ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

We have done a few spider activities one day for our popular PREDATOR CAMP. 

Venom in action!
Take a sugar cube, glue on eyes, wings, antenna, 6 legs. 
Drop it in water and watch the joy. 
Change it up by trying:
more water = more venom
multiple sugar cubes = bigger prey
hot water = stronger venom, cold water = weaker venom
to show how venom dissolves food for the slurping spider.

Pasta web!
Cook up a big bowl of pasta and put together a spider web the way a spider
does--One strand at a time. There are some great WEB sites out there that
show you "thread by thread" how different spiders make their trappings. The
freshly cooked pasta tends to be a little sticky so that is a nice effect.
It really can't be saved so it communicates the temporariness of webs-all
that work and it falls apart pretty easily. 
Note, I've done this with young kids (under 8) with less than grand results
ranging from boredom and confusion to seething frustration and vertigo but
older kids and adults love it. 

Feeding the spiders is always the BIG hit though-If your museum doesn't have
one you can put the word out to various petstores or animal clubs for a
guest feeding.

Lincoln Garrick
The Imaginarium

-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Beryl Rosenthal
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 5:01 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Spider Antics

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*

There was a traveling exhibition going around the US called "Spiders" 
maybe five or more years ago, it had hydraulics, vision simulators, 
etc.
Beryl

>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>***************************************************************************
**
>
>Hello everyone!
>
>Has anybody got any good ideas or past experiences on how to 
>demonstrate, in a fun way, some of the workings of a spider.
>
>This could cover anything that is spider related, from web building 
>to moulting,  jumping to sensing.....
>
>Also - we'd like to look at how spiders move. Has anybody ever 
>demonstrated how hydraulic pressure works and how did you do it??
>
>Looking forward to hearing from. HAPPY and PEACEFUL NEW YEAR to yous all.
>
>Naomi Knights
>Education Officer
>Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World
>
>
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
>  Send a seasonal email greeting and help others. Do good.
>
>***********************************************************************
>More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
>Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
http://www.astc.org.
>To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>[log in to unmask]


-- 
Beryl Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs
MIT Museum
265 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA  02139
Tel: 617-452-2111
Fax: 617-253-8994
[log in to unmask]
"A great place to explore ideas, invention, and innovation: 
http://web.mit.edu/museum"

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]