Learn how to classify spiders
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Audience
Primary school -
Learning stage
Early Stage 1, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 -
Learning area
Science -
Type
Learning resources
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Spiders live on every continent of the world, except Antarctica. They can be placed into three groups – burrowers, hunters and weavers – based on their physical features and the way they catch their prey.
- Spiders can make up to seven different types of silk.
- Some burrowers place silk ‘trip lines’ near their burrow entrances to detect prey.
- Australian water spiders can stay underwater for about one hour!
- If you were a hunting spider, what would help you to catch your prey?
- How would you catch your prey if you lived underground like a burrowing spider?
- How would you catch flying insects if you were a spider?
- Can you think of an example of a burrower, hunter and weaver that you have seen?
You can identify a spider as a burrower, hunter or weaver by looking at its external features, by thinking about where it lives and how it catches its prey.
In this downloadable worksheet, students can sort pictures of Australian spiders with the help of some facts about each group.
