LESSON 4 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Along Came a Spider
by Robert Hirschfeld
Fountas-Pinnell Level J
Nonfiction
Selection Summary
People may be afraid of spiders, but most spiders are not dangerous.
Unlike insects, spiders have eight legs. Most spiders use silk from
their bodies to make webs that catch insect food. Spiders hatch from
eggs, and molt as they grow. Most spiders eat insects, but some
large spiders eat birds and lizards.
Number of Words: 257
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Nonfiction
• Organized by topic, such as silk, eggs, molting
• First and last pages on same topic
• Some compare/contrast structures
• Characteristics of spiders
• Spiders are different from insects.
• Spiders have interesting ways of finding food and growing.
• Fear of spiders is an overreaction.
• Some second-person pronouns: Do spiders scare you?
• Literal comparison: as big as plates
• Mostly short, simple sentences, with phrases
• Compound sentences with but to point out contrast
• Pronoun this refers to preceding sentence: This is how some spiders get their food. This
keeps the eggs safe. This is called molting.
• New terms, such as silk and molting, explained in context
• Unfamiliar use of word balloon (silk strands that carry spiders aloft)
• Mostly one- and two-syllable words
• Words with suffixes: dangerous, scary, sticky
• Color photographs
• Nine pages with text and photos, some with captions
• Each sentence begins on a new line.
• One- and two-line sentences
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Along Came a Spider
by Robert Hirschfeld
Build Background
Help children use their knowledge of spiders. Build interest by asking questions such as
the following: Where can you see spiders? How can you tell that a spider is a spider?
Read the title and author. Have children point out details in the cover photograph.
Introduce the Text
Guide children through the text, noting important ideas and nonfiction features. Help
with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so that they can read the text successfully. Give
special attention to target vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Tell children that this book gives information about spiders.
Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Spiders scare some people, though most
spiders are not dangerous. Do you think the spider in the photo is dangerous?
Why do you think it will or won’t hurt a person?
Page 3: Have children count the legs on the spider shown. Spiders have eight legs,
but insects have six. How can you tell that this animal is NOT an insect?
Pages 4–5: Point out the insect caught in the web on page 5. Some spiders make
webs using sticky silk from their own bodies. What happens because the silk is
sticky?
Page 6: Turn to page 6. Spiders don’t have wings, but can hold onto silk as a
breeze carries them through the air, like someone riding a balloon in a gentle wind.
How would the breeze carry the spiders?
Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to find out about spiders.
Target Vocabulary
breeze — a light, gentle wind,
p. 6
dangerous — not safe, possibly
causing harm, p. 2
fountain — a jet of water for
drinking, p. 10
Grade 2
insects — animals with six legs
and three body parts, that may
have wings, p. 3
judge — v., to decide what you
think about something, p. 2
screaming — v., making a loud,
high-pitched noise, p. 10
sticky — attaching easily to
something, p. 5
scare — to make someone feel
afraid, p. 2
2
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Read
As the children read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that
supports their problem-solving ability.
Remind children to use the Summarize Strategy
themselves what they are learning as they read.
, and stop to tell
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite children to share their personal responses to the text.
Suggested language: Would you use the word scary to describe spiders? Why or
why not?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help children understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Most spiders are not dangerous.
• People have some mistaken
ideas about spiders.
• The author’s attitude is that
spiders are interesting.
• Spiders have remarkable
abilities.
• The photos show tiny things
close up, to help readers see
them in a new way.
• Spiders have eight legs and
make silk with their bodies.
• Spiders use their webs to catch
insects.
• Spiders hatch from eggs and
molt as they grow larger.
• Fear of spiders is an overreaction
by most people.
• Some photos have captions that
explain what is shown.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite children to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind them
to use their voices to show how interesting the information is.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the children’s reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind children to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Remind children that words can have endings added to them.
Have children find the words scare and scary on page 2, and tell how the words are
alike in meaning. List these words for children to read: scared, scaring, scares.
Grade 2
3
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Writing about Reading
Vocabulary Practice
Have children complete the Vocabulary questions on BLM 4.1.
Responding
Have children complete the vocabulary activities on page 11. Remind them to answer the
Word Teaser on page 12. (Answer: rotten)
Reading Nonfiction
Nonfiction Features: Photos Remind children that nonfiction has many features to help
readers find and understand important information. Explain that nonfiction books show
things in real life, and photographs are a good way to show real things.
Tell children that books about animals may include photos called close-ups, which make
the animal seem larger than it is in real life. Close-ups help readers see details that would
be hard to see in a tiny animal like an insect or a spider.
Use the photo of the garden spider on page 3 to point out that a real-life garden spider
has a body that is only about one-half inch long. Have children examine the photo to point
out details, such as the bands and joints on the legs, the different sizes of legs, and the
two body parts (head/thorax and abdomen). Then ask children to choose another close-up
photo and list details they notice in it.
Writing Prompt: Thinking About the Text
Have children write a response to the prompt on page 6.
Assessment Prompts
• Complete this sentence: On page 2, the word judge means __________.
• On page 5, which words help readers understand the meaning of sticky?
Grade 2
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Check regularly on child’s oral reading to determine accuracy,
fluency, and comprehension.
Cognates Spanish-speaking children may recognize the similarities between brisa and
breeze, and insectos and insects.
Oral Language Development
Check children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: Point to the spider.
Speaker 1: How is a spider different
from an insect?
Speaker 1: How are spiders born?
Speaker 2: (points, may say, This is the
spider.)
Speaker 1: Point to the web.
Speaker 2: (points, may say, This is the
web.)
Speaker 1: Point to the insect.
Speaker 2: They hatch from eggs.
The mother spider has wrapped
the eggs in a silk sack.
Speaker 2: A spider has eight legs, and
an insect has six legs.
Speaker 1: What do spiders use to make
their webs?
Speaker 1: How do spiders grow?
Speaker 2: They molt. That means
they take off their old skins that
are too tight, and they grow a
new skin.
Speaker 2: They use silk from their own
bodies.
Speaker 2: (points, may say,This is the
insect.)
Lesson 4
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 4.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Along Came a Spider…
Target Vocabulary
Vocabulary
CSFF[F
EBOHFSPVT
JOTFDUT
KVEHF
SPUUFO
TDBSF
TDSFBNJOH
TUJDLZ
Read the question in each box below. Write a Target
Vocabulary word that could be used to answer each question.
You can use more than one vocabulary word in a box. Then
write an answer in each box using one of the words in it.
"OTXFSTXJMMWBSZ1PTTJCMFSFTQPOTFTTIPXO
What might you see or feel
outside?
What is something people do?
CSFF[FJOTFDUT
TDSFBNJOHKVEHF
5IFSFBSFJOTFDUTPVUTJEF
5IFQFPQMFXFSFTDSFBNJOH
What do spiders make?
What might you see or feel in a
dark, old house?
TUJDLZ
TDBSFEBOHFSPVTSPUUFO
4QJEFSTNBLFTUJDLZXFCT
5IFEBSLSPPNTTDBSFNF
Read directions to children.
Target Vocabulary
Grade 2, Unit 1: Neighborhood Visit
¥)PVHIUPO.JGGMJO)BSDPVSU1VCMJTIJOH$PNQBOZ"MMSJHIUTSFTFSWFE
Grade 2
5
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Name
Date
Along Came a Spider
Thinking About the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one paragraph.
What does the author think of spiders? How do you know? Use details from
the book in your answer. Do you agree with the author’s opinion about
spiders? Why or why not?
Grade 2
6
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Lesson 4
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 4.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Along Came a Spider…
Target Vocabulary
Vocabulary
breeze
dangerous
insects
judge
rotten
scare
screaming
sticky
Read the question in each box below. Write a Target
Vocabulary word that could be used to answer each question.
You can use more than one vocabulary word in a box. Then
write an answer in each box using one of the words in it.
What might you see or feel
outside?
What is something people do?
What do spiders make?
What might you see or feel in a
dark, old house?
Grade 2
7
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Student
Lesson 4
Date
BLackline master 4.23
Along Came a Spider • level j
Along Came a Spider
Running Record Form
page
2
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Self-Correction
Rate
Some people are afraid of spiders. Some people are not. Most
spiders are not dangerous. Do spiders scare you? This person
does not judge spiders as scary.
3
This is a garden spider. Count the legs on this spider. Spiders
are not insects. Insects have six legs, but spiders have
eight legs.
4
Spiders make webs from silk. They make the silk with their
bodies. The silk comes from a special body part.
5
Some spider silk is sticky. Insects fly into the silk and get stuck
in the web. They cannot get away. This is how some spiders
get their food.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/99 × 100)
(# errors + #
Self-Corrections/
Self-Correction)
%
Behavior
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 2
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cat
cut sc
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat
ˆ
1413765
1:
Error
1
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