activities for the very busy spider

1-2-3 Come Do Some "Very Busy Spider" Activities With Me

 activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesDo you read Eric Carle's "The Very Busy Spider" ? It's one of my students' favorite spider stories, and perfect for sequencing

With these things in mind,  I designed 3 "craftivities" that will help practice the "sequencing & retelling a story" standards: There's a slider, wheel and flip booklet.

activities for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesAny of the projects make for a wonderful transition activity, after you're done reading the story.   Fun for your kiddos and easy-peasy for you too, as all three are simply “Print & Go”. 

First up is the "caught in a web of learning" spider web flip booklet.

spider web photograph posters for the very busy spider activitiesTo introduce the lesson, I show my students the 2 photo-posters featuring real orb spider webs, since the cover of the booklet is also an orb web.

There are a variety of options for you to choose from:

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesThere are 5 blank webs so you can add a plastic spider, or make one with a fluffy pom pom, or fingerprint.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesThere are also 6 webs featuring a non-scary spider, for students to color. I added wiggle eyes for extra pizzazz.

Pick your favorite, or give students a choice

Children color, cut & collate their pages, then add the cover.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesThere are also page options for you to choose from, which feature pages with & without traceable words to reinforce more standards.

I personally like the "trace the word" pages best. Even tho' my Y5s can't read, they are practicing letters, while my first graders get the added benefit of word recognition.

There's also enough room if you want your students to write the word as well.

As always, the graphics come in full color patterns so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share, as well as black & white templates, for students.

I purposely did not number the pages, so you can assess comprehension & students' ability to sequence correctly.

When everyone is done, practice retelling “The Very Busy Spider” by calling on a child, who explains what is happening in that graphic.

You could also ask, “Is this the setting of the story?” “Is this the beginning-middle-or end of the story?” etc.

Afterwards, for more reinforcement, have students pick a partner and take turns sharing their booklet with each other. 

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesWhen you're done with your "retelling the story" activities, you can jazz up the spider web covers if you like. 

Using Elmer's glue, have students "trace" the web lines, then sprinkle with glitter. Printing the cover on black construction paper really makes the silver glitter pop.

Since you're putzing with glue, you can also add a plastic or pom pom spider at this time as well.

heres what happened very busy spider writing prompt worksheetTo check comprehension, & reinforce the “sequencing a story” standards further, I’ve also included a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet.

Use the colorful template to do this as a whole group activity with younger students. This activity, with different graphics is also in the busy spider slider & wheel options. 

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesNext up is the slider

There are 2 outside slider options to choose from, which children color & trim.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesStudents color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together. (Both options use the same “slider strip”).

As they pull on the end of the “slider” the various pictures go through the “window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their slider home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesI introduce the lesson by reading "The Very Busy Spider", then share my completed "slider craftivity” with my students.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts.

Have children guess which story element they think comes next before you pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a story slider of their own. 

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.  I’ve included 2 “Let's sequence the story” worksheets for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on the blank worksheet. Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

Besides the "Here's What Happened..." worksheet explained previously, the "spider slider" and "wheel" options also include 2, “Let's sequence the story” worksheets, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on the blank worksheet.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesI've also included a larger, colorful one to use during and/or after you've read the story.

My students absolutely love this "game".  As you can see by the photographs, the graphics for the slider and the ones for the wheel are different.

I purchased more clip art from two different artists, to add variety to your lessons, as teachers have told me that they've purchased both, using one as an independent center and the other for a whole group activity.

Finally, the storytelling wheel is yet another quick, easy & fun way for students to practice the “retelling & sequencing” a story standards.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesSince there are quite a few characters and parts to this tale, I designed a “beginning of the story” wheel, with 6 sections; plus another 6-part wheel, to tell the end of the story.

This way, the 12 graphics are a nice size for coloring.

activities for the very busy spider, spider activities, spider crafts, eric carle's the very busy spider, eric carle activities, sequencing a story activities, retelling a story activitiesWhen everyone is done, practice retelling by using the manipulative. Everyone starts by turning their wheel so that the busy spider on the fence appears in the “pie-slice window”, then call on a child to begin the story,

Continue to turn the wheel, calling on different students to tell you that portion of the story, explaining the “picture prompt”.  

After you've explained the picture with the pig, take the first wheel out by unfastening the brass brad, then insert the "end of the story" wheel to complete retelling "The Very Busy Spider." 

fre doorknob dangler craftivity for the very busy spiderToday's FREEBIE also features "The Very Busy Spider"

It's a sweet doorknob dangler, which you can hang on your classroom door, or have students make the BW one for their bedroom.

There are two options, so that you can have a front & back side.

activities for the very busy spiderWell that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

It's pouring rain. Perfect for working on some not-so-spooky spider stuff.

"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet." - Unknown

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

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, spider grammar activities, My Y5's LOVED the story The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.   I especially liked it for sequencing practice.  The Very Busy Spider is also an easy story to review beginning, middle and end concepts.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, spider grammar activities, To introduce the story, and grab your students' attention, do the Spider Cuts  scissor activity.  While your little ones watch, inform them that you are "busy" and ask them what they think you are making.

I got the spider idea over at Green Baby Guide.  She didn't have a pattern, so I thought I'd make one.    Add some wiggle eyes for pizzazz.  Click on the link to view/download Spider Cuts.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, character-setting-events cards, beginning-middle-end activities, teaching settng, teaching about charactersspider grammar activities, The Very Busy Spider is super to sequence! My little ones always enjoyed sequencing stories,  because I'd pass out picture cards or manipulatives to them. 

Prior to passing out "stuff" to quiet children, I'd explain that if they played with it and didn't listen to the story, they would get the card or item taken away; this really kept them from fooling around with any story props that I handed out.

When I came to a picture in the story that was on a card, I'd pause, the child with the matching card would come up and place it in the pocket chart or on the white board. 

So that everyone could have a turn with the cards, as well as provide another opportunity to review the story, I'd pass the cards out again, and we'd try to put them in order without the help of the book.  You can make extra sets so that children can transition and play Memory Mathching games.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, character-setting-events cards, beginning-middle-end activities, teaching settng, teaching about charactersspider grammar activities, Click on the link to view/download The Very Busy Spider Sequencing cards.  Included in this packet is a mini sequencing sheet that students can do as a center, or run off copies for all of your students to cut, glue and sequence

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, character-setting-events cards, beginning-middle-end activities, teaching settng, teaching about charactersspider grammar activities, I enjoy looking for interesting videos on YouTube that match an activity.  There's almost always a professional reader out there who's made a nice Power Point of a story. 

There were quite a few for The Very Busy SpiderOne that I think was rather well-done, is read by an English gal.  The moving graphics of the spider and buzzing fly are sweet.  Click on the link to check it out. 

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, character-setting-events cards, beginning-middle-end activities, teaching settng, teaching about charactersspider grammar activities, As another fun way to review the story, have your kiddo's watch it and do the mini sequencing activity at the same time.  Afterwards, as a transition activity, students can choose a partner and play the Spin To Win Busy Spider game. This is also included in the packet.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, character-setting-events cards, beginning-middle-end activities, teaching settng, teaching about charactersspider grammar activities, As part of our review, I'd use pocket cards that said: characters, setting, and events on them. 

After reading the story, we'd discuss each one as it pertained to the book.  I've included a set for The Very Busy Spider.

Understanding the concept of beginning-middle-and end of stories enables a child to better retell it.  Knowing this organization, will also improve writing.

Because of this, I always followed up story telling, by asking children what happened in the beginning, the middle and at the end of the story.  After you review this orally, have your students write their thoughts on The Very Busy Spider (beginning-middle-end) graphic organizer.  All of these items are in  The Very Busy Spider Story Packet. Click on the link to view/download it.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, spider grammar activities, To nail even more Common Core State Standards-- print, laminate and trim The Very Busy Spider Grammar Cards.  Put them in a pocket chart or on your whiteboard and read the sentences together as a whole group. 

spid web wandFor added fun make a spider pointer or web wand, with the spider & web patterns; glue them to a Popsicle stick and have children use them to point to the words as you read the pocket cards. 

Using a red dry erase marker, have a child come up and circle any letters that should be capitalized.  Another student  can add the end punctuation.

Review parts of speech by having children circle nouns, underline verbs and put a square around adjectives. 

You can also practice vowel identification.  Have a student come up and circle the vowels with a green marker.  I have set up the content of the cards, so they also provide a nice discussion and review of the story.

Click on the link to view/download The Very Busy Spider Grammar Cards.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, spider grammar activities, To put their grammar skills into practice, have students write a page for your class book: The Very Busy Students and Their Spiders. Click on the link to view/print a copy.

Finally, it's always fun to throw in an art activity if you have time.  I set the "glittering web" craftivity up as a center, where 3 children come up and do the project with me. While they are working, I have each one tell me a spider fact that they learned, or ask them what their favorite part of the story was.

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, spider grammar activities, The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, character-setting-events cards, beginning-middle-end activities, teaching settng, teaching about character spider grammar activities, This photo does not do the artwork justice, as it's truly lovely; it doesn't capture the sparkling and glittery effects. 

Since you might not be able to find a colorful little stationery web that my kiddo's attached to their webs, you can either skip this step, or print off the Very Busy Spider one that I made.  I've included my little poem on it.

To make a busy spider glitter web, pre-cut black circles to fit inside a metal cake pan.  Each child holds one.  I squirt a dollop of white paint that has been mixed with Elmer's glue, in the middle of the circle; children place a large marble on top of the "paint-puddle."

The object of this project is to make an orb spider web by having the marble roll back and forth + up and down through the paint.  As it does so, it "spins" a web.  When students are pleased with their web, and while the paint is still wet, children sprinkle opalescent or silver glitter on their creation. 

The very busy spider activities, lessons for the very busy spider, activities for the very busy spider, spider arts and crafts, spider activities, common core spiders, common core the very busy spider, spider crafts, punctuation cards, story cards for the very busy spider, free sequencing cards for the very busy spider, symmetry spiders, spider web activities, spider web crafts, spider punctuation activities, spider grammar activities, I squirt a blob of Elmer's glue wherever they want me to, and they plop a black plastic spider or fly on it.  They write their name on the little spider web Halloween tag and glue it to a corner.  

These look smashing on a bulletin board, wall, or hung back-to-back from the ceiling.  Your caption can be: "Our students and spiders have been very busy!"  Click on the link to view/print the Glittering Web craft.

spider crafts, spider activities, spider webs, the very busy spider activitiesThanks for visiting today.  Sorry this article got a bit long.  I have so much to share, so I hope you can pop back tomorrow for more FREEBIES.  Feel free to PIN away.  

"Most people see what is, and never see what can be." -Albert Einstein