Make a Spider Web
Pupils work in a creative manner and learn about spider webs along the way.
Age Group: 9-12 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Biomimicry Connection:
Spider silk is one amazing material that has inspired engineers to create new materials in medicine, sustainable textile fibres and other innovations.
Activity Details:
Tools and Materials
- Drawing equipment
- Twine or cotton thread
- Wooden branches or sticks
- (Optionally embroidery/cross stitch canvas, sewing supplies a wooden frame and string)
- Projector and access to short video here
Description
- Ask pupils if they have ever observed spiders and their webs? What have you noticed while doing so? Have you touched the spider web itself? What characteristics of the web did you notice? Do you know how the spider makes those webs? What is weaving? Explain that today, we will try to make a spider web ourselves.
- Project or shows pupils a spider web on the board.
- Ask pupils to work independently, drawing a spider web model on paper. Like a spider, first make an outline, draw the web's rays from the centre to the edges, and then draw spirals from the centre.
- Pupils could also make their own spider web as a piece of art using instructions from this video.
- During or at the end of the pupils' work, ask them about why the spider weaves its webs, what exceptional properties the spider's web has and invite them to discuss where such exceptional properties of the spider's web could be exploited.
- What if we could imitate a spider in the way it makes its thread? Could our clothes be made from a fibre similar to spider silk? Present this video about an innovative fibre. What are the advantages in terms of sustainability?
Additional information
Learn how to make a moving spider (find out here).
Make a walking spider puppet (learn more here).
Learn how to weave your own spider web (find out here).