Page 3 - Kind News Teacher Guide, Sept Oct 2020

ANSWER KEY DO ACTIVITIES
ONLINE AT
KINDNEWS.ORG!
Kind Questions to discuss with students:

1 I After taking the Kind Critter quiz, think about an animal
you have at home or you 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?

Have a story to share about something
opposite page, from top: tara lenehan; raja image: bryan huff. this page, from top: tara lenehan; redrover; suman ghosh/bigstock.
kind you’ve 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.

BOOK NOOK
Our Wild Calling
How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives — and Save Theirs
By Richard Louv | Recommended for teachers and parents
This book is a must-read for anyone who wishes to inspire young people to interact
more with the natural world. Our Wild Calling explores the powerful and mysterious bonds we
share with all living creatures and how strengthening them can transform our mental, physical,
and spiritual lives. The author relays how these bonds also serve as an antidote to the growing
epidemic of human loneliness — as individuals and as a species —
and help us tap into the empathy required to preserve life on Earth.
COPYRIGHT: OUR WILD CALLING. © 2019 BY RICHARD LOUV. REPRODUCED BY Coming in
PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER, ALGONQUIN BOOKS, CHAPEL HILL, NC. paperback on
November
10!