“Children are naturally fascinated by spiderwebs, and when they learn that these webs are clever traps made by small and skillful spiders that never had a single lesson, these structures become even more remarkable. My wish is that after reading this book, you and your child feel a sense of wonder the next time you see a spiderweb.”

Emily Morgan, author of Next Time You See a Spiderweb

The latest book in the Next Time You See series of NSTA Kids books, Next Time You See a Spiderweb will have even the most nervous of spider observers fascinated by the structures that spiders can create. The beautiful photography in the book reveals the many incredible shapes and sizes spun by different types of spiders.

Check out this video to get a sense of the innate skill that spiders possess to create the web traps they need to catch their prey. Using tangled webs, funnel-webs, and orb webs, spiders spin sticky silk without getting stuck themselves.

Author Emily Morgan is an educator who knows how to connect with children both intellectually and emotionally. Her Next Time You See series is intended to inspire children in grades K–6 to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena.

Next Time You See a Spiderweb explains how spiders create the silk and spin it from their bodies. The strength and flexibility of spider silk intrigues scientists because the silk is stronger than a thread of steel and can stretch great lengths without breaking. Scientists are trying to mimic spider silk to create new materials that could help people improve their lives.

Engineers and architects also study the construction of spiderwebs to learn how most of a spiderweb can remain intact, even when a part of it is damaged. If they can learn how that works, they might be able to design structures that can hold up in an earthquake.

This is a book that children and adults will want to take along on their next nature walk. And the next time you see a spiderweb, remember that a small, skillful spider knows how to create something remarkable that people cannot, but wish they could.

Browse sample pages of this new book.

Fall for These Savings on NSTA Press Books!

Between now and October 31, 2015, save $15 off your order of $75 or more of NSTA Press books or NSTA Press e-books by entering promo code FALL15 at checkout in the online Science Store.

As a beginning science teacher, I have issues with time management. Some days a lesson I thought would take the entire class period doesn’t. Other activities take longer than I planned. How do teachers handle this?  —D., Vermont

It’s a challenge for science teachers to design activities and investigations that fit into our allotted time. Secondary teachers deal with projects and investigations that don’t always fit neatly into 45- or 60- or even 90-minute packages. (One of my challenges was a class split in half by a lunch period!) Elementary teachers may have more flexibility, but time for science can be affected by schedules for specials or limited by a focus on reading and math.

Some curriculum documents or lesson plans have recommendations on how much time to allow. But even if you teach the same lesson to several classes on the same day, you’ll find that the time required may differ based on student interest and experiences, distractions, interruptions, or equipment glitches.

As you get to know your students and after teaching a lesson or activity a few times, you’ll get a feel for the time required. I would suggest annotating your lesson plans at the end of the day for future reference. How much time did the activity take? How much progress did each class make (if you teach more than one)? What affected the amount of time? What should be done differently next time?

I posed your question to a colleague, and she suggested from her experiences that it’s better to overplan than to wind up with a lot of extra time. She also recommended choosing activities that fit within your class period or can be paused and continued the next day.

It may take some work at first, but it’s good to have a repertoire of backup activities for days (or class periods) when an activity finishes early. These could include vocabulary games, time for students to update science notebooks, card sorts, or quick writes (responding to an open-ended question or prompt). The books in Page Keeley’s Uncovering Student Ideas series from NSTA have short “assessment probes” that challenge students and provide insight into their thinking. You could choose ones related to your current topic or that preview upcoming topics.

You probably can’t control the length of the class periods, but you can maximize the time you have. It’s important to have routines in place for the beginning and end of the class period to avoid spending time on logistics. Bell-ringers at the beginning of the class period can focus students’ attention on the lesson. Students having assigned roles for lab activities and established procedures for collecting or distributing materials can help make for smooth transitions between activities.

At the end of the class, students are tempted to race out the door. Keep an eye on the clock to have time for clean up. Plan for a brief exit activity or discussion to help students reflect on or “pack up” what they were learning or doing before they leave.

But even with careful planning, some individual students may finish a lesson or activity with time to spare. If you tell students to “get busy on something,” what students find to do on their own is often distracting to others or not related to science learning. Be ready with related resources for these students as others continue: an extension to the activity, a collection of reading materials, vocabulary reviews, or online resources or apps to examine.

One thing you’ll learn is that teachers have to be flexible!