From: “The Hidden Teacher” an essay by Loren Eiseley

"The Hidden Teacher.“ from an essay by Loren Eiseley . . I once received an unexpected lesson 2. from a spider. It happened far away on a rainy morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils, and there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whose web was moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the arroyo. It was her universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the lines and spokes of the great wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws could feel every vibration throughout that delicate structure. She knew the tug of wind, the fall of a raindrop, the flutter of a trapped moth's wing. Down one spoke of the web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on which she could hurry out to investigate her prey. Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web. Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its menacing occupant, began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had brushed claw or wing against that amazing snare would be thoroughly entrapped. As the vibrations slowed, I could see the owner fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle. A pencil point was an intrusion into this universe for which no precedent existed. Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas; its universe was spider universe. All outside was irrational, extraneous, at best raw material for spider. As I proceeded on my way along the gully, like a vast impossible shadow, I realized that in the world of spider I did not exist.

Vocabulary In line 3, highlight the noun that refers to a deep, narrow ravine, especially one marking the course of a stream or torrent. In line 3, highlight the noun that names any remains, impression, or trace of a living thing of a former geologic age, as a skeleton, footprint, etc. In line 4, highlight the verb that means to lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively. In line 4, highlight the name of the spider that is known for it’s recognizable webs and these spiders come in bright colors, different sizes, and several shapes. In line 5, highlight the verb that describes something that has been fixed firmly; secured. In line 6, highlight the noun that names a small steep-sided watercourse with a nearly flat floor. In line 6, highlight the noun that names sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, which humans and animals perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body. In line 7, highlight the adjective that describes a place that is occupied; lived in or on . In line 8, highlight the adjective that describes something as being fragile; easily damaged. In line 10, highlight the adjective that describes something that is bulky in figure; heavily built. In line 10, highlight the noun that names something extremely light, flimsy, or delicate. In line 11, highlight the noun that names an animal hunted or seized for food, especially by a carnivorous (flesh eating) animal. In line 14, highlight the adjective that describes the “occupant”. In line 14, highlight the verb that describes when something moves to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; quivers; trembles. In line 16, highlight the verb that means captured, snared, trapped. In line 17, highlight the noun that means a wrongful entry. In line 18, highlight the noun that refers to something that serves as a guide such as a tradition or a rule to go by. In line 18, highlight the verb that means encircled, enclosed within bounds; limited or confined. In line 19, highlight the adjective that describes something lacking reason, judgment, logic. In line 20, highlight the adjective that describes something as coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign. In line 21, highlight the noun that names a small valley or ravine originally worn away by running water and serving as a drainage way after prolonged heavy rains.

Loren Eiseley - from his essay called "The Hidden Teacher." . . . I once received an unexpected lesson 2. from a spider. It happened far away on a rainy morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils, and there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whose web was moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the 6. arroyo. It was her universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the 7. lines and spokes of the great wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws 8. could feel every vibration throughout that delicate structure. She knew 9. the tug of wind, the fall of a raindrop, the flutter of a trapped moth's 10. wing. Down one spoke of the web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on 11. which she could hurry out to investigate her prey. Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web. Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its 14. menacing occupant, began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had 15. brushed claw or wing against that amazing snare would be thoroughly 16. entrapped. As the vibrations slowed, I could see the owner fingering her 17. guidelines for signs of struggle. A pencil point was an intrusion into this 18. universe for which no precedent existed. Spider was circumscribed by 19. spider ideas; its universe was spider universe. All outside was irrational, 20. extraneous, at best raw material for spider. As I proceeded on my way 21. along the gully, like a vast impossible shadow, I realized that in the world 22. of spider I did not exist.

For summary… In line 1, highlight what the author received. In line 2, highlight from whom the author received the lesson. In lines 3 and 4, highlight where this lesson occurred. In line 4, highlight or underline what the author was looking for. In line 5, highlight what was “just at eye level”. In lines 6 and 7, highlight whose universe it is, and how far it extends. In line 8, highlight or underline what her great claws could feel. In lines 8-10, highlight what “she” knew. In line 11, highlight what she would do on the ribbon of gossamer. In line 13, highlight what happened when the author touched a strand of the web with his pencil. In lines 13 and 14, highlight what the spider did to the web, and what the web did afterwards. In lines 15-16, highlight what would happen to anything would brush against the web. In lines 16 -17, highlight what the author sees “the owner” do. In line 17, highlight what was an “intrusion” into the spider’s universe that was unrecognized by the spider. In line 19, highlight whose universe it is. In lines 21-22, highlight what the author realized from the experience.

"The Hidden Teacher.“ from an essay by Loren Eiseley . . I once received an unexpected lesson 2. from a spider. It happened far away on a rainy 3. morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils, and there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whose 5. web was moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the 6. arroyo. It was her universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the 7. lines and spokes of the great wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws 8. could feel every vibration throughout that delicate structure. She knew 9. the tug of wind, the fall of a raindrop, the flutter of a trapped moth's 10. wing. Down one spoke of the web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on which she could hurry out to investigate her prey. Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web. Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its menacing occupant, began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had brushed claw or wing against that amazing snare would be thoroughly entrapped. As the vibrations slowed, I could see the owner fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle. A pencil point was an intrusion into this universe for which no precedent existed. Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas; its universe was spider universe. All outside was irrational, extraneous, at best raw material for spider. As I proceeded on my way along the gully, like a vast impossible shadow, I realized that in the world of spider I did not exist.

Writing a summary… On the lines provide on the back of the text you’ve highlighted, write a 4-6 line summary of what you’ve just read and highlighted. You may refer back to the text as needed.