The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle

Activity One – Vocabulary Introduction Targeted Skill(s):

Vocabulary development

Instructions: Prior to reading the story, pre-teach the vocabulary terms that are essential to comprehension of the

story. Suggested vocabulary terms to be pre-taught are listed below. Write the vocabulary term on a large piece of paper, demonstrate the sign for the vocabulary term, and use the illustrations from the book to provide visual aides. Request that the children sign the vocabulary term with you. The use of a calendar may be helpful in describing the days of the week. Vocabulary Terms:

Materials:

List of vocabulary terms

Large piece of paper

Marker

Calendar

Photographs of each sign (attached)

egg caterpillar apple pear plum

strawberry orange cake ice cream cone pickle

cheese salami lollipop cherry pie sausage

cupcake watermelon stomachache cocoon butterfly

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday Saturday

Activity Two – Syllable Detectives Targeted Skill(s):

Phonological Awareness (syllable identification)

Instructions: Ask the children to recall the six vowels. If children struggle, list a variety of letters on a large piece of paper, allow children to guess, and take turns circling the vowel sounds. Show children the magnifying glass and explain that each word has a different number of syllables. The children should be encouraged to take on the role of the “syllable detective” and presented with the challenge of “searching and finding” the correct number of syllables within the words. Explain that in order to find the number of syllables, the following steps must be taken. List these steps on a large piece of paper for the children to refer to.

Count the vowels in the word.

Subtract the silent vowels.

When two vowels are side by side, subtract one vowel.

The number of vowels you see is equal to the number of syllables in the word!

Distribute one card and one clothespin to each child. Ask the children to identify the vocabulary term on the card. Instruct the children to identify the number of syllables in the vocabulary term and clip a clothespin on the corresponding number. If clothespins are unavailable, use alternative objects and methods to identify the number. For example, children may tape a piece of paper to the number, place a bingo chip on the number, or simply point to the number. Request that the children share their re-sponses with one another. Children should agree or disagree. Provide positive reinforcement through verbal praise for both correct and incorrect responses. For instance, “Yes, I see three vowels in the word butterfly, there are no silent vowels, and there are no vowels next to eachother. You must be right, there are three syllables in butterfly” or “Do you see two or three vowels in strawberry? Let’s count to-gether…strawberry, one, two, three. There are no silent vowels and no vowels next to eachother. How many syllables are in strawberry?” provide the children with an explanation for why their response is correct or incorrect with an encouraging approach. Materials:

Large piece of paper

Marker

Paper magnifying glass

Picture cards

Clothespins (alternative objects to be used as markers)

Activity Three – Butterfly Life Cycle Mobile Targeted Skill(s):

Sequencing

Instructions: Explain that the life cycle of a butterfly includes four stages. Ask the children to recall the events of the story. Ask specific questions related to the sequencing of the story such as, “how did the story begin,” “what hatched from the egg,” “what did the tiny caterpillar become after he ate and ate and ate,” “what did the very fat caterpillar build,” and “what did he become once he found his way out of the cocoon?” Distribute a copy of the Life Cycle of a Butterfly Handout and discuss the four stages of the life cycle of a butterfly (i.e. the egg stage, the larva stage, the pupa stage, the adult stage). Explain to the children that they will create a mobile illustrating the life cycle. Supply each child with one paper plate, markers, one template, scissors, glue, and five pieces of string. As a group, complete each step listed below in the order in which the stages occur. Be sure to take advantage of all opportunities to relate the life cycle of a butterfly to the sequence of the story. Step One: Draw a spiral on the paper plate. Cut along the line. Step Two: Decorate the paper plate using markers. Step Three: Color the leaf green and cut it out.

Step Four: Color the egg light green, yellow, or leave the egg white, cut, and paste to the leaf. Step Five: Color and cut out the caterpillar. Step Six: Color and cut out the pupa. Step Seven: Color and cut out the butterfly.

Step Eight: In sequential order, tape the stages of the butterfly’s life cycle to string and then to the paper plate. Tape a piece of string to the top of the paper plate in order to hang the mobile.

Materials:

Large sheet of paper

Marker

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Handout

Paper Plate

Templates (attached)

Markers

Scissors

String

Tape

Glue

Vocabulary Term

Definition

Description of the Sign

egg

• a shell from which the caterpillar emerges

• point the index and mid-dle fingers outward

• place the ring and pinky fingers and thumbs on the inside of the palms

• place the inside surface of the ring finger of one hand on top of the out-side surface of the index finger of the opposite hand

• move both hands down-ward and outward

caterpillar

• wormlike larva of a butterfly

• turn the palm of one hand outward

• point the index finger of the opposite hand

• in an up and down, re-petitive motion, move the index finger from the wrist to the tip of the opposite hand

apple

• round, red, yellow, or green fruit from a small tree

• place one hand in the fist position

• point the index finger and bend halfway at the knuckle

• place the knuckle next to the corner of the mouth

• twist the wrist forward and backward

pear

• a greenish-brown round fruit that becomes thinner and thinner toward the stem

• point the index finger of one hand and turn the hand to the side, with the palm facing toward the body

• draw the fingers of the opposite hand from the bottom to the tip of the index finger

plum

• a small round purplish-blue fruit

• fingerspell (p-l-u-m)

strawberry

• a small red fruit containing many small seeds

• touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb

• lift the middle, ring, and index fingers upward

• place the tips of the thumb and index finger next to the corner of the mouth

• flick the index finger forward

orange

• a small orange fruit which may be sweet or sour

• place one hand in the fist position

• place the inside of the fist next to the corner of the mouth

• move the fingers in a “squeezing” motion

cake

• a sweet, baked, breadlike food

• begin with the palm of one hand placed in front of the body with the palm facing upward

• with the palm facing downward, place the tips of the thumb and fingers of the opposite hand on the opposite palm

ice cream cone

• a thin cone holding scoops of a sweet, frozen treat

• place one hand in a fist position

• raise the fist to the mouth

• with the mouth slightly open, move the fist in a downward and outward motion, pretending as to “lick an ice cream cone”

pickle

• a cucumber that has been soaked in flavoring

• create the “p” handshape with the thumb and index and middle finger of one hand

• place the tip of the index finger next to the corner of the mouth

• repetitively move the wrist inward and out-ward

salami

• a type of sausage with added flavoring

• connect the two hands by touching the tips of the thumbs to the tips of the index fingers

• place both fists in a fist position in front of the body

• begin with the inside surfaces of the fists touching

• continuously squeeze as the fists are moved toward opposite sides of the body

lollipop

• a piece of hard candy attached to the end of a small stick that is held while the candy is licked

• place one hand in a fist

• point the thumb and index finger outward

• touch the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger

• raise the hand to the mouth

• with the mouth slightly open, move the fist in a downward and outward motion, pretending as to “lick a lollipop”

cherry pie

• a pie made of cherries

• point the pinky of one hand

• place the tips of the thumb and fingers of the opposite hand around the tip of the pinky creating the illusion of a “cherry on a stem”

• twist the hand (“cherry”) slightly outward and inward

• face the palm of one hand upward

• squeeze the thumb and fingers of the opposite hand together

• place the outside edge of the hand on the hand of the palm facing upward

• repetitively move the hand backward toward the body, creating the illusion of “cutting pie”

sausage

• meat with added flavor

• place both fists in a fist position in front of the body

• begin with the inside surfaces of the fists touching

• continuously squeeze as the fists are moved to-ward opposite sides of the body

cupcake

• a very small cake • begin with the palm of one hand placed in front of the body with the palm facing upward

• with the palm facing downward, place the tips of the thumb and fingers of the opposite hand on the opposite palm

watermelon

• a large, round, and juicy fruit which is green on the outside and reddish-pink on the inside

• point the index, middle, and ring fingers of one hand (the tips of the thumb and pinky will touch)

• lift the hand to the chin with the outside of the index finger touching the chin

• make the opposite hand into a fist position and place the hand on top of the fisted hand

• place the tip of the mid-dle finger on the tip of the thumb

• flick the middle finger away from the thumb

cheese

• food created from milk

• often yellow or white in color

• Spread the thumbs and fingers of both hands

• Place the palm of one hand facing upward and place the palm of the opposite hand on top

• Move the wrist of the top hand left to right in a “squashing” motion

stomachache

• pain in the stomach • point the index fingers of both hands

• position the fingers in front of the stomach

• twist the wrists as the fingers are moved toward and away from one another

cocoon

• a silky covering serving as protection for an insect as it de-velops

• point the index finger of one hand

• touch the tips of the thumb and fingers of the opposite hand, creating an “o” handshape

• slightly bend the index finger

• move the finger into the “o” handshape in an up and down motion

butterfly

• an insect with a slen-der body, two anten-nae, and large wings

• spread the fingers of each hand

• turn the palms toward the body

• wrap the thumbs around one another

• slightly bend the fingers back and forth as the hands are elevated upward and diagonally

Sunday

• the first day of each week

• begin with the fingers of both hands spread apart

• turn the palms away from the body

• move the hands away from one another in a repetitive, circular motion,

Monday

• the second day of each week

• create the “m” handshape

• move the hand in a circular motion

Tuesday

• the third day of each week

• create the “t” handshape

• move the hand in a cir-cular motion

Wednesday

• the fourth day of each week

• create the “w” handshape

• move the hand in a circular motion

Thursday

• the fifth day of each week

• create the “t” handshape

• create the “h” handshape

Friday

• the sixth day of each week

• create the “f” handshape

• turn the palm toward the body

• move the hand in a cir-cular motion

Saturday

• the seventh day of each week

• create the “s” handshape

• move the hand in a circular motion

1. egg

2. caterpillar

3. apple

4. pear

5. plum

6. strawberry

7. orange

8. cake

9. ice cream cone

10. pickle

11. salami

12. lollipop

13. cherry pie

14. sausage

15. cupcake

16. watermelon

17. cheese

18. stomachache

19. cocoon

20. butterfly

21. Sunday

22. Monday

23. Tuesday

24. Wednesday

25. Thursday

26. Friday

27. Saturday

Syllables

apple

2

4

3

butterfly

1

3

2

cake

1

3

2

caterpillar

3

5

4

cheese

1

3

2

cherry pie

2

4

3

cocoon

1

3

2

cupcake

1

3

2

Egg

1

3

2

ice cream

1

3

2

lollipop

2

4

3

orange

1

3

2

pear

1

3

2

pickle

1

3

2

plum

1

3

2

salami

1

3

2

sausage

2

4

3

stomachache

1

3

2

strawberry

2

4

3

watermelon

3

5

4

The female butterfly lays

an egg on a plant.

Stage 1:

The egg stage

The egg hatches and the

larva (caterpillar) appears.

Stage 2:

The larva stage

The caterpillar eats

leaves and in order to

grow. As the caterpillar

grows, the skin becomes

too small and begins to

split off revealing new

skin below. This occurs a

few times. Once the cat-

erpillar has grown to a

good size, it attaches to a

twig or leaf by creating a

little silk pad. The cater-

pillar’s skin splits one last

time. The wings and legs

of the butterfly are

formed inside.

Stage 3:

The pupa stage

The chrysalis splits and the

butterfly comes out.

Stage 4:

The adult stage

(Miers, J., 2000)