The Very Hungry Caterpillar Lesson

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Lesson

• By Heather Gaughan
• EDR 315

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Goal Objectives

• Goal
• The goal of this lesson is to engage young
  readers in a story by actively
• participating in the reading experience and
  respond to literature.
• The students will
• Actively participate in making predictions
  throughout the story.
• Become familiarized with the days of the week.
• Learn how a caterpillar transforms into a
  butterfly.
• Given the materials the students will create
  their own butterfly.

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Materials

• Teacher Materials
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Student Materials
• Clothespins
• Coffee filters
• Water color paints
• Paper plates
• Paintbrushes
• Magnets
• Cups
• Newspapers

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Standards

• English Language Arts
• 1) Language of Literacy Response and Expression
• Students will respond to the text orally and
  make predications before
• we start the book
• 2) Language for Social Interaction
• a. Students will share information and discuss
  the illustrations within
• the book. We will use these observations to
  create a poem about
• caterpillars.
•  
• 3) Social Studies
• Social Studies civic, citizenship, and government
• a. After reading the book, we will discuss the
  migration on butterflies.

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Anticipatory Set Procedure

• I will make flowers out of construction paper
  with a students name on each. I will place them
  on the floor in a circle, and ask the students to
  flutter as if they were butterflies to their
  assigned flower, or seat for story time.
•  
• 1. Have students sit on the floor in a circle for
  story time.
• 2. As I introduce the book, I will show the front
  cover to the students.
• 3. ELA1 We will engage in pre-reading
  questions
• What do you think the book is about?
• What are caterpillars?
• 4. ELA 2(4-8) Throughout the story questions
  will continue
• Have you ever seen a caterpillar? Where?
• What colors are there?
• How big is a caterpillar?
•  
• 5. I have selected three different pages to ask a
  question
• What day do you think will come next?
  (pg.4)
• What else do you think the caterpillar
  will eat? (pg.6)
• What will happen when the caterpillar is
  full? (pg.8)

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Procedure cont

• Students will have the opportunity to ask
  questions throughout the story.
•  
• Students will read familiar words and tell the
  different colors.
• As a class we will use the Language Experience
  Approach and formulate a collective poem about
  caterpillars from the information we had just
  gathered from the story.
• ELA 3 I will then ask the students during what
  seasons do they typically see butterflies in
  nature. This will lead me into discussing their
  migration. In the colder months the butterflies
  we see migrate, or go on vacation south to
  warmer areas, such as South America.

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Guided Practice

• Have several students pass out materials for the
  activity.
• Give each student a newspaper to cover their
  desks.
• Pair students to share the paint.
• Give directions for making a butterfly.
• Model example of my butterfly.
• Assist students who need help.
• Put the butterflies in clothespins with students.
• Attach the magnet strip to back of clothespin.

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Monitoring and Adjusting

• As an enrichment activity for the gifted students
  I will ask them to research an area where
  butterflies migrate. They will need to find the
  location, temperature, and one thing unique about
  the environment. For the struggling students we
  will engage in an activity that reviews the days
  of the week.

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Closure

• Review story with students.
• Can anyone tell me what the story was about?
• Can anyone tell me the days of the week in the
  correct order?
• Students share their butterflies with the class.

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Assessment

• I will assess the students through the classroom
  activities we engaged in during this lesson.
  Through the poem we create, the conversation
  throughout the story, their ability to correctly
  identify days of the week and colors, and also
  their independent practice will provide me with
  the information I need to assess whether they
  have grasped the concept.

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Reflection

• Did the students enjoy the activities?
• Was this book effective in reinforcing concepts
  they have already learned?
• Did the discussion of butterfly migration engage
  the students?
• Should I of further extended this concept of
  migration into a whole lesson?
• Did the students actively participate throughout
  the lesson?
• Did the students see connections between the
  caterpillars growth and their own?

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Independent Practice Follow Up

• Students will create a short story with words and
  pictures describing what they like to eat on each
  given day of the week.
• During science time we will discuss the parts of
  the butterfly and label them on a worksheet.