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Overview

• Collecting & Caring for Spiders
• Spider Tools

• Getting Started
• Student Activity 1
• Student Activity 2
• Student Activity 3 & 4
  
• Timelines
• Vocabulary
• Materials
• References

Student Activities

• Objectives
  
  
• Observing
• Experiment
• Spider as Prey

Spiders: An Organism for Teaching Biology

by
Debora Scheidemantel

Overview

In this unit, the students explore basic ecology concepts and scientific processes using spiders as model organisms. They capture spiders, observe and care for them, and use them to answer their own questions about spider behavior. Modeling the process of a research scientist, each team of students designs and conducts their own experiment. Simultaneously, the class collaborates on joint projects investigating feeding rates of spiders (by pooling individual feeding data) and their importance in controlling the numbers of insects (by conducting a field study on or near school grounds).

The unit includes both teacher and student materials. The teacher materials include teaching tips, scheduling time lines, preparation instructions, and resource materials. The student materials include the lab handouts the students will be using in each of their experiments.

note: All of the spider graphics contained within this unit were drawn
and copyrighted by Debora Scheidemantel

Collecting Spiders

Students will be assigned to bring in at least one live spider in some kind of container, preferably a clear container, in order to easily observe the spider. Spiders can do very well in a small vial but larger containers, such as an empty jar, provide more space for the spider to go about its business--an important consideration for behavioral studies. Examples of suitable containers should be shown to the class.

Caution. Two spiders in North America including Arizona are dangerous: the brown recluse and the black widow. The brown recluse is small, has a violin marking on its back, and hides. The black widow adult female is large and usually black, but others may be small and brownish and may have red or yellow hour glass markings on the dorsal side of the abdomen. All have a red or yellow hour glass on the under (ventral) side. These spiders should not be handled directly.Other spiders are not so dangerous, are reluctant to bite, and may be handled. However, they could be dangerous to allergic individuals. Their bite is no worse that a bee sting or mosquito bite. Still, care should be taken. Use a twig or piece of paper to transfer the spider to the container or capture the spider directly in the container if possible. If a jar is brought down over a spider, a piece of paper can be slid between the jar opening and the substrate so that the jar can be turned upright and then capped without loosing the spider. It is convenient to have a small hole (approximately 1/4" diameter) made in the container to add prey items. The hole can be corked or fitted with sponge to prevent live contents from escaping.

Where to look: on the sidewalk, in trees, on rocks, on the wall around the porch light, in the house, on flowers, in bushes, etc. Try taking a tree branch and pulling it down hard, shaking it on a white piece of paper supported by your binder to see what falls out of it.Also look for and capture insects to feed the spider. Flies will be provided in the classroom, (fruit flies and house flies). Show students how to use pooters. Provide materials for students to make their own pooter. Two sizes of plastic tubing and old nylon stockings are the materials needed.

Need directions?
See "Special Spiders Tools" for tips on making spider rakes and pooters. Have students keep collecting records. On a small piece of paper, they should write down the following:

• where they found the spider
• describe the area
• indicate if it was in a web, on the ground, in a tree, etc.
• include the date it was collected
• include the name of the person who collected it
• write collected by and student's name.

Remind students to keep the collecting record in the container with the spider. One week should be ample time for students to find a suitable container and collect a spider.

Need more info?
See the resource sheet "Collecting, Keeping and Caring for Spiders"