OVERVIEW: Students will be learning about spiders and insects. Primarily we will focus on their differences and how spiders are not really considered true insects. This lesson is designed for a second grade class. The TEKS it will focus on are:
2b) Plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations.
d) Explanations based on information
e) Communicate findings
6b) Observe and describe parts of plants and animals.

The students will accomplish this lesson by observing two different types of spiders, a grasshopper and a June beetle. It will be necessary for one to collect any two types of spiders that are large enough for the children to see their bods parts, and to collect the grasshopper and June beetle. It is important to keep them in four separate jars. Observing will be the key to most of the students activities. Grouping the children at tables for this lesson will add to the ease of rotating the specimens. Instead of rotating the jars between tables, you can chose to rotate the students to prevent any damage to the specimens.

OBJECTIVE: First, to introduce students to the concept of arachnids, that is spiders most commonly, and true insects. Once these concepts have been introduced, then to have the children be able to differentiate between the two.

MATERIALS: Glass jars with collected live "bugs". Two different types of spiders and a grasshopper and a June beetle. Suggest that you collect them the day before and no earlier. Paper for handouts. Patterns for drawing a spider and a grasshopper. For any art activity you may need construction paper of various colors, scissors, glue and markers or crayons.

GETTING READY: Begin by asking the students some questions that relate to insects and spiders and their experiences with them. "Who has seen something in your house or outside that we might call a bug or spider?" "Do bugs and spiders look the same?" "Does anyone know how to tell the difference between a spider and a fly?"

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY: Now it is time to bring out the jars with the insects and spiders in them. Put a jar on each one of the tables that the children are sitting around. It is important here to not only tell the children to observe their own "bug" but understand that they will be rotating to each table so that they will get a chance to see all of them. This will eliminate any frustrations that the children might have about not getting to see the other specimens.

EXPLORATION: Now it is time for the students to do all of their observing. A good suggestion might be to let them spend 2-3 minutes at each table depending on how many students are at each table. It is important that each student gets an opportunity to observe the specimens. For a larger class you may want to extend the time to 5-7 minutes. Ask them questions while they are looking about their own experiences and if they have seen any "bugs " like these before.

SAFETY TIPS: Remind the students to keep the jar lids on and that by tampering with the lids, they run the risk of letting the specimens out and thus disturbing the lesson planned for the day. It may be wise also to have a "keep the jar on the table" policy to reduce the risk of dropping the jars and them breaking.

EXPLANATION: After the children have all rotated tables and had an opportunity to observe all the specimens, begin your explanation with the question "Did anyone notice any differences between the spiders and the other two insects?" Now it is time to explain further the differences they may or may not have seen. First explain the fact that spiders only have two body segments and the grasshopper and June beetle have three. This can lead you into the fact that this is one difference that separate the true insect from the spider or arachnid. Now you would want to go on further to describe the general differences between the two. Spiders do not have wings or antenna and they have eight legs. Insects on the other hand have two sets of wings, six legs and antenna. Now you may want them to rotate tables again quickly to compare the differences they have learned about. Also encourage the students to note that even though the grasshopper and June beetle look differently, they have the same general characteristics. Ask them if they can see these similar characteristics in the two insects.

ELABORATION: Encourage students to observe in their own houses and yards these two different organisms. Have them write up a questionnaire for their parents to take to see if they know the general differences between spiders and insects.

CLOSURE: "Today we have learned the differences between spiders and true insects. Who can tell me one difference between the two?" Continue to ask similar questions concerning the lesson taught.

EVALUATION: Make up a handout with drawings of the spiders and insects and have them list all the differences that are visible between the two. Have them list the similarities between the two spiders and the two insects. Another activity would be to make up incomplete drawings of the two specimens on handouts and have the children draw in the parts that are missing. If the children all score 85% or better on these handouts, the lesson will be considered successful.

INTEGRATION: For a language arts activity, have the students write a story about either a spider or an insect of their choice. For an art activity, have the students make a mobile with insects and spiders that they have made with construction paper.

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