Spider-Man and a spider in its web
LEFT: ENTERTAINMENT PICTURES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; RIGHT: ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH LEIGHTON; PICHIT SANSUPA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (SPIDER);
Alike and Different,

Which is More Amazing, Spider-Man or Spiders?

Choose between the web slingers!

From the October/November 2022 Issue
Lexiles: 420L
Guided Reading Level: I
Featured Skill: Comparing Texts,
Vocabulary: character, cling, awful, spinneret, prey
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.2 Main idea RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and images RI.1.7 Use visuals RI.1.9 Compare two texts RI.1.10 Read grade-1 nonfiction texts SL.1.1 Discuss grade-1 texts L.1.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to a word’s meaning
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats
  • English Language Arts
    (8) Multiple genres: literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts. The student is expected to: (B) describe the main character(s) and the reason(s) for their actions.

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Spider-Man is a superhero. He is a character in comics and movies. Spiders are real. They both have amazing powers


Amazing Spider-Man!

TRISMEGIST SAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (WALL CRAWLING SPIDER-MAN); AVN PHOTO LAB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (WALL)

Wall Crawl

Up, up, up! Spider-Man crawls up walls. His hands and feet stick. He can cling to walls.


Web Master

ENTERTAINMENT PICTURES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Spider-Man has web shooters. They are on his wrists. Shooop.


Trap That Bad Guy

Spider-Man traps bad guys in sticky webs. He stops their awful plans. Bye-bye, bad guys.

Amazing!


Amazing Spiders!

VASYL HUBAR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Wall Crawl

Spiders crawl up walls. They have eight legs and eight little feet. Their feet stick to walls.


Web Master

DAVE PRESSLAND/FLPA/MINDEN PICTURES

spinneret

Spiders make webs. The web comes from a part of their bodies called the spinneret.


Trap That Fly

Spiders trap prey in sticky webs. They catch and eat bugs. Bye-bye, flies.

Amazing!


video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Opinions

Comparing

Science Focus

Animal behaviors

Vocabulary

character, cling, awful, spinneret, prey 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS

Read-Aloud

  • Storyworks 1 provides a variety of text types and levels that you can use in different ways. One suggestion is to read “Spider-Man or Spiders?” during a whole-class read-aloud. Use the articles’ parallel structures to discuss similarities and differences between the texts.

Writing Block

  • Opinion writing is a critical first-grade standard. After reading and discussing the article during read-aloud time, you can return to it later for your writing block. Have students use the information they learned to write an opinion piece.

1. BEFORE READING

Preview Vocabulary (3-5 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are character, cling, awful, spinneret, and prey.

Set a Purpose for Reading and Preview the Article (7-10 minutes)

  • Now tell students they are going to read about Spider-Man and real spiders. They can decide which is more amazing.
  • Open your magazines to the article. Notice the pictures of Spider-Man and the spider. Which is an illustration and which is a photograph? Remind children that Spider-Man is a superhero in made-up stories and spiders are real.
  • Turn the page, and preview the parallel structure of the paired texts. Read the headings together. What do children notice about these two pages?

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (15-30 MINUTES)

  • Remind children that they will compare Spider- Man and spiders. They will decide which is more amazing.
  • Starting with the first category (Wall Crawl), discuss how they differ.
  • To finish, take a class vote. Which is more amazing? Tally their votes on chart paper. Call on volunteers to explain their choice. Make sure children back up their opinions with reasons. Help them use the word because, as in, “I think spiders are more amazing because they have eight legs.”

3. AFTER READING: FOCUS ON SKILLS

ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)

  • The Spider-Man or Spiders? printable helps kids compare and contrast using a Venn diagram.

Writing Focus: Opinion Writing (20 minutes)

  • With the Write to Nosey skills page, children can write a letter and practice sharing opinions in writing.

ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)

  • The Does It Go With Spider-Man or Spiders? skills page provides additional support.

Text-to-Speech