Materials
Two 10' (3 m) pieces of sturdy string or lightweight rope Four chairs
Picture or drawing of a spider
Picture or drawing of a fly Tape
Instructions
1. Place two chairs side by side, approximately 2' (60 cm) apart. The chair backs should befacing the same direction, toward an open area.
2. Tie one end of each string to each chair back. Tape the picture of the spider to onechair back. Tape the picture of the fly to the other chair back.
3. Approximately 8' (2.
5 m) away, place the two remaining chairs side by side, about 3' (1 m)apart. The chair backs should be facing the pictures of the spider and the fly. Tie the tworemaining ends of string to these chair backs.
4. Have a child stand between the two strings, very close to the insect pictures. The child willlightly place fingers on both strings. The child should face the pictures.
5. The teacher or another child, standing at the other end of the strings, should lightly pluck oneof the strings. The first child has to decide if there is a spider or a fly on the string "web."6. Explain that this is how a spider knows if it has caught something on its web. The childrencan take turns playing this game.More to doMore science: Compare this kind of communicationwith the vibrations of a tin can (or paper cup) whenpart of a "string telephone."
