Have fun creating your own galaxy slime complete with glitter!

Supplies:

Useful Resources

Super Slime Editor by Sophie Parkes

The amazing slime recipes in this book are sometimes gross, sometimes sparkly, sometimes smelly, but ALWAYS loads of fun. More than 30 innovative recipes, using inexpensive, accessible, and safe ingredients, will teach you everything you need to know about how to make slime. Customize incredible Halloween and Christmas-themed slime, set off a slime avalanche, and create slime from unexpected everyday ingredients such as banana, ketchup, an egg, and even toothpaste! Every project is easy to follow, with clear step-by-step instructions and photographs, and spectacular final images to show you how your slime should look. Recipe variations provide an opportunity to put your own fun twist on the activities, and science information boxes explain the STEM behind the slime.

Amazing Makerspace DIY Slippery Slime by Cody Crane

Secrets of Slime Recipe Book: 30 projects for stretchable, squishy, sensory fun!  by Jackie Houston

Oozy, gooey, squishy, and FUN–it’s no mystery that making slime is cool. But how do you get super-duper stretchy slime? What do you need to add for jewel-toned slime? Can you actually taste yummy gummy bear slime? And will it ever come out of your mom’s hair? Kids ages 8 and up will discover these secrets and more with the fool-proof DIY recipes inside this book. First-timers and serious slimers alike will find 30 borax powder-free recipes to mix, activate, and create! Complete with a guide to making signature slimes, the Secrets of Slime Recipe Book reveals the mystery and magic of slime to curious minds

SLIME! Do-It-Yourself Projects to Make at Home

Do-It-Yourself Projects to Make at Home

Ultimate Slime by Alyssa Jagan

DIY Tutorials for Crunchy Slime, Fluffy Slime, Fishbowl Slime, and More Than 100 Other Oddly Satisfy

An engineer is someone who creates something that solves a problem.  They come up with solutions.

How does an engineer “think”?

• Ask – they ask “What is the problem and what needs to be done to fix the problem?”
• Imagine – they imagine how to fix the problem.
• Create – they build whatever they imagine to fix the problem.
• Improve – if they try something and it doesn’t work, they try again.

In this activity, you are going to be an engineer and your assignment is to build a structure out of gumdrops and toothpicks and it must be able to hold a textbook for more than 10 seconds.  This is a hard challenge and you may get frustrated, but you will learn that failure and frustration are common steps to creativity and success.  You will also learn persistence, which is trying again and again even when something is hard. Sometimes when engineers are trying to solve a problem, they often fail and feel frustrated.  But they don’t give up. They persist until they get it right. “Building a Foundation” activity comes from code.org

Materials

Instructions

Let’s apply the thought process of an engineer for “Building a Foundation.”

Resources

Junk Drawer Engineering:  25 Construction Challenges That Don’t Cost A Thing by Bobby Mercer

• Place a hold request for this item
• Ebook available on Hoopla

The projects in Junk Drawer Engineering demonstrate that you don’t need high-tech equipment to make learning fun-just what you can find in your recycling bin and around the house. Educators and parents will find this title a handy resource to teach children problem-solving skills and applied physics, all while having a lot of fun.

Cool Engineering Projects: fun & creative workshop activities by Rebecca Felix

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• Ebook available on Hoopla

Design, arrange, construct, and experiment with Cool Engineering Projects! Kids can learn how to build a colorful working catapult, assemble a simple-machine maze, and more! Each workshop project includes easy-to-read, step-by-step instructions paired with photographs. Budding craftspeople and engineers will love learning how to use the tools of the trade to make one-of-a-kind creations. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

How Engineers Find Solutions by Robin Johnson 

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Engineers know that there is always more than one possible solution to a problem! This interesting title uses accessible text and relatable examples to explain how engineers test and compare different solutions to determine which solution is best.

Engineering: Cool Women who Design by Vicki V. May

• Ebook available on Hoopla

What types of robots will the future bring? How do biomedical devices help patients? Have you ever wondered how your phone works? In Engineering: Cool Women Who Design, readers ages 9 to 12 meet three women who are working hard in the engineering field.

Cardboard box Engineering by Jonathan Adolph

• Place a hold request for this item
• Ebook available on Hoopla

A working kaleidoscope, a marble runway, a robotic hand, a flying rubber-band airplane, and a flapping prehistoric bird are just some of the ingenious projects that can be constructed from cardboard boxes, sheets, and tubes – and that are sure to excite and engage kids who love to build, tinker, and invent. 

In Hawaiian culture, there are several folktales as to how the islands themselves were created and about the volcano goddess, Pele (nps.gov).

A volcano is a mountain that has a hole in the top and opens down toward magma or molten rock under the earth’s surface. When the pressure builds up, it erupts spewing lava, gases and ash (weatherwizkids).

Where do you see a volcano typically? Well, they occur between meeting points where the earth’s tectonic plates (earth’s surface) meet up. They can also occur over mantle plumes where the rock is super hot in the earth. They can also be found underwater (natgeokids).

Volcanoes are either dormant, active, or extinct. Active means there is some kind of volcanic activity currently happening. Dormant means some activity has happened, but the volcano is quiet and extinct means that the last activity occurred so long ago, that there is very little chance of anything happening. Magma is the hot, molten rock inside of the volcano. When a volcano erupts, it spews lava which can reach over 1250℃! Which means anything in its path will get melted (natgeokids).

Ever heard of a ring of fire? In this case, we are not talking about your everyday campfire. The Ring of Fire encircles the Pacific Ocean and houses 50% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes. This ring is also home to 452 volcanoes and where 80% of earthquakes occur (weatherwizkids).

Let’s see if we can cause our own volcanic eruption with the experiment below:

Supplies:

Directions

Step 1: Fill your cup 2/3 full of water.

Step 2: Add 3-4 tablespoons of of baking soda.

Step 3: Add 1 teaspoon of dish soap.

Step 4 :  I am sitting the cup on the top of a bin to simulate a volcano, but you can just sit it on the ground, make a mountain out of sand or gravel if you really want to get creative, and sit the cup on top.

Step 5: Measure out 1 cup of vinegar (don’t add this to the cup yet).

Step 6: Give the ingredients in the cup a good stir and then pour in the vinegar until it starts foaming over pouring out like lava.

Hoopla E-Books

Volcano Rising by Elizabeth Rusch, Susan Swan

Volcanoes are a scary, catastrophic phenomenon that creates mass destruction as far as its deadly lava can reach, right? Not quite . . . Elizabeth Rusch explores volcanoes in their entirety, explaining how they’re not all as bad as they’re made out to be. Using examples of real volcanoes from around the world, Rusch explains how some volcanoes create new land, mountains, and islands where none existed before, and how the ash helps farmers fertilize their fields. Simple, straight-forward prose provides readers with the basics, while a secondary layer of text delves deeper into the science of volcanoes. Susan Swan’s bright and explosive mixed-media illustrations perfectly complement the subject matter-they depict volcanoes in all their destructive and creative glory. Complete with a glossary and list of further resources, VOLCANO RISING is a unique look at a fierce, yet valuable, scientific process.

Volcano Explorers by Pam Rosenberg

Volcano Kitchen Experiment by Meg Gaertner

Part of the Science Experiments in the Kitchen series

Engage readers with simple step-by-step instructions to create a volcano right in their kitchen. Readers are introduced to basic science concepts such as acids and bases, atoms and molecules, and elements. Additional features include a table of contents, informative sidebars and captions, a phonetic glossary, an index, information about the author, and sources for further research. A kid-friendly science experiment inspires observation and hands-on fun. Is it possible to bounce a raw egg without breaking it? Can something act like both a solid and a liquid? Engage readers in key science concepts using easy and fun science experiments that can be done right in the kitchen. STEM concepts are broken down and explained with simple text, colorful photographs, and step-by-step instructions for completing experiments. Additional features include a table of contents, informative captions, a phonetic glossary, an index, and sources for further research. Readers will enjoy actively participating in the experiments and understanding the science behind how things work. This engaging series is perfect for young scientists!

Super Simple Volcano Projects by Jessie Alkire

Science Activities for Future Volcanologists

Part of the Super Simple Earth Investigations series

Read all about volcanology in Super Simple Volcano Projects. Kids will learn about different kinds of volcanoes and how they form. Discover how scientists study volcanoes and try to predict when they will erupt. Then, build an erupting volcano, create a volcano landscape, and more. Each project has color photos and easy‑to‑follow instructions. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Applied to STEM Concepts of Learning Principles. Super Sandcastle is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Welcome To Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park by Teri Temple, Bob Temple

Part of the National Parks series

A tour through Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park introduces the park’s flora, fauna, topography, history, weather, and attractions. Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Crater Rim Drive, Captain Cook, and Polynesian influences are all discussed, including the legend of Pele. Additional features to aid in comprehension include a table of contents, informative captions and sidebars, detailed maps, map legends, a phonetic glossary, sources for further research, and an index. America’s national parks preserve some of our country’s most unusual and beloved natural wonders. Our National Parks series gives readers the opportunity to discover each park as if they were visiting it in person–taking a guided tour from one end of the park to the other, with important landmarks, plants, animals, and historical highlights called out at every turn. Additional features to aid comprehension include a fast facts section, detailed maps, highly informative sidebars, a phonetic glossary, an index, an introduction to the author, and sources for further research.

Hawaii Volcano Of 2018 by Shannon Berg

Part of the 21st Century Disasters series

This book explores the cause, impact, and aftermath of the volcano that erupted in Hawaii in 2018. Easy-to-read text, compelling photos, and a simple timeline give readers an age-appropriate look at how people prepare for and respond to volcanoes.

Picture this:  You see two people meet up. Person 1 passes Person 2 a few sheets of paper. They both leave in opposite directions. Another person bumps into Person 2, who drops the sheets on the ground. One sheet lands at your feet and the other sheets are picked up by Person 2, who then leaves in a hurry. You pick the sheet of paper up and notice it is blank… or is it? 

Did you know that there is a way to write without leaving a trace? Invisible Ink!

The invisible ink experiment that we will conduct below is based on something called oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of electrons. Specifically, the reaction gains oxygen and loses hydrogen (kidzsearch).

When iron is left outside and exposed to the air (which has oxygen in it) or exposed to water (which also has oxygen in it), you get oxidation, or in the case of the iron that is left outside, you get rust (study.com).

The invisible ink experiment that we will conduct below is based on something called oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of electrons. Specifically, the reaction gains oxygen and loses hydrogen (kidzsearch).

Oxidation also occurs when fruits and vegetables are exposed to air. Ever seen apples go brown? Lots of fruit juices like lemon juice, for instance, go brown when exposed to air or hot air. That is oxidation (scientificamerican).

Supplies:

Step 1: Pour/Squeeze lemon juice into a bowl.

Step 2: Dip the q-tip into the bowl.

Step 3: Write your secret message.

Step 4: Allow your paper to dry completely.

Step 5 : Let an adult help you with this step as things can get really hot and burn you.

Gently heat your paper with the heat source (I used an oven burner) to reveal your message. 

Librarian Tip: You may want to try out vinegar or milk as secret message mediums.

Hoopla E-books

Making Things Change by Gary Gibson

Spy Gizmos and Gadgets by Susan K. Mitchell

Spy Technology by Ron Fridell

Nick and Tesla’s secret agent gadget battle : a mystery with spy cameras, code wheels, and other gadgets you can build yourself by Bob Pflugfelder

Have you ever wondered why we don’t all fall off the earth? What is holding us down so we don’t all float away? How do rockets get into space? How do objects stop moving or start moving? Let’s dig into some laws of physics to find out! 

A long time ago a guy named Sir Isaac Newton discovered 3 ideas that had to do with the physics of motion. They were tested and verified many times and have become known as Newton’s Three Laws of Motion (physics4kids).

Newton’s 1st Law: 

An object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion unless a force acts upon it (physics4kids).

This is a fancy way of saying if something is not moving, it won’t move until you do something to it. For example: A rock sitting on the top of a hill will not roll down it unless it is pushed. Or a rock won’t stop moving until it runs into a tree at the bottom of the hill. 

Newton’s 2nd Law:

The greater the mass of the object, the more force is required to accelerate the object (ducksters).

What is mass? Mass is the amount of matter in an object or anything you can physically touch (coolkidfacts). Basically, it is going to take a great amount of force to move a large object, like say a sofa, and very little amount of force to move a feather. This also means the harder you hit something, the farther it will go. Goal, anyone?

Newton’s 3rd Law: 

For every force there is an equal and opposite reaction or force (physics4kids).

For example: To launch a rocket into space, there has to be a force that pushes up (the engines of the rocket) as the force of gravity (that force that keeps us from floating off the earth) is pushing down. For the rocket to leave earth, the force of the engines must be greater than the force of gravity trying to hold the rocket to earth, otherwise the rocket will just stay on the ground.

Supplies:

Instructions: 

Step 1:  Tie one end of string to a door knob or chair.

Step 2: Pull out 6-10 feet of string so that the rocket has a good bit of string to travel on.

Step 3: Feed the string through the straw.

Step 4: Tie off the free end of the string to another chair or object.

Step 5: Blow up the balloon (you may need an adult to help you with this) and hold end together, do not tie it off.

Step 6: Carefully tape the balloon to the straw.

Step 7: Let go of the balloon and watch how far/fast it travels the string.

Step 8: You may want to try different angles with the string just to see what happens. For instance, what happens if the balloon has to go up the string? Does it go faster if the string is angled down?

Hoopla E-Books

Sir Isaac Newton by Fernando Gordon

Scientists can change the world! Sir Isaac Newton’s experiments helped us understand mass. This title introduces budding scientists and engineers to Sir Isaac Newton whose discoveries changed the course of science. Photos and illustrations bring the stories of this great mind to life, and a quiz lets readers test their newfound knowledge. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Applied to STEM Concepts of Learning Principles.

Makerspace Projects For Understanding Newton’s Laws Of Motion by Barbara Martina Linde

In this detailed guide to Newton’s laws of motion, readers will be encouraged to take learning into their own hands with three engaging makerspace projects. Young scientists will gain an understanding of the importance of these principles in scientific endeavors and in everyday life. They’ll also learn about Sir Isaac Newton and how he discovered the laws of motion. Detailed instructions and colorful photographs will help students complete the projects and make connections with the new information they are learning.

Forces And Movement (Push, Pull, Fast, Slow And More) by Baby Professor

Let’s get moving, and learn the science behind it, too! This book is an adrenaline-pumping and mentally-stimulating educational resource that your child would love to own. It explains in detail the dynamics of actions but without confusing your child with big words. It’s basically physics taken down to the level of a 2nd grader in order to ensure interest and full understanding. Secure a copy today!

An Introduction To Mass And Weight 3rd Grade by Baby Professor

Let’s get moving, and learn the science behind it, too! This book is an adrenaline-pumping and mentally-stimulating educational resource that your child would love to own. It explains in detail the dynamics of actions but without confusing your child with big words. It’s basically physics taken down to the level of a 2nd grader in order to ensure interest and full understanding. Secure a copy today!

Let’s Explore Gravity by Walt K. Moon

What are the differences between mass and weight? It’s something that you can calculate! At third grade, your child is moving towards the more difficult aspect of physics. The purpose of this book is to make the shift as smooth and easy as possible. Pick a copy for your child, especially if you notice him/her struggling with the subject.

Science Lab: Motion And Forces by Rebecca E. Hirsch

What are the differences between mass and weight? It’s something that you can calculate! At third grade, your child is moving towards the more difficult aspect of physics. The purpose of this book is to make the shift as smooth and easy as possible. Pick a copy for your child, especially if you notice him/her struggling with the subject.

Web sites Used:

• Cool Kids Facts: Mass and Weight
• Ducksters: Physics 
• Physics4Kids: Newton’s Laws of Motion

Join us on Wednesday, December 23 at 2 p.m. for a fun filled session of Advanced STEM Club where we will learn even more about The Internet of Things (IoT) and get to do a fun project together! 

What is The Internet of Things?

The following information is from Britannica and Kids Code CS. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects dumb devices like refrigerators to the internet and uses software to connect them to our daily lives.

Can a car talk to a house? In the future, your car might tell your house that you are five miles away and please turn on the lights and warm up the house.

This is an example of an idea called the “Internet of Things” or IoT. Because wi-fi networks have become so common, dumb objects like refrigerators, washing machines, and cars can include internet access with software to make use of the internet connection.

For example, if you scanned in your groceries as you put them in the refrigerator, and pulled them out for use, each item could tell the refrigerator what it was, its expiration date, and other useful information. The refrigerator could collect and organize this information to send you. You might get emails with recipe ideas, for example, based on what food you have. Or an email with a grocery shopping list.

In the bigger less personal world, imagine water and gas pipes that notified your town when they had a leak. Or sensors in the woods that notified firefighters of a fire.

The Internet of Things has at least these elements:

• Sensors to detects inputs from the world around them.
• Software to look at sensor data then follow rules to make decisions about how to respond to data.
• Software to manage the operation of a device which includes one or more sensors.
• An internet connection to transmit and receive data and instructions from other devices.

For example, your refrigerator might have:

• A barcode scanner (sensor) to scan all food you put into it.
• Software to evaluate scanner data about food stored in the refrigerator and make decisions about expiration dates, recipes, shopping lists, and other useful tasks to save you time.
• A basic operating system to run the barcode scanner and the software evaluating data from the scanner.
• An internet connection to help the software evaluate data and follow rules to make decisions about the barcode scanner data. For example, the refrigerator might use the internet to look up recipes or email you a shopping list based on when food expires.

How It Works:

The IoT uses data and information in diverse ways and then communicates via wired and wireless protocols, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Near Field Communication (NFC). That framework allows people and systems to share media and content as text, audio, or video; monitor and control events remotely; and interact with others through mobile devices and other systems, such as gaming devices. The IoT has introduced capabilities as diverse as monitoring the brakes on a train from a central dashboard many miles away to booking a dining reservation or summoning a taxi through a smartphone app.

Two basic types of connected devices exist: digital-first and physical-first. The former consists of machines and devices specifically designed for built-in connectivity, such as smartphones and streaming media players as well as agricultural combines and jet engines. Digital-first devices generate data and communicate with other machines, a link that is often referred to as machine-to-machine communications (M2M). Physical-first devices consist of objects that include a microchip or a sensor with communication capabilities. For example, a book or a key chain may contain a chip that allows a person to track it as it moves. In addition, people communicate through the IoT, using social media, crowdsourcing, and other voice- and data-communication methods.

Additional Resources:

• Wonderopolis
• Kiddle
• Wired

They sparkle, they shine, and chances are you can find quite a few even in your own home…  What are these sparkly things you ask? Why crystals of course!

A crystal is an organized grouping of atoms or molecules. (science kids) These organized groupings fit together in a pattern and the matter or material is always a solid.(ducksters)

How do crystals form? Well the process of forming a crystal is called crystallization. 

When liquids cool and harden they stabilize in a repeating pattern. When lava cools sometimes we get emeralds and rubies and diamonds.(ducksters) Check out your parents or siblings jewelry as most often those stones are used to make fancy jewelry pieces.

If water evaporates from certain mixtures it forms crystals.(ducksters) Go check out your kitchen for this crystal which you can find in your salt shaker. Salt is a crystal as well and is used to season and preserve food.

When it snows, water freezes high up in the clouds and snowflakes or crystalized water is formed. Each snowflake has 6 sides but everyone is unique. (ducksters)

The flat surfaces of the crystals called facets may form geometric shapes such as triangles, rectangles or squares. (ducksters)

Resources used in this post:

• Ducksters: Crystals
• Science Kids at Home: Crystals

STEAM Lab: Grow Your Own Crystal Snowflake

Supplies:

Instructions:

Step 1:  Cut your pipe cleaner into 3 equal pieces.

Step 2: Hold the pieces together and twist at the center to join them together.

Step 3: Wrap one arm around your pencil and test the fit in the glass jar or container (it should not touch the sides or bottom. So you may need to trim your snowflake. After doing this take the snowflake out of the jar and set it to the side.

Step 4: You will need an adult for this as you will need to heat water: Heat water over the stove or in the microwave so that it is very hot or boiling. In order to have the right mix of borax to water remember it is 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of water (I used 2 cups of water for my crystals so 6 tablespoons of borax).

Step 5: Pour the hot water carefully into the container and then add your borax to the water.

Step 6: Stir the water until the borax dissolves. A small amount of undissolved borax at the bottom of the jar is ok.

Step 7: Hang the snowflake in the liquid making sure that it does not touch the bottom or sides.

Librarian Tip: You may need to add string make sure the snowflake is completely covered in the solution.

Step 8: Set the jar out of the way overnight to let the crystals grow. 

Step 9: Remove the snowflake from the jar the next day and let dry and you should have pretty crystals!

Resources

Crystals by Rebecca Pettiford

Crystals by Patrick Perish

Diamonds by Christine Petersen

Salt by John Perritano

Studying Snowflakes by Joseph Otterman

Fall is here and that means brightly colored leaves of red, yellow, or orange and piles of leaves to rake and jump in. Did you ever wonder how the bright green leaves of spring and summer give way to the fabulous colors seen in the fall?

Any tree that changes the color of its leaves and eventually loses them is called deciduous and those are the trees that we really like looking at in the fall. These trees go through a cycle every year where they put out new green leaves in the spring and then in the fall they change color and fall to the ground for us to rake or jump in. (Kidzone)

The trees that don’t lose their leaves in the fall are called evergreens and they have needle type leaves or leaves that stay green like your pine trees and your holly trees. (Kidzone)

Believe it or not there is an actual purpose for the leaves on a tree other than our enjoyment in the fall.  Trees take energy from the sun, water from the ground and carbon dioxide from the air which helps them make glucose or sugar which they use as food for their survival to grow into great big trees. (Kidzone)

The leaves use photosynthesis to help with the making of food, which requires chlorophyll which is the stuff that makes the leaves green in the spring and summer. 

When the seasons start to change and it gets colder out it is harder for the chlorophyll to make the food that the tree needs for those leaves to stay green. So the tree starts using the food that it has already stored up. And when the tree starts using that food gradually you see the leaves start to change color and those fall colors start showing up. They were there all along just masked by the chlorophyll in the leaves. (Conversation)(Kidzone)

Websites Used

• CuriousKids: Why Do Leaves Change Colors?
• KidZone: Autumn Leaves

1. Choose a leaf and turn it over so the veins are facing up.

2. Place a piece of paper over the leaf.

3. Select a crayon and begin rubbing it over the paper.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have completed a rubbing of all of the leaves you have collected.

5. Label each rubbing with the name of the tree the leaf came from.

6. Then clip the sheets together and you have a neat booklet of the trees in either your yard or neighborhood that you have collected.

Leaves by Grace Hansen

Tell Me Why: Leaves Change Color by Linda Crotta Brennan

Exploring Leaves by Kristin Sterling

Why Do Leaves Fall From Trees? by Ruth Owen

Spiders, they are everywhere! And no wonder since there are over 40,000 different species of them worldwide, except for Antarctica.

Spiders are not insects or bugs, they are called arachnids. Which means 2 body segments and 8 legs with 6 joints each. That means spiders have 48 knees! They also do not have antennae or wings. 

The front segment of the spider is called the cephalothorax, which is where the eyes are located. The back segment is called the abdomen, which contains spinnerets. Spinnerets produce the silk used to make webs and catch prey. Spiders have an oil on their bodies that helps them not stick to the webs they create.

The silk that the spiders create has many uses other than the webs that we see. It is used to wrap their eggs up to keep them safe, wrap up their dinner, ballooning which is a way that spiders move around by attaching one end of a web to something and letting the wind take them away! They also use it to make the webs that we see outdoors and, occasionally, indoors. The silk can be sticky, stretchy or dry depending on what it is being used for. Spiders recycle as well by eating old or damaged webs!

Spiders hunt prey by catching them in their webs, jumping out at their prey or coming out of a trapdoor. If they are using a web, they find the prey stuck in the web by feeling out the vibrations in the web. Spiders eat by using their fangs to bite the prey and paralyze it and since spiders don’t have teeth they turn the insides of the prey into liquid and use their fangs like straws and drink their dinner.

Spiders are harmless to humans for the most part and in the United States, there are only two species of spiders that can be poisonous to us. They are the black widow and the brown recluse.  Spiders are not harmless to each other though, sometimes the females will eat the males usually after mating. Females can lay between 2-1000 eggs at a time (that is a lot of baby spiders)!

Spiders are also featured in myths and nursery rhymes. Little Miss Muffet was interrupted by a spider while eating during a nursery rhyme and Arachnae is a greek myth about how spiders came to be. 

Step 1: Tape or glue the construction paper to the tube. 

Step 2: Roll the tube so it is completely covered and tape or glue the paper down.

Librarian Tip: If you are using glue you may want to let it dry for 15 minutes before trimming.

Step 3: Trim off the excess paper using the scissors.

Step 4: Using the single hole punch, make four holes along the side of the tube. Repeat this for the other side.

Step 5: Stick one end of the pipe cleaner in one of the holes and feed it through until it pokes out of the hole on the other side. Repeat until all 4 of the pipe cleaners have been used.

Librarian Tip: You may wish to twist the legs together to keep the legs from falling out of their assigned holes.

Step 6: Either glue on or peel and stick the googlie eyes to your spider.

Step 7: Spider is ready to go! Take photos of your new spider in various places if you want.

Tarantula Spiders by Claire Archer

Spiders by John Wood

Tell Me Why by Katie Marsico

101 Amazing Facts About Spiders by Jack Goldstein

Spider Life by Leslie Dinaberg

Websites Used in Making This Spooktacular Spiders Blog Post:

• KidZone: Spider Fact Index
• Science Kids: Spiders

• Well a plant starts as a seed that you plant in the ground. Then that plant grows and produces a flower and then that flower gets fertilized and produces a seed and the plant dies back.
• Seeds can come from your fruits and veggies like the pumpkin seeds that you scoop out of your pumpkin on Halloween, acorns are also seeds that grow and turn into oak trees and the sunflower seeds you may put in your bird feeder can be planted and give you a sunflower plant.

(flower power pumpkin seeds)

(flower power acorns)

• Not all plants grow from seeds, some plants come from a bulb. They are typically planted in the fall and come up in the spring like daffodils or tulips. Bulbs contain the whole life cycle of the plant and the part you see above the ground are the leaves and the flowers.

(flower power bulbs)

(flower power daffodils)

• All plants need three things to survive: Water, Soil and Sunlight
• Perennials are plants that come back every year which means that you don’t have to plant them every year. Such as columbine, primroses and our state flower the black eyed susan.

(flower power columbine)

• Annuals are things you have to plant every year such as pansies, marigolds and morning glories.

(flower power pansies)

Flowers by Rebecca Pettiford

Flowers Bloom by Nancy Robinson Masters

Learn About Seeds by Golriz Golkar

Exploring Seeds by Kristin Sterling

Websites used for information: