#2423. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Literature, level: Elementary
Posted Sat Nov 17 14:24:49 PST 2001 by Laura Provenza (lprov800@hotmail.com).
Brooklyn, New York
Materials Required: in leson plan
Activity Time: 35-40 minutes
Concepts Taught: sequence of events

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By: Eric Carle
Grade Level: 1

Aim: What is sequence of events? Why do we use sequencing in our everyday lives?

Behavioral Objective: After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the students will be able to place the story in its correct order of sequence. The students will be able to place any set of events (situation) in their correct order.

Motivation: The students will be given a mixed up example of how to clean their rooms, they are to place these events in the order in which they happen first, second, third and last. Then they will be given three other examples on a felt board where they are to place the pictures in the correct order.

Procedure:
Introduction:
I will introduce the book, title, author and cover. I will have the children predict what they think this book is about. I will then begin reading the book and ask the students to make predictions on what will happen next. After reading the book the students will summarize the order of events.

Guided Practice:
We will create a chart of what the caterpillar ate on all the days of the week.

Independent Practice:
I will hand out worksheets of events that occurred in the book. The children are to cut out the pictures and place them in their correct order. I will then call on some children to have them retell the story using their glued pictures.

Follow-up:
I will distribute a homework worksheet where the children are to cut and paste the days of the week in the correct order. They are to relate these days to their lives.

Closure:
A caterpillar will be previously set up with picture of the foods the caterpillar ate each day of the week. The children are to place the pictures inside the caterpillar's belly in the order in which they were eaten. Then the students will place the cocoon over him. Finally, growing into a butterfly.

Note: This lesson contains many different ingredients. It covers sequence of events, the days of the week, and the change and growth cycle of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Materials:
- picture cards
- felt board
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar big book
- worksheets
- scissors
- crayons

Summary:
1. Assessment of students' knowledge of sequencing events.
2. Formal assessment of students' understanding through the chart.
3. Formal observation of students' applied work through ordering worksheets.
4. Formal evaluation of students' ability to feed the caterpillar's belly.