10.24.2007

Daddy Longleg Controversary

We had a daddy longleg controversary at our house. On Sunday, I sent M* and her dad up to the computer room to find a spider to do her report on. The Daddy Longleg came up. C* announced that a Daddy Longleg was NOT a spider. I asked my husband to double check. So the two filled out the paper on the daddy longleg spider.


Monday rolls around and M* comes home fussy. She had watched a movie and a Daddy Longleg is NOT a spider...so she learned. Tuesday morning comes and I'm googling DaddyLongleg sites. It's questionable. By the end of the morning, I decided that non-biologists tend to call several species of bugs by the generic name of "daddy longlegs." True Daddy Longlegs are arachnids but NOT spiders. There is, of course, a Daddy Longleg Spider. Although my husband insisted she could still present the report as is...I said, "No. She would have to defend that thinking to her teacher. And she is too young."

It is now Wednesday...yes...I've posted a lot today. But right now, she is working on a new spider report...on the Cellar Spider. And then it hit me. The worksheet she has to fill out never saids the word spider...calls everything an arachnid. But describes them in terms as a spider.

So, actually, the teacher is wrong. If we were base the project on an "Arachnid," then any daddy longlegs is absolutely correct. But the teacher is looking for a spider.

She should have used the word SPIDER...not arachnid. B/c there are arachnids that are not spiders.

Controversary settled...play the blame game. hehe.


But now DD is done and we have to go to the dollar store to buy "stuff" to make a 3d model.


Edited: The dollar store was a bust. But we were creative and here is McK's Cellar Spider.


6 comments:

My Paper World said...

That searching sounds like hard work! Great story, have fun at the dollar store!

Lorie said...

You go mom! That is a great spider!

Anonymous said...

OH my goodness girlie this spider is sooo cute ... Love al the eyes Hee! Hee!
xoxox
Dawn griffith

jodene said...

I love the spider you made!! Too cute.

Rochelle W said...

Dawn,
I can't seem to find your e-mail address. can you e-mail me your mailing address.
Rochelle

Michelle VP said...

What a wonderful spider you created! Very clever. :)