ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Spiders and Insects Classroom Activity

The Classroom Activity introduces students to the context of a performance task, so they are not disadvantaged in demonstrating the skills the task intends to assess. Contextual elements include: an understanding of the setting or situation in which the task is placed, potentially unfamiliar concepts that are associated with the scenario; and key terms or vocabulary students will need to understand in order to meaningfully engage with and complete the performance task. The Classroom Activity is also intended to generate student interest in further exploration of the key idea(s). The Classroom Activity should be easy to implement with clear instructions.

Please read through the entire Classroom Activity before beginning the activity with students to ensure any classroom preparation can be completed in advance.

Throughout the activity it is permissible to pause and ask students if they have any questions.

As a part of this activity, the facilitator will lead a discussion that uses a Venn diagram as an organizer. The purpose of the Venn diagram is to assist students in their understanding of the key concepts that are included in the performance task. Students will not be tested on the use of the Venn diagram.

Resources Needed:

Ancillary materials (Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3) Some method of displaying ancillary materials1 If using the ancillary materials as a handout students will need scissors

Learning Goal:

Students will understand the context of the key ideas related to the topic: o Insects and spiders have similarities and differences.

Students will understand the key concepts:

o Spiders: o have 8 legs o have 2 body sections—cephalothorax, and abdomen o eat mostly insects, but some eat frogs or mice o do not have antennae—use bristles or hairs on their legs to sense things o do not have wings

o Insects: o have 6 legs o have 3 body sections—head, thorax, and abdomen o usually have wings o eat many different things—some even eat paper and lint o use antennae to smell

                                                            1 Facilitators can decide whether they want to display Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 using an overhead projector or computer/Smartboard, or whether they want to produce it as a handout for students. 

ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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o Both spiders and insects: o shed an exoskeleton o have jointed limbs

Students will understand the key terms:

spider: a small creature that has eight legs and usually creates a web of sticky threads that is used to catch insects for food

insect: a small animal that has six legs and a body formed of three parts and it may possibly have wings

thorax: the middle of the three main parts of the body of an insect abdomen: the rear part of the body after the thorax or the cephalothorax cephalothorax: a combined head and thorax of a spider exoskeleton: a hard protective covering on the outside of an insect or spider joint: a place where two parts are connected limbs: one of the paired parts of an animal body that is used especially for movement antennae: thin sensitive organs on the head of insects that are used mainly to feel and touch

things

Note: Definitions are provided here for the convenience of the facilitator. Students are expected to understand these key terms in the context of the task, not memorize the definitions.

Insects and Spiders Classroom Activity

[Purpose: The facilitator’s goal is to help students understand the similarities and differences between spiders and insects. This activity will allow students to be active participants as they identify the similarities and differences between spiders and insects.]

Note: The following classroom activity can be modified to accommodate various teacher-student interaction types such as teacher-led discussion with the entire class, teacher-student discussion for remote locations with a single student, or small groups.

Facilitator says: “Today we will get ready for the Insects and Spiders Performance Task. Insects and spiders have some similarities and differences between them. You will help to complete a Venn diagram about the similarities and differences between spiders and insects.”

[Show Figure 1: Spider and Mantis. Note: For students who are visually impaired, read the description below each photo.]

Facilitator says: “What do you know about spiders and insects?” [Allow 1-3 minutes for class discussion.]

Possible student responses (unscripted): spiders spin webs, insects have 6 legs, spiders have 8 legs, insects have wings

ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Note: The following activity can be done in small groups of 3 or 4 students where each group is given a copy of Figure 2 and also a copy of Figure 3. The students would then cut out and place the strips from Figure 2 within the Venn diagram Figure 3.

[Facilitator displays, draws, or hands out the Venn diagram Figure 3 and the characteristics Figure 2 that are going to be placed in the Venn diagram. If students are going to work in groups or pairs, allow time for cutting the strips from Figure 2. For students who are visually impaired, read aloud the insect and spider characteristics.]

Facilitator says: “Beside the top box of the Venn diagram I have written Spiders, and beside the bottom box I have written Insects. Any information that is true about both animals will be put in the middle, where the two boxes cross over into one another. Where the boxes cross over into one another I have written Both. We are going to place the different characteristics that are listed about insects and spiders into the Venn diagram. Which characteristics do you know to be true about spiders?” [Allow 3-5 minutes for class discussion.]

Possible class discussion questions (unscripted):

How many legs does a spider have? Do spiders have antennae? What do you notice about the spider’s legs in the diagram? How many sections does a spider’s body have? What do spiders eat? Do spiders have wings?

[Through questioning and discussion, the facilitator will lead the students to the understanding that: have eight legs, have two body sections—cephalothorax and abdomen, eat mostly insects, but some eat frogs or mice, do not have antennae—use bristles on their legs to sense things, do not have wings, are the characteristics that apply only to spiders.]

Facilitator says: “Which characteristics describe insects?” [Allow 3-5 minutes for class discussion.]

Possible class discussion questions (unscripted):

How many legs do insects have? How many body sections do insects have? Do insects have wings? What do insects eat? Do insects have antennae?

[Through questioning and discussion, the facilitator will lead the students to the understanding that: have six legs, have three body sections—head, thorax, and abdomen, usually have wings, eat many different things—some even eat paper and lint, use antennae to smell, are the characteristics that apply only to insects.]

ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Facilitator says: “Which characteristics describe both spiders and insects?” [Allow 3-5 minutes for class discussion.]

Possible class discussion questions (unscripted):

What do you notice is the same about both the spider and the mantis? What is similar about both the spider’s and the mantis’s legs?

[Through questioning and discussion, the facilitator will lead the students to the understanding that: shed exoskeleton (hard outer covering), and have jointed limbs, are the characteristics that apply to both spiders and insects.]

Note: Ensure that students leave with a common understanding of the similarities and differences between spiders and insects.

Facilitator says: “In your Performance Task, you will be doing some more in-depth research about spiders and insects. The work you did today should help prepare you for the research and writing you will be doing in the Performance Task.”

Note: Ancillary Materials are located on the pages that follow.

ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Ancillary Material

Figure 1

Picture Description: This picture shows a spider. The spider is black. It has eight hairy legs. Its body is divided into two sections. The spider has two black eyes. Its legs are divided into many sections.

Mantis

Picture Description: This picture shows a green mantis. It is standing on 4 of its 6 legs. The four back legs that the mantis is standing on are thin. The front two legs of the mantis are bent up. The front two legs are thick. The mantis has a head, and two other body parts. The small head of the mantis is turned so its face can be seen. It has two large eyes and a small pointy mouth. It has two thin antennae on top of its head.

Praying Mantis photo © REUTERS/Adam Hunger.

ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Ancillary Material

Figure 2

have six legs

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have three body sections—head, thorax, abdomen

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eat mostly insects, but some even eat frogs or mice

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do not have antennae—uses bristles on their legs to sense things

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usually have wings

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have eight legs

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shed an exoskeleton (hard outer covering)

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eat many different things—some even eat paper and lint

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use antennae to smell

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do not have wings

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have two body sections—cephalothorax and abdomen

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have jointed limbs

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ONLINE ELA Classroom Activity—Spiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Ancillary Material

Figure 3

ONLINE ELA Classroom ActivitySpiders and Insects

TM Grade 4

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Teacher Resource for Venn Diagrams

Using the knowledge of the scope and sequence of instruction in the district/school, and the personal experience working with the students who participate in this activity, it may be necessary for the facilitator to provide a brief example of how a Venn diagram works. Below you will find an example of a Venn diagram and a description of how it should be used.

1. Two circles are to be drawn so that the circles intersect in the middle. 2. Each circle is labeled with the topics that are being compared (e.g., Whales is the title in circle on the left

and Fish is the title in the circle on the right. 3. Any information that is true only of the topic in the circle on the left (e.g. Whales) is placed in the portion of

the circle that does not intersect with the circle on the right. 4. Any information that is true only of the topic in the circle on the right (e.g. Fish) is placed in the portion of the

circle that does not intersect with the circle on the left. 5. Any information that is true of both topics is placed in the intersection of the circles. 6. Viewing the Venn diagram, students see the differences (the responses included in the nonintersecting

portions of the circles) and the similarities (the responses included in the intersecting portion of the circles) between what is being compared.