The New Webs
Written by Judy Ling
Illustrations by Astrid Matijasevic
The Story
Clever spiders of
different colours
and sizes make
different webs. The
cleverest spider is
the smallest one.
Maths Ideas
Unit 12
• Surfaces are found on 3D objects. Surfaces can be flat (the top of a
shoe box) or curved (the rounded part of a tin of fruit).
• Lines are one-dimensional abstractions. Lines can be straight or
curved. Curved lines can be open (parabola) or closed (circle).
Note that things we call lines in the world around us have width as
well as length (railway lines).
Introduction
• Draw some ‘lines’ on the whiteboard or on paper.
What shapes do these lines make, do you think?
• Talk about the fact that lines can be straight, curved, open or closed.
Draw some line shapes on the whiteboard and ask children to tell you
what they are.
• Introduce the book, The New Webs.
What can you see on the cover?
What do you think spiders do when they make their webs?
• Spiders can make lines and shapes in their webs.
What shape do you think the brown spider has made on page 2?
(It is round and has no sides or corners.)
Would you say the shape has straight, curved, open or closed lines?
Why do you think the brown spider thinks he is clever?
• Go through the book and talk about all the shapes that the spiders
make. Write up all the names of the shapes.
Why do you think the little spider thinks he is the cleverest spider?
Can you find all the shapes in the little spider’s web?
• Turn to page 16.
Why else do you think the little spider thinks he is the cleverest?
• Read the book together.
© Wendy Pye Publishing Ltd 2011
Follow-up Activities
12
3
Shape Facts
Give children a collection of 2D shapes – a circle, square, triangle, oval,
rectangle and hexagon. Ask questions to find out what the children know
about these shapes.
Do you think this shape has curved or straight lines?
Does this shape have any sides or corners, do you think?
Children can draw the shapes and label them with their names.
Space
Online Activities
Story Activity: The New Webs
This activity introduces the story about the clever spiders who can make
different-shaped webs. Children help the little spiders draw the different
shapes and name them.
Activity 1: Look at Lines
Children describe the different lines and then find out what the lines can
be – railway lines, clotheslines, basketball courts and runways.
Activity 2: Make Your Own Railway
Children drag the curved and straight railway lines to make a closed
shape for the train to run on.
Other Activities
Lines on Numerals
Write up the numerals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Look at the numerals and say
which numerals have straight lines and which have curved lines.
Which numerals have open lines and which have closed lines?
Drawing Shapes
Give each child a piece of paper with a straight line or a curved line on it.
Ask the children to draw a closed shape using straight or curved lines.
© Wendy Pye Publishing Ltd 2011
Maths Language
lines
curved
straight
closed
open
2D shape
circle
oval
triangle
square
rectangle
hexagon