CATCH A WEB - MAKE A WEB
Materials needed:  Cardboard, talcum powder, white glue.
(Spider webs are extremely delicate and very beautiful.   (Eric Carle—The Very Hungry Spider).    To catch a spider web, you do have to be very careful and use gentle hands.   The hardest thing is that they are difficult to see before you and after you have preserved it, but if you can do it—it is worth it.)
First find a spider web; preferably one hanging in an open space so it will be easier for you to see.  Blow some talc over the web.   It should cover it in a fine layer.   Next. spread a layer of glue over a piece of black cardboard and carefully bring the cardboard up behind the web.  The object is to quickly, gently and carefully catch the web and stick the web to the cardboard without changing its shape—so push the cardboard against the web very gently.   Cut the web around the a cardboard so that it is no longer attached to its original supports.  To preserve the web, cover it with adhesive -backed plastic or spray it with varnish.
MAKE A WEB:
Materials Need:
Fine string or crochet thread
Liquid starch
Black paper
Place fine string or crochet thread in liquid starch.    Give each child a sufficient length.   Have each child create his/her web by manipulating  the string that has been soaked in starch  on the black paper.
WHICH COLOR  DO INSECTS LIKE BEST?
Make cardboard squares about 12 inches by 12 inches and paint them different colors: yellow, red, blue, green, pink, orange, lavender,  purple, black.  Lay the card squares on the grass on a warm sunny day.  Find out which is the most popular color by  keeping a record/chart of the insects that visit each color.
LADYBUGS
Ladybug, lady bug, fly away home,
your house is on fire and your
children are alone.
Some people think this is a warning for ladybugs because in September farmers used to burn their hop fields, which were full of ladybugs.
Ladybugs have very few enemies.  Gardeners like ladybugs—I love them, don’t you?   They eat lots of  insects that  will harm our garden plants.    While ladybugs taste very nasty to other insects, but you can make your own for snacks which are very  tasty!
LADYBUG COOKIES
For each child
! digestive 
mini chocolate chips
red, yellow or orange tinted icing (frosting)
thin black licorice
Directions: Have each  child spread a layer of frosting on the digestive.  Use a length of licorice to visually divide it in half.  Add chocolate  chips for spots and licorice for antennae.   Enjoy!

Inventing Insects
From walking sticks to lady bugs, insects have names, defenses and disguises.  Let’s make some    new insects.  Provide a large selection of arts/crafts supplies such as colored construction paper, buttons, yarn, glitter, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, felt, etc.   Ask  each child to make a model of his newly found insect/minibeast.   Give each child a large index card to write the name  of his newly discovered insect, description of its habitat, and special features.  The bigger the bugs and beasts the better!   Hang them from the ceiling and throughout the room!

Us and Them  -- excellent math reinforcement
Even though humans are very different from insects, we do have similarities.  Make a  large wall chart and complete it under the student’s direction.   After discussing  the similarities and differences that humans and bugs share, use the chart as a springboard for a math lesson and reinforcement activities.  Pose questions such as “If two insects are in a room alone, how many legs are in the room?”    “If you’re counting noses, how many would you count on three people and three insects?”  Use children as people and insects in the front of the class to “demonstrate”.