8 Is Great With Midnight the Math Spider

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1-2-3 Come Do Some Spider Math With Me

Since we study spiders in October, I thought it would be fun to design a craftivity, that would not only help reinforce the science fact that spiders are not insects, but arachnids because they have 8 legs, but also practice several of the math standards that we’re also working on.

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasThus “Midnight”, the “8 is Great!” math spider was born, where children show you various ways to represent the number 8

Since a spider has two body segments (cephalothorax & abdomen) which look like the number 8, I created a number template. (Remember to grab that “teachable moment” to build vocabulary with these science terms.)

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasStudents fold the pattern in half, cut on the bold lines, then open to reveal the spider’s number 8 body, which they glue 8 legs to.
Because the number is cut on a fold it’s easy-peasy even for PK children!

The craft is versatile, as you can differentiate the “leg labels” (math skills) you want to practice.

Younger kiddos can simply make the spider, while kinder and 1st graders can practice tally marks, addition, subtraction, as well as greater & less than.

There's also a blank template, so older students can subtract larger numbers or show 8 with multiplication & division.

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasAre you learning time to the hour? You also have the option to include a clock face where students draw hands to show 8 O’Clock.

Since my students are also learning about fractions (whole, half, and quarters) I included a fraction pie too. 

smath centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasUse the pie pattern that’s cut into fourths then have students turn it into eighths by making an X in the center, or simply use the 8-piece pie pattern.

There's also a fraction poster that shows the various fractions, which will help you explain what you want your students to do.

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasLegs can lay flat, or they can be folded to add some 3D pop.
Add a bit more pizzazz by suspending the spiders from the web pattern.

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasCompleted projects make a terrific bulletin board or dangle them from the ceiling as a hallway-wall border.

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasI’ve included two “8 is Great!” posters to use for the center of your display, as well as a “Show Me Eight!” worksheet

math centers, math crafts, spider centers, spider activities, spider crafts, october bulletin board ideas. spider bulletin board ideasToday's featured FREEBIE is "Peek-a-Eeek!"  a 2D, spider-themed shape booklet.

You can make just a copy for yourself and use it to review the basic 2D flat shapes with your students, or run off copies of the shapes and have students cut and glue them into a booklet of their own. 

spider activities, spider crafts, math centers, spider centers, math crafts, October bulletin board ideas, spider bulletin boardWell that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by.

spider activities, spider crafts, I'm reading a pumpkin story for "orange day" at my grandson's preschool today, so time to add the finishing touches to my "splash of orange" outfit. (Orange nail polish and all!)

Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"We lose ourselves in books.  We find ourselves there too." -Unknown

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