Spins a Web Written by: Joanna Cole
Cyberlesson by: Sarah Clark
The Magic School
Bus
Spins a Web
Written by: Joanna Cole
Cyberlesson by: Sarah Clark
Materials:
-The Magic School Bus Spins a Web (3-5
copies)
-Paper
-Pencils
-Computers connected to the Internet
-Digital or Polaroid camera
Before You Read:
1. What do
you know about spiders? What do you want to know about spiders? After you read
the story and do the activities, what did you learn about spiders? On this
worksheet I would like you to fill out a K-W-L chart. You
will complete the K and the W before reading and the L when everything is completed.
2.The concept of spiders is very important in this book. The three spiders that are focused on in the book are Orb spiders, Trapdoor spiders, and Daddy Long Legs spiders. Read about each of these spiders before reading the story.
While You Read:
This is a wonderful book with several rich
characters which make this book a great book for a readers theater! Aaron Shepard
has a great site on creating a readers theater in the classroom. With this site the teacher can "brush up" on
his/her readers theater skills and this site can also give you many more readers theater
scripts, tips, and ideas for the classroom.
I suggest the
reading of the book be performed with several students playing the characters of the
story. You may want to break the class into small groups. When they are in
their groups explain to them how to make a readers theater out of stories.
Basically, explain to them to take out all of the "he said, she said" stuff and
leave in all the text in quotes. Have the students write their own script to the
story. If the students have more questions refer them to the young author page of Aaron
Shepards RT site.
When this is
completed, (it may take more than one day!) have them perform the story. This can be
done with each group taking a small part of the story. The characters of the story
are; Ms. Frizzle,
Phoebe, Carlos, Dorothy Ann, Keesha, Liz, Ralphie, Wanda, Tim, General Araneus, Praying
Mantis, and spiders. The last two characters do not have any lines, but they are
important characters!
After You Read:
1. Go back to your K-W-L worksheet and
write down everything you can remember that you learned about spiders from the book!
2. Choose from one of the many web sites listed below. Take some time to learn
more about many different spiders. Choose 3 new spiders and write two
characteristics of each spider.
Argiopes From the USA
Discovery Online, Expeditions Spiders!
The Queensland Museum Explorer
Beyond What You Read:
1. For the
first activity, I would like you to challenge your writing skills! I would also like
you to recognize and experience the inspirational value of wildlife. In the book
,The Magic School Bus Spins a Spider Web, it states that one is never more than three
feet away from a spider. I would like you to go outside and look for spiders, spider
webs and/or anything related to spiders. Watch the object closely, then pretend you
are the object. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? Are you
protecting yourself? Are you hungry and trying to catch lunch? Are you caught
in a spider web? If you are, what are you? Write down as many questions and
answers that you can, then form a poem or write a story about who or what you are. Other
people have written stories and poems about spiders, read a few
(you can also publish your poem here if you want to!)
Before you go
outside-- take a look at this tarantula
movie! Discuss how you could make this movie into a short poem or story.
After you have gone outside and your own story is finished, jump on the "web" and publish your story!
Good Luck!
2. Geometry in everyday life/spider web geometry- When you are outside looking for spiders and related items, take special notice of spider webs. Use a digital cameral or regular camera to take pictures of the spider webs. Look at the spider webs. What parts of geometry are included in the web(s). The concept of shape, radius, diameter, pi and much more can be discussed, depending on the spider web. To extend this activity, measure several different circular items and find the radius and diameter.
About What You Read:
A rubric is included
to make evaluation easy! Follow these easy guidelines to grade your students.
Place a check mark in the points awarded box for the student. If you want more
specific grades, you can grade the K-W-L chart, writing assignment, and/or the
three-fact(s) after you read spider assignment. This rubric is an over-all grade for
the whole mini unit.
**Teachers**
Check out this Magic School Bus site
for more information on Scholastic's Magic School Bus books, activities, and much
more!