FAMILY
STYLE STEAM/Spider Cages
Build a Spider Cage
This was so much fun! Kids had to build a spider cage for 5 fake spiders with a list of constraints to follow.
- The box must hold all the spiders with adequate space to move.
- The box must have a viewing window.
- The box must have a latch to keep it securely closed.
- The box must have a carrying handle.
Our book: Aaaarrgghh! Spider!
by L. Monks
KidZone Spider
Facts-Spiders are Arachnids
Arachnids are creatures with
two body segments, eight legs, no wings or antennae and are not able to chew. There are more than 30 000 different species of spiders. All
spiders are predators and many will eat other spiders.
The Body of a
Spider
Spiders
have two body segments.
1.
The front segment is called the
Cephalothorax. The spider’s eyes, mouth fangs, stomach, brain and the
glands that make the poison are on this part of the body. The legs are
connected to this part, as well. Most spiders have eight eyes, but some
have less. Spiders also have these tiny little leg-ish things called
‘pedipalps’ that are beside the fangs. They help to hold prey while the
spider bites it.
2.
The second part of
the body is called the Abdomen. The back end of the abdomen is where the Spinnerets, the silk
producing glands, are. The spider’s body has an oil on it to keep the
spider from sticking to its
own web. Spider’s
legs are covered with many hairs. The hairs pick up vibrations and smells
from the air. At the end of the legs are, at least, two small
claws.
All Knees
Spiders have 48 knees. Yup, count them…eight legs with six
joints on each.
Spiders
do not have a skeleton inside their bodies. They have a hard outer shell
called an ‘exoskeleton’. Because it is hard, it can’t grow with the
spider. So young spiders need to molt, or shed their exoskeleton.
The spider must climb out of the old shell through the cephalothorax. You
can imagine how hard it must be to pull all those legs out! They are pretty
helpless at this point. Once they are out they must stretch themselves
out before the new exoskeleton hardens. This gives them a bit of growing
room. As adults, they stop growing and do not need to molt. Male spiders are usually smaller than
females.
Venomous Spiders?
All
spiders have fangs! And, yes, they almost all have venom in them. Lucky for us,
most spider poison will not harm people because it is quite weak. Most
spiders use their venom to paralyze its insect victim long enough to devour
it. For other spiders, their poison is strong enough to kill their
prey. Of course, this also comes in handy when being attacked by a
predator.
There
are a few spiders with poison strong enough to cause pain or even some nerve
damage in humans. These spiders include the Black Widow and the Brown
Recluse spiders. If left untreated, death could result.
People
usually associate Tarantulas with the people-killing kind of poison. This
is untrue. They have small poison glands and will be about as painful as
a hornet or bee sting.
Spiders do much more good than
harm
Most people are afraid of spiders because they bite. But only two kinds
of spiders in the U.S.
– the black widow and the brown recluse – are venomous to people.
In the whole
world, only 25 species of spiders can harm humans.
So what’s so great about spiders?
1.
They eat insects
– and lots of them. One spider can eat over 2,000 insects a year. Without them,
your home and garden would be overrun with flies, mosquitoes
and beetles.
Fun Facts about Spiders for Kids
- All spiders can spin silk, but not all spiders spin webs. Jumping spiders, for example, have great eyesight. They simply wait to pounce on their prey.
- Spiders can produce seven different kinds of silk. Some silk has special glue that makes it sticky to catch insects. Other silk is not sticky.
- Spiders make a nest of silk to protect their eggs. They place the eggs on the nest and then cover it with more silk to make a soft pocket.
- Spiders’ silk is so strong, it has been compared to steel.
Join us October 15th for STEAM
"Minute to Win it"
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