Lesson Plans
Insect or Spider: How Do You Tell?
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8
What to look at:
LEGS
Insects: 6
Spiders: 8
MEALS
Insects: a wide variety — some even eat plastic, paper, and lint
Spiders: mostly insects, but some even eat small frogs or mice
ANTENNAE (an-TEH-nee)
Insects: yes — that's how they smell
Spiders: no — they sense through bristles on their legs
WINGS
Insects: usually
Spiders: never
BODY SECTIONS
Insects: 3: head, thorax, abdomen
Spiders: 2: cephalothorax (seh-fuh-luh-THOR-ax), abdomen
Information adapted from Science World.
- Everything You Need:
- Subjects:Insects, Animal Structure and Movement, Spiders

