Did you know......Spiders are anthropods?
Spiders have two body parts called the chephalothorax and the abdomen?
A spiders pedipalps help it sense objects?
Spiders have simple eyes - 8 of them linen in rows?
That not all spiders spin webs?
Suzanne spent the morning in our classroom leading a 4 winds science lesson all about spiders. This year, the topic focuses on structure and function of a variety of organisms. The physical structure of many living things help it to survive and students will exploring how organisms avoid predation, gather food, and find mates. Throughout the year, students will be comparing and contrasting characteristics and behaviors of living things.
Today, we looked closely at spiders and compared them to an insect. Through hands on explorations of a variety of spiders and insects, labeled diagrams, puppet shows, outside scavenger hunts, and great discussions led by suzanne, students were able to gather a wealth of new information. To close our morning, we made a 'knowledge web' of our own. Each students shared a new fact they learned while passing a ball of yarn around the circle. 
Take some time to INQUIRE with your child what they learned about spiders. Can they describe to you the parts of a spiders body or identify the difference between a wanderer and a web building spider? Taking time out of your day to talk to your children about what they've learned in school is important. As you've noticed I try to highlight talking points with the word INQUIRE in upper case to help you remember that this is an area you could discuss with your child. Some families have shared with me that they found it helpful to take a few minutes out of dinner to do a family share - and all members share something about their day. 