Nature Study Hacking| Spiders & Invertebrates

Based on Handbook of Nature Study, this 24-lesson guide simplifies the introduction of invertebrates including: garden snail, earthworm, crayfish (or crawdad), daddy longlegs, common spider, orb-weaver spider, funnel-web spider, filmy dome spider, ballooning spider.

Through short, open-and-go lessons, children learn to observe carefully, draw what they see, and develop a lasting habit of attention in the natural world.

Buy the guide here.

ESSENTIALS:

In addition to Handbook of Nature Study  I recommend:

Readerʼs Digest North American Guide to Wildlife

It has enough snails, worms, crawfish, and spiders to give an introduction on the subject along with watercolor pictures that make drawing or painting in a nature journal easier for beginners. It's informational and gives you the facts about the creatures to help identify them and learn a little more about them.

But! We all love stories. So for a Nature Lore book that includes many stories of the lives of invertebrates and spiders I highly recommend Jean-Henri Fabre’s artful book The Storybook of Science. You will not be disappointed by his descriptions and amazing attention to detail about the habits of these creatures. 

Spiders & Invertebrates Supply List:

Sketchbook or dot grid nature journal (this is my favorite style for nature study introduction)
Ticonderoga (Hard) pencils and an eraser
Prismacolor colored pencils (preferred for younger children)
Magnifying glass or jeweler’s loupe
White and dark paper (for spore print studies)

Nature specimens:
Garden snail, Handbook of Nature Study, p. 416
Earthworm, Handbook of Nature Study, p. 422
Crayfish or crawdad, Handbook of Nature Study, p. 425
Daddy Longlegs, Handbook of Nature Study, p. 432
Common spider, Handbook of Nature Study, p. 435
Orb-weaver spider
Funnel-web spider and/or web, Handbook of Nature Study, p. 438
Filmy Dome spider and/or web, Handbook of Nature Study p. 443
Ballooning spider and/or video