Introduction
Ouch!  What was that?  I think I was just bit by a spider!!  I don't like spiders, but some people do.  Do you like spiders?  If you are afraid of spiders you have something called arachnophobia.  (All links with an * refer to a dictionary).  That is the fear of arachnids*.  To find out what an arachnid is, click on the word in the underlined link.
    In this webquest, you will research information about spiders and complete activities to help you have an understanding of spiders and their relatives.

The Task
 

Find Facts: What do spiders eat? What is moulting? Find out what kind of spider you have. How do you know if you have a boy spider or a girl spider? Are all spiders poisonous?

Spiders The Red Back Spider Insect world  Insect Zoo

Write an informative paragraph about spiders.  Use "Facts about spiders" as your main idea.

 

Make a diagram of a spider: What are the parts of spider and what are they used for?

Diagram of a spider

Draw a diagram of a spider and label the parts on manilla drawing paper.

 

Make a spider web: Why don't spiders stick to their own webs?

Spider Webs  Spider Webs Experiment

Create a spider web using the instructions on web site.  Ask the teacher for materials.

 

How are spiders grouped? Is a spider an insect? What other arthropods* are related to the spider? How do you know what kind of spider you have?

Insect World Spiders of NW Europe Pictures of spiders

Create a collection of insects and arachnids.  Include a label for each animal: common name, scientific name, family, class and order.

 

Tarantulas: Does a tarantula make a good pet? Are tarantulas poisonous? Is a tarantula a friend or foe*?

See a movie Tarantulas

Creative Writing: Write a narrative from the spider's point of view: pretend that an eight year old owns you.

 

Other fun stuff: What is a spider rock? Do spiders bring bad luck?

Luck or not?? Spider Rock

Fact/ Opinion  complete worksheet

Resources

Classroom books:
Spiders
Creepy Crawlies
Wolfie
Anasai the Spider
Magic School Bus Spins a Web
Charlotte's Web
The Big Bug Book
Amazing Spiders

Internet resources available with task
Other internet resources:
Spider Resources
Ask Jeeves
Hobo Spider

The Process
1.  Use groups of 2-3 students
2.  Research facts about spiders:
        Be able to identify the difference between a spider and an insect
        Write an informative paragraph about spiders
3.  Draw and label the parts of a spider
4.  Make a spider web
5.  Learn other interesting facts about spiders
    Be able to identify a statement as a fact or an opinion
6.  Write a narrative with you as the main character - a spider

Evaluation
 
 

Ability to stay on task with other group members	10 points
Informative paragraph staying to main idea	20 points
Diagram of a spiders with parts labeled	20 points
Diagram of a spider web	20 points
Narrative	20 points
Fact / Opinion worksheet	10 points
Total point value available for project	100 points

Conclusion
You have learned many facts about spiders and other arthropods related to spiders.  Through this web quest, you have also learned how to stay on a topic (main idea), discover facts and opinions, follow directions for making projects, write creatively,

Last updated July 6,2001