A lot of people have some pretty dramatic reactions when they spy a spider in the house. I have a daughter (now in her 20's) who has screamed to wake the household on more than one occasion all because of a wee 8-legged creature. If I tell her a daddy longlegs doesn't make the spider cut, MAYBE her housemates will be spared the midnight terror! All thanks to author Heather L. Montgomery! |
English/Language Arts
Explore lead sentences - questions
Add this Minute to your list of mentor texts that start with a question. The list is definitely growing. If you never started, so a quick search in the NF Minute for question leads by typing, in quotes, “lead sentences - questions” in the search box. You should have enough by now to do some analysis. What is the same? What is different? Are there any patterns to be discerned? Can your students come up with some guidelines about when to consider using a question as a lead sentence?
STEM
Explore biology: animal classification
Use this Minute to introduce (or reinforce) student’s knowledge of the animal classification system. You could start with a thinking exercise and present students with packs of animal pictures and ask them how they would organize them. Challenge them to articulate their thinking and justify the choices they made. Then present the animal classification system that is used around the globe. See if students can figure out why a classification system is necessary.
Explore scientific observation
Author Montgomery tells the reader that the scientist who figured out that daddy longlegs carry toxin in their armpits made the discovery using his powers of observation. No, he did not SEE the toxins. He SMELLED them! Have students discuss how all of their senses can help them to become more effective scientists. See if they can find examples where each of the senses (or combinations) assisted scientists in making discoveries.
Explore Chemistry - toxins
Author Montgomery introduces us to a toxin that is only toxic in two states of matter but not the third (solid). Have your students re-acquaint themselves with the states of matter, and then send them exploring the periodic table to see how chemicals behave. Are there others whose characteristics change depending on the state of matter they take? It's certainly worth exploring.
Research Skills
Explore urban myths
You (or your students) may have heard that “Daddy-Longlegs are one of the most poisonous spiders, but their fangs are too short to bite humans.” This is one of MANY myths we may believe because we have heard it so many times and from so many sources that somehow, it must be true. Of course, it is not. Use this Minute to grow your students as skeptical consumers of information. Take a look at this survey and see if you know the answers (I use this with my MS students). Then take to the Internet to see if you can figure out what’s true and what is not. I confess I was a believer in several of these “facts” before I authored this lesson.
Explore lead sentences - questions
Add this Minute to your list of mentor texts that start with a question. The list is definitely growing. If you never started, so a quick search in the NF Minute for question leads by typing, in quotes, “lead sentences - questions” in the search box. You should have enough by now to do some analysis. What is the same? What is different? Are there any patterns to be discerned? Can your students come up with some guidelines about when to consider using a question as a lead sentence?
STEM
Explore biology: animal classification
Use this Minute to introduce (or reinforce) student’s knowledge of the animal classification system. You could start with a thinking exercise and present students with packs of animal pictures and ask them how they would organize them. Challenge them to articulate their thinking and justify the choices they made. Then present the animal classification system that is used around the globe. See if students can figure out why a classification system is necessary.
Explore scientific observation
Author Montgomery tells the reader that the scientist who figured out that daddy longlegs carry toxin in their armpits made the discovery using his powers of observation. No, he did not SEE the toxins. He SMELLED them! Have students discuss how all of their senses can help them to become more effective scientists. See if they can find examples where each of the senses (or combinations) assisted scientists in making discoveries.
Explore Chemistry - toxins
Author Montgomery introduces us to a toxin that is only toxic in two states of matter but not the third (solid). Have your students re-acquaint themselves with the states of matter, and then send them exploring the periodic table to see how chemicals behave. Are there others whose characteristics change depending on the state of matter they take? It's certainly worth exploring.
Research Skills
Explore urban myths
You (or your students) may have heard that “Daddy-Longlegs are one of the most poisonous spiders, but their fangs are too short to bite humans.” This is one of MANY myths we may believe because we have heard it so many times and from so many sources that somehow, it must be true. Of course, it is not. Use this Minute to grow your students as skeptical consumers of information. Take a look at this survey and see if you know the answers (I use this with my MS students). Then take to the Internet to see if you can figure out what’s true and what is not. I confess I was a believer in several of these “facts” before I authored this lesson.
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission