Spider Math

 "Oh look! There's a spider on the school! 

Maybe he's coming to learn too!"

Autumn always brings with it many treasures. Recently my students have been curious about the many creepy crawlies they have been discovering in the yard. Although spiders can be scary for some, they serve a big purpose in our local ecosystem as they eat insects and also are a source of food for others. Exploring them together also helps those who are scared or reluctant learn to see them in a new way. 

I always look for ways to incorporate children's interests into our activities, specifically math. Here five spider math ideas for you to use with your little ones!

1. Which One Doesn't Belong - encourage children to examine and describe these collections of images and articulate which they believe doesn't not belong in the group and their reasoning why.

  

2. See, Think and Wonder - this thinking routine asks children to carefully examine something and clearly describe what they see, articulate their thinking about the object, and express curiosity through wonderings and questions related to the subject. This picture of an intricate web might be an interesting prompt for discussion.

3. Spider Survey - ask children to record their names on a t-chart that indicates whether or not they like spiders. Calculate and interpret the results of the survey with children. Click the image to access the printable.

 

4. Spider Subitizing - use this printable with children to explore different ways of representing a number. Write a number on the spider and ask children to brainstorm and record many different ways of showing the number (e.g., tallies, dots, ten frames, word). Click the image to access the printable.

5. Spider Symmetry - use this printable with children to explore the concept of symmetry. Encourage children to draw the missing half of the spider and web as best as they can. Explore symmetry in photos of real life spiders!Click the image to access the printable.