Spiders as Predators | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Introduction

National Middle School Science Standards

Key Terms

spider, adaptation, predator, prey, arthropod

Key Concepts

Characteristics of spiders
Spider feeding relationships
Predator adaptations
Diversity of spiders
Technology used by zoologists

Resource Types

Videos and Webcasts

Powerful Predators - Adaptations of Trap-jaw Spiders with Entomologist Hannah Wood on Smithsonian Science How
How Do Spiders Make a Web? Smithsonian Magazine
Power-Amplified Cheliceral Strikes of Trap-Jaw Spider Smithsonian Magazine
Yes, Spiders Eat Spiders Smithsonian Magazine

Printable Lessons

Under the Spell of…Spiders Smithsonian Education

Science Literacy Resources

Middle School Level

Pelican Spiders: Slow, Safe Assassins ScienceNews
A (Spider) Web of Knowledge AAAS Science Shots
These Crazy Fast Spiders Have a Bite Like a Steel Trap The Washington Post
Absurd Creature of the Week: The World’s Goofiest-Looking Spider is Actually a Brutal Ninja WIRED

High School Level

Discovery: Trap-Jaw Spiders Snap Prey with Super-Spidey Speed and Power Smithsonian Insider
Black Widows Spin Super Silk AAAS Science Magazine
Trap-Jaw Spider Attack Seen in High-Speed Video Science, Space & Robots
This Insect Uses its Victims’ Carcasses as Camouflage Smithsonian Magazine
Brains of Tiny Spiders Fill Their Body Cavities and Legs, Smithsonian Researchers Discover Smithsonian Insider

Advanced Reading Level

Spiders Spin Electrically Charged Silk to Make it Sticky Smithsonian SMARTNEWS
Spiders and Centipedes Spew Some of the Same Venom AAAS Science Magazine
Tiny Spiders Are the Fastest Known on Earth Smithsonian Magazine
Smithsonian Scientist and Collaborators Find That Trap-Jaw Spiders Strike Prey With Lightning Speed Smithsonian Newsdesk
Slideshow: Fish-Eating Spiders More Common Than Thought AAAS Science Magazine

Subject Guides

Entomology Subject Guide Smithsonian Libraries

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The Spiders as Predators teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations:

Life Science

MS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

MS-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

MS-LS4-2 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
MS-LS4-4 Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

Resource Type

Subject Guides

Grade Level

6-8

Learning Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Topics

Life Science