Mr Harpers science mini lesson with audio read

Mr. Harper’s science mini lesson with audio read along o t n o c i e Click on th s d r o w e h t hear Spiders

Many people think that a spider is an insect. Spiders are not insects. Spiders are arachnids. Insects Arachnids 8 legs • 6 legs • • 2 antennae • No antennae • 3 body segments • 2 body segments • have wings, most can fly • No wings, none can fly • few make silk, no webs • make silk, many make webs

The arachnid family includes ticks, scorpions, and all the thousands of different species of spiders.

Spiders don’t have antennae to gather information about their surroundings like insects do. All insects have antennae on their heads.

Some arachnids have things near their mouth that may look like small antennae, but those are pedipalps that help them eat or move. pedipalps

Spiders have 4 pairs of eyes. Spider have much better vision than insects.

No spiders have wings for flying but many spiders have a special way of moving through the air.

All spiders can make a very thin but very strong silky thread. They sometimes escape from danger by dropping down quickly as they make silk behind them.

Many spiders make large webs with their silk. The webs act like big nets that can catch flying insects that spiders like to eat.

The web silk is very sticky so insects that touch it become trapped.

When the spider feels the movements of the insect trying to get free, it rushes in to wrap the insect with more silk.

Spiders all have venom that they can inject with their fangs to quickly kill their prey.

All spiders are carnivores, which means they only eat animals. They never eat plants. All spiders are predators, which means they catch and kill the animals they eat. The animals that predators catch are all called prey.

Some people get afraid whenever they see a spider, but spiders will never attack a person.

Most spiders’ venom is only strong enough to kill an insect but there a few spiders that have powerful venom that can hurt people. Black Widow spider Brown Recluse spider

Bites from those spiders can cause pain and injury.

People get bitten when a spider thinks they are trying to hurt it. If you don’t touch it, a spider won’t hurt you.

Spiders come in many different shapes.

Spiders come in different sizes. Spider on a fingernail

Some people have spiders as pets. This tarantula would only bite if you hurt it.

To learn more about spiders, check out these Brainpop cartoons: Brainpop. com • Spiders • Arachnids Brainpopjr. com • Classifying Animals