Caught in the Web of Learning

First graders at Woodside School did a couple of hands-on experiments to enrich their study of spiders and their webs. As part of the S.A.G. E. (Supplemental and Gifted Education) program, Mrs. Meryl Wolf gave students the opportunity to learn why spiders do not get stuck in their own webs. The first graders felt how an insect gets stuck in the sticky, silky web (by touchy some sticky tape); and then they pretended to be the spider with oil on its feet, (dipping their finger in oil) and they slid over the sticky surface.

Next, they simulated what happens when a spider injects its venom into an insect’s hard body (represented by a sugar cube). Using a dropper to place drops of water onto their hard piece of sugar, the students watched it dissolve. This is very much what a spider does to its prey in order to be able to eat it.

Like the “very busy spider” in Eric Carle’s book, students created “sparkling” webs by making a spiral over somewhat triangular shapes. Having learned the differences between spiders and insects, the students created and sang verses to a song about the Spider in the Web by thinking of different insects that the spider could catch. Now they are all set to go on a “Spider Web Quest”, on the computer. Although they may not catch any insects they will certainly be caught up in the excitement of learning.