Third Graders Enjoy "Spiders Alive!" Exhibit on Halloween

On October 31, the third grade boys visited the American Museum of Natural History's creepy, crawly, "Spiders Alive!" exhibit. Julia Kingsdale, science teacher, reports: "The exhibit featured 16 of the most interesting and dangerous spiders of the world alive on display, including the enormous Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, one of the largest spiders in existence, and the elusive Trapdoor Spider, which makes a trapdoor in the soil and catches its prey by jumping out at them. The boys were also lucky to observe a demonstration with a live tarantula hosted by one of the museum's arachnid experts."

Ms. Kingsdale added, "In preparation for their visit, each third grader researched one particular spider from the exhibit, including its habitat, how it catches its prey, its markings and more, and shared his findings with his classmates. At the museum, the boys had the opportunity to ask the exhibit experts questions about their species to supplement their research. The boys (and their teachers!) loved the exhibit, and we are grateful for this wonderful resource to complement our classroom study of spiders and insects!"

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