Book choices for today:

Tarantulas   Vicky Franchino
Tarantula   Rose Doyle
Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantulas   Meish Goldish
Tarantulas   Jason Cooper
Tarantulas   Peter Murray
Harry the Tarantula   Leigh Ann Tyson

Zoology: (first circle)

Need for lesson – Pictures of tarantulas or a real one!

Zoology 33
Are spiders vertebrates or invertebrates? We are going to talk about an invertebrate spider called a tarantula. Do you like tarantulas? Some people feel that tarantulas are creepy because of their large hairy bodies and legs. These spiders do have a painful bite, but are actually harmless to humans. Their venom or poison is weaker than a bees. There are hundreds of tarantulas species that live in warm areas around the world. They vary in color and many live in underground burrows. There are some tarantulas that live on the ground or in trees. Tarantulas are nocturnal predators. What does that mean, to be nocturnal and a predator? Insects are their main prey, or food. Some may eat frogs, mice, lizards, and small birds. A tarantula doesn’t use a web to catch prey like other spiders. They will grab prey and inject the venom into them with their fangs. A spider has two body parts and eight legs. Even though the tarantula doesn’t spin a web, they do produce silk like all spiders. Females will use the silk to decorate the inside of their burrows and will encase their eggs in a silken cocoon. A tarantula will also use its silk to make a trap line near their burrow. If the silk line moves or vibrates the tarantula will know that prey may be approaching and they can get ready to attack.
Some people like to have a tarantula for a pet. They are noiseless creatures that require little space. Tarantula pets are easy to care for and to feed. The exoskeleton of a tarantula is fragile and so they shouldn’t be handled much, as a fall could be dangerous for them. So if you want a pet that you can hold and touch, a tarantula may not be the pet for you. Would you like to have a pet tarantula?

Tarantula Picture

Science: (second circle)

Need for lesson – Simple machine models to have a review.

Science 61
These are six simple machines that we learned about. Let’s name each of them. What are they called? Pulley, Levers, Wheel and Axle, Wedge, Screws, and Inclined Plane.
How do simple machines help people?
What does the pulley do?
What does the wheel and axle do?
What about levers?
What job can an inclined plane help someone to do?
How is a screw helpful?
The wedge can help us how?