web site is available by subscription only.
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The Spider Myths Site
This site lists dozens of false statements about spiders. Click on each one to learn why it is wrong.
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Spider Myths
This site has photos and facts about spiders and discusses several spider myths, especially about brown recluses. NOTE: The reading level is too advanced for younger students, but there is good background information for teachers.
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Housing Spiders in the Classroom
This site has instructions for keeping live wolf spiders in a classroom situation.
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eThemes Resource: Animals: Insects
Explore these websites about insects and their relatives. Included are picture galleries of different types of insects, insect themed activities and games, and insect recipes. There are also online videos, audio clips, and quizzes. Included are eThemes resources on ants, bees, ladybugs, and Missouri butterflies.
Education Standards
- MO
- NV
- UT
