After reading about how spiders make their webs, set children free to create their own. Provide a variety of materials such as crayons and paper, yarn, plastic, square glass or clay. To add an additional element to this project, have them research the dimensions of the web of a particular spider and then create their own spider webs to scale. Students present their webs, along with a bit of information about the spider they chose, to the rest of the class.
Assign each student a different research topic or let them come up with their own. Some potential topics include specific types of webs, such as triangle webs, horizontal line webs and tangled spider webs; how spiders make silk; the types of silk spiders make and the purposes of the web. Require students to conduct their research through reputable websites or books about spiders and webs that they find in the school library.
Have students look at some questions that arise when people research and analyze spider webs. Some suggestions for topics include the effect of alcohol and caffeine on spider web building abilities, which spider web is the strongest and whether the tempo of music would affect the way in which a spider spins its web. The students will present their findings to the class or present their projects at a school wide science fair.
Show students how spider webs come into play in other fields of study. For example, have the students read "Charlotte's Web" and then investigate how intricately spiders really make their designs and if they would ever match up to the webs that Charlotte made. Have the students make some spider web crafts, and then hang up them around the classroom to act as Halloween decorations. Follow this activity up with a lesson on spider webs.