Don't be afraid of spiders!

My favorite part of this article is how the teacher got a sense of how students felt about spiders at the beginning of the project, which were mostly negative views, and then saw how their r... See More

My favorite part of this article is how the teacher got a sense of how students felt about spiders at the beginning of the project, which were mostly negative views, and then saw how their reactions became more positive. Because of modern technology, I believe that students are less interactive with what is living beside them, and therefore, are more afraid and ignorant. Having students observe and take care of live spiders gradually makes students less afraid and more curious about the spiders. That curiosity motivates students to genuinely learn about spiders. In addition, the spider project easily integrated the English arts with science. Students read Charlotte's Web and talked about the fictional depiction of a spider versus the nonfictional spider. Students also wrote in their journals about personal experiences and reflections about spiders. Hanging spiders with vocabulary terms on a spider web in the classroom also provided students with a grand visual of terms they needed to learn. Overall, this article teaches us the importance of clearing up misconceptions about things in our world and changing how we perceive things for the better.

Science meets Charlotte's Web

Great activity that involves students in observing and learning about spiders. The lesson is engaging for students and incorporates reading and writing activities that support the science. T... See More

Great activity that involves students in observing and learning about spiders. The lesson is engaging for students and incorporates reading and writing activities that support the science. The use of the book "Charlotte's Web" combined with the articles activities will put a new spin on children's attitudes regarding this often maligned creature.