Page 2 - Kind News, Parent Guide, Sept Oct 2020

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ANSWER KEY DO ACTIVITIES
ONLINE AT
KINDNEWS.ORG!
Kind Questions to discuss with children
front page, from top: tara lenehan; redrover; raja app images: bryan huff. this page, from top: tara lenehan; redrover; suman ghosh/bigstock.

1 I After taking the Kind Critter quiz, think about an animal you
have at home or have met.
• What words would you use to describe their personality?
• How might human and animal personalities be the same?
• How might they be different?

2 I After reading “Meet Apple,” think about what choices Audrey
had when she saw Apple alone.
• What choices do you have when you encounter an animal
who may need help?
Does your child have a story about something
kind they have done? Tell us about it at
redrover.org/shareyourstory.

Critter Clues FROM PAGE 7
Our mystery critter is the jumping spider.
With over 5,000 species of jumping spiders — about 13% of all spiders — they make
up the largest spider family. Jumping spiders exist all around the world and are very
adaptable, living in different types of habitats, from mountainous areas to deserts.
The jumping spider gets its name from its ability to jump long distances. Instead of
building a web, it catches its prey by jumping on it. The spider uses hydraulic pressure to
extend its legs fully by contracting muscles to increase blood flow to its legs. Because of this
special ability, it can sometimes jump up to 50 times its body length! Although the spider doesn’t
use a web, it does spin a silk line to act as a safety net in case it needs to abandon its mission mid-jump.
The jumping spider has excellent vision. It has four pairs of eyes! Although its eyes can’t move, it has binocular
vision, which allows both eyes to work together to focus on insects about 20cm away, helping the spider distinguish
between prey and danger.
Jumping spiders are much more likely to run away from humans than to bite. When they do bite, it is usually in
self-defense. Their venom is not poisonous to humans.
People’s first instinct upon encountering a jumping spider (or any spider) in their home is often to kill it. However,
having spiders inside can actually be helpful! Spiders prefer to avoid humans and are important predators in the indoor
ecosystem, catching insects. How can you counteract children’s fear of spiders? Help them learn cool facts about
spiders and why they are important members of our ecosystem. This will help them understand why co-existing with
spiders can be beneficial.

SUBSCRIPTION QUESTION? WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP YOU. PLEASE CONTACT:
KINDNEWSSUPPORT@REDROVER.ORG • PHONE: 1-877-902-9757

kind news © redrover. all rights reserved. kind news may not be reproduced in any form without written
permission from redrover. student contributions may be edited for readability. the classroom
editor, nicole forsyth; design consultant, sass studios; education advisors and edition of kind news is published five times a year, september through may. a classroom subscription,
contributors: heidi colonna, caty franco, keleigh friedrich, minhhan lam, tara lenehan, subsidized by charitable donations, is available at $30 per year and each issue includes 28 copies of
karly noel and amelia saris kind news plus a teacher guide. kind news is also available as a single-copy home subscription,
published five times a year, including a parent guide, for $10 per subscription.

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