|
Overview: In this lesson the children will discuss the key elements of habitat and then practice observing and reporting on the habitat of the spiders in our school garden.
Booklink: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle, Philomel Books, 1984. ISBN 0-399-21166-7
Science Activity Link: Students discuss the habitat chosen by the spider in The Very Busy Spider and then observe real spiders in their natural habitat. Working in groups they prepare a report on what they have learned.
Objective: Students will identify the key elements of habitat: location, food, water, and danger. They will observe spiders in their habitats on the school grounds. They will work in groups to organize the information and report on what they have learned.
Science Processes and Content: Processes-observing, collecting data, describing and recording observations, organization of information, and communicating results. Content-Describing characteristics of organisms and their environment, life science.
National Science Education Standards: Unifying Concepts and Processes, (1) Science as Inquiry, (3) Life Science
Materials: Poster paper, markers, crayons, pencils, scrap paper, scissors, glue.
Procedure:
1. Read the story The Very Busy Spider. Discuss with the students the habitat that is seen in the story. Where did the spider build his web? Why is that a good place? Why does he build a web? What does he eat? Was there any danger? What could have happened?
2. List the important things to look for when observing real spiders: location, food, water, and danger.
3. Have students choose a partner to observe the spiders in the school garden. Though our garden is quite small, students had no problem finding several different kinds of spiders and webs, many of them with insects trapped in their webs.
4. When students return from their observations, they should discuss with their partner what they saw and begin to write down their observations.
5. Students should then form groups of four and begin to assign jobs. Who will be responsible for illustrating each of the four elements of habitat? Who will be responsible for writing? Who will be responsible to present the information to the class?
6. Give students time to create their posters. I found it easiest to divide the posters into four parts (location, food, water, danger) for the students and hang them on the wall. Students were then able to draw, color, or cut and glue to create the illustrations and text for their presentations.
7. Each team presents their findings to the class. Their classmates then give them feedback on whether they included all the important information and how clearly they were able to communicate what they had learned
Safety: Although most spiders are harmless, students should be cautioned to avoid handling spiders. They should also be encouraged to treat spiders humanely.
Related Books:
Spiders and Their Web Sites by Margery Facklam, Little Brown and Company, Boston, 2001. ISBN 0-316-27329-5
Insects and Spiders by Simon M. Bell, Somerville House, USA, 1999. ISBN 1-58184-021-7
Amazing Spiders by Alexandra Parsons, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1990. ISBN 0-679-80226-6
Spider's Lunch by Joanna Cole, Grosset and Dunlap, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-448-40223-8
|
