Mrs. Slagles Web

Will you walk into my parlor?
Said a spider to a fly:
"Tis the prettiest little parlor
That ever you did spy.

Do you recognize these lines from the famous poem," The Spider and the Fly," by Mary Howitt? You, too, are about to enter a danger zone as you tangle with Mrs. Slagle's web. The only way to escape the web is to learn the difference in insects and spiders. You will rescue your friends by sharing your new knowledge in a poem, song, or skit. Good luck - You'll need it!

You must complete Legs One through Six to reach "Insect" level and Legs Seven and Eight for "Spider" level.

Leg One - Learn the characteristics of spiders.
Leg Two - Learn the characteristics of insects.
Leg Three - Learn more about one specific spider.
Leg Four - Learn more about one specific insect.
Leg Five - Take an on-line bug quiz.
Leg Six - Write your own poem or song, or create a skit, which demonstrates the difference between spiders and insects.
Leg Seven - Camouflage a spider.
Leg Eight - Create a spider web.

In Legs One and Two, you will use these sites to find characteristics of spiders and insects.

Roach World

Desert USA

Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting spiders and insects. Include:

Vertebrate or invertebrate?
Class name
Endoskeleton or exoskeleton?
Type of legs
Breathing apparatus
Number of body sections
Number of legs
Number of antennae

In Legs Three and Four, you will prepare a mini-poster about a specific spider and insect of your choice. Use these sites for information.

Spiders

Insecta-Inspecta

In Leg Five, click here to take the on-line bug quiz.

In Leg Six, you will write a poem or song, or you may create a skit. You may work by yourself or with a group of four. There are no guidelines, except that you include the differences you learned in Legs One and Two, and you describe your special spider and insect from Legs Three and Four. (They might be characters in your poem, song, or skit.)

In Leg Seven, click here to do the activity, "Camouflage the Spider."

In Leg Eight, click here to do the activity, "Spin a Spider Web."

	Slug Level (C)	Insect Level (B)	Spider Level (A)
Legs One and Two (20 pts.)	Venn diagram does not include enough or has incorrect information	Venn diagram includes correct information	Venn diagram includes correct information and additional facts
Legs Three and Four (20 pts.)	Poster has less than five facts about each animal or is not neat	Poster includes five facts about each animal and is neat and colorful	Poster includes more than five facts and is neat, colorful, and attractive
Leg Five (10 pts.)	You did not complete the quiz	You completed the quiz	You completed the quiz correctly the first time
Leg Six (30 pts.)	Your poem, song, or skit does not include enough or has incorrect information	Your poem, song, or skit includes correct information	Your poem, song, or skit includes correct information and is creative, interesting, or funny, etc.
Leg Seven (10 pts.)	Not attempted	Not attempted	Attempted successfully
Leg Eight (10 pts.)	Not attempted	Not attempted	Attempted successfully

You will have successfully escaped Mrs. Slagle's Web if you have learned and communicated the differences in spiders and insects in a creative way.

And now, dear little children
Who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words,
I pray you, n'er give heed:
Unto an evil counselor
Close heart and ear and eye,
And learn a lesson from this tale
Of the spider and the fly.