
THEME: Caterpillars and Butterflies
GOAL: The purpose of this unit is to enhance the comprehension of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and to learn the life stages of the butterfly.
GRADE LEVEL: 2^nd Grade		LENGTH OF UNIT: About 2 weeks
OBJECTIVES:	ACTIVITIES:	SUBJECT:	STANDARD:
1. The students will predict what will happen to the caterpillar after he eats his way through the book. 2. The students will recall by retelling the story and what the caterpillar ate. 3. The students will interpret information in text to confirm or reject their initial predictions. 4. The students will explain major elements in text to form an understanding of the story.	I will introduce the unit by reading THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle to the class. After reading THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, students will recall what the caterpillar ate. We will practice sequencing by putting the items the caterpillar ate in the right order. This will be recorded on the board. I will then retell the story using a sock puppet caterpillar and fruit made of construction paper that has been laminated and holes cut out of the middle.	Language Arts	2nd Grade Reading Standard #2 2nd Grade Reading Standard #10 2nd Grade Listening Standard #12
5. The students will create and participate in oral and dramatic activities. 6. The students will use knowledge of sentence structure and of punctuation when reading. 7. The students will use technology to share work with others.	The students will read THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR on a Powerpoint Presentation and send it to a Kindergarten class to see and hear. The students will e-mail the Kindergarten class and ask them to reply with what the caterpillar ate in the correct sequence.	Language Arts	2nd Grade Speaking Standard #2 2nd Grade Reading Standard #6 ISTE Standard #4
8. The students will draw and label the four stages of the butterfly. 9. The students will complete a K-W-L chart.	To introduce the topic of caterpillars, the students will brainstorm all the information they know about caterpillars- -What do they look like? -What do they do? -What are they called? -Where do they live? -What do they eat? To introduce the life cycle of the butterfly, I will first collect milkweed with caterpillar eggs on them. These will be put into jars with screen on the top. The students can watch the eggs hatch and the caterpillars grow. The caterpillars will make a chrysalis and then in 10-14 days there will be monarch butterflies.	Science Science	2nd Grade Nature of Science Standard #3, #6 and #9 2nd Life Science Standard #7
10. The students will gather information and communicate with others using telecommunications.	The students will take digital pictures of the different stages of the butterfly and e-mail them to a Kindergarten class	Technology	ISTE Standard #3, #4, #5, and #6
11.(Kindergarten students will retell an experience in logical sequence)	The Kindergarten class will put the pictures in the correct sequence and e-mail them back.	Reading Science	(Kindergarten Reading Standard #9)
12. The students will be able to demonstrate their ability to identify an adjective and a noun.	I will prepare five different kinds of fruit for the students to touch and taste. I will cut the fruit into small pieces and give each student a small plate with a piece of each kind of fruit on it. We will make a chart by dividing a large piece of paper into five columns and drawing one of the kinds of fruits at the top of each column. The students will then taste one kind of fruit at a time and use adjectives to describe it. I will write their responses in the corresponding column. I will add to the chart as we taste each fruit.	Language Arts
13. The students will use technology to share work with others. 14. The students will use appropriate vocabulary and descriptive words in written work.	Students will make one PowerPoint page that will say "On (day of the week),(name of the student) ate (number)(food name). These pages wil be put together ona Powerpint book for the students to read electronically.	Technology	2nd Grade Writing Standard #17 2nd Grade Writing Standard #3 ISTE Standard #1 and #3
15. The students will measure classroom items using a paper caterpillar as their unit of measure.	The students will make a paper caterpillar and decide if their desk is 3 caterpillars log etc.	Math	2nd Grade Math Standard-Measurement #6, #7, #8
16. The students will graph their favorite fruits and compare with the other students. 17. The students will represent data in more than one way.	After tasting the fruits (above), students will graph their favorite fruit.	Math	2nd Grade Math Standard-Statistics #1
18. The students will describe the role and contribution of authors and illustrators to printed material.	The students will visit the Eric Carle Web site at www.eric-carle.com	Technology Language Arts	2nd Grade Reading Standard #2 ISTE Standard #1 and #4
19. The students will use the Internet to research the butterfly. 20. The students will identify resources which provide factual information.	Monarch Watch (http://www.keil.ukans.edu/~monarch/) Butterfly Zone (http://www2.best.com/~gardener/) Give Me A Home Where the Butterflies Roam (http://photo2.si.edu/bfly/bflyhome.html) Monarchs & Migration (http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/monarch/) Migration (http://whyflies.news.wisc.edu/006migration/main.html) Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Designing Gardens for Butterflies (http://www.gardenweb.com/bbg/butterfl.html)	Technology Science Language Arts	2nd Grade Reading Standard #16 ISTE Standard #4
21. The students will graph different kinds of butterflies. 22. The students will represent data sets in more than one way.		Math	2nd Grade Math Standard-Statistics #1
23. The students will tell the differences between a moth and a butterfly.	Students will study the differences between a moth and a butterfly using a Venn Diagram.	Math Science	2nd Grade Math Standard -Statistics #1
24. The students will count, add, and subtract. 25. The students will estimate sums and/or differences of two whole numbers and find the answers using the appropriate method. 26. The students will model problem situations in a variety of ways.	Students will form caterpillar chains by standing in two lines. They will count the arms, legs, etc. Caterpillars can be added together and then the legs added, the arms etc. Subtraction problems can be made by taking off parts (students) of the caterpillar one at a time.	Math	2nd Grade math Standard-Algebra #1 Number Sense #7, #10
27. The students will recognize words they see in print. 28. The students will associate the written word name with the numeral.	I will involve the students in language development by making word cards for the days of the week, the number words, color words, and the fruits in the story. Word cards can then be used for retelling as they become familiar with the story.	Language Arts Math	2nd Grade Math Standard-Number Sense #2
29. The students will write their own version of THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. 30. The students will distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences. 31. The students will use appropriate vocabulary and descriptive words in written work. 32. The students will use correct spelling of frequently used words in final copies. 33. The students will use the writing process to generate various forms of writing.	Students will use a book shaped like a caterpillar to write their own version of THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. I will pass out a "computer generated" piece of paper saying "If I was THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, I would eat___________. Students will fill in the blank and glue their page to a colorful circle which will be made into a caterpillar and hung on the wall.	Language Arts	2nd Grade Writing Standard #1, #3, #4, #5
34. The students will associate written words with numerals.	Students will make caterpillars out of egg cartons. After making the caterpillars, they can put then in a learning center with corresponding butterflies. The number of humps on the caterpillar can be matched to a paper butterfly with the matching number written on it.	Math Art	2nd Grade Math Standard-Number sense #2
35. The students will follow directions. 36. The students will learn the names of colors-bright vs. dull. 37. The students will learn the effect of water on washable markers. (water soluble).	Students will make butterflies by coloring coffee filters with washable markers. They will spray the filters with water after coloring so the colors run together. A clothespin will be used for the body.	Art
38. The students will gain an appreciation for music as they sing songs to reinforce what they have learned about the caterpillar and the butterfly.	Butterfly, Butterfly (Twinkle, Twinkle) Butterfly, butterfly fly away, You were a caterpillar yesterday. Butterfly, butterfly you never stay, Ever flying to a new day. Butterfly, butterfly fly away, You were a caterpillar yesterday. (written by Darlene L. Welp – Portland OR) Fly, Fly Butterfly (Skip To My Lou) Fly, fly, butterfly, fly, fly, butterfly Fly, fly butterfly, fly up in the sky so high. Flitter, flitter butterfly, flitter, flitter butterfly Flitter, flitter butterfly, flitter up and fly up in the sky. Oh my butterfly, oh my butterfly Oh my butterfly, do you always fly so high? (written by Jean Warren)	Music
	The Little Caterpillar (Itsy, Bitsy Spider) The little caterpillar crawled up into a tree, Spun his cocoon and slept so quietly, All through the winter he didn’t make a sound, He dreamt of his life when he’d be flying all around. While he was sleeping the snow did gently fall, Winter came and went, then he heard the robin’s call, “Come on Mr. Butterfly, out of your cocoon— Spread your wings and fly for me, while I sing my tune.” (written by Barbara Robinson-Huntington Beach, CA)
	Butterfly’s Life Cycle (Up on the Housetop) First comes the butterfly and lays its eggs, Out comes the caterpillar with its many legs Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin, A little chrysalis to sleep in. Oh, oh, oh, look and see, Oh, oh, oh, look and see, Out of the chrysalis, my oh, my, Out comes a pretty butterfly (Judy Nickerson)
	I’m A Little Caterpillar (I’m A Little Teapot) I’m a little caterpillar, yellow, white, and black. You can hardly tell my front from back First I eat my milkweed, then I form a “J”. Then my old skin just peels away. Now I’m in my chrysalis; I hang around all day. Out, I pop, dry my wings and fly away! (author unknown)
ASSESSMENT: I will use a variety of assessment methods in this unit. They will include a checklist, teacher observation, student observation, rubrics, fill in the blanks, reflections in journals, dramatizations, discussions, role playing and exhibits.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Bruner, Carrie. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Thematic Unit.. http://members..aol.com/cbruner1/index.html. Carle, Eric. Bulletin Board- The Very Hungry Caterpillar .eric-carle.com/bb-VHC.html.. Flag, Ann, An Extraordinary Butterfly, The Mailbox-Primary, Aug./Sept. 1998. Shaffer, Frank, Literature Notes From The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Frank Shaffer Publications, 1999. BACK

Butterfly, Butterfly

Fly, Fly Butterfly

The Little Caterpillar