We wanted to extend this a bit-and see where our kinders minds take us next. So we decided to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Most people know about this book-if you have been living in the dark-STEP INTO THE LIGHT! It's super. While teaching about the life cycle of a butterfly, it also carries a bunch of other teachable topics. There is opportunity to learn counting and the days of the week, there is potential to discuss nutrition, whats healthy vs. whats unhealthy and the effects it will have on our bodies
It also opens the window of opportunity to discuss self esteem with the children. That is why it is one of my favourite stories to read to my own children. I love conversing with them about transforming from a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, about how everyone has the opportunity-even people who start out as "unremarkable caterpillars", to realize their full potential and become amazing, beautiful, complex beings, just like the butterfly.
Well I read it to the kinders based only on the fact that we have our own caterpillars transforming in our classroom currently. I was hoping they would make the connection to our discovery center-and they did!
They also noted-that our caterpillars looked differently then the very hungry caterpillar. Ours are yellow and black striped, Eric Carle's is green with a red head! Only 2 weeks into the school year and their observational skills are blossoming!!
To extend this a little-we provided the class with materials at our production center (arts and crafts), to make their very own hungry caterpillar. They had brown paper bags, scissors, a picture of a caterpillar, grocery flyers, and glue. This is what they made:
A little grocery shopping bag for the caterpillar with whatever the children thought he would like it eat!
Also, all the caterpillar and butterfly talk seeped out into the other centres.
We had noticed that many of our children need help with their cutting skills. They were wanting to use scissors and we know how great that is for them to practice, but we were using SOOOOO much paper. So we opened up playdough, and only put out scissors to go with it. They would cut that playdough until the cows come home.
I overheard 2 children sitting, and cutting playdough, building a caterpillar.
Some spectacular sounding out of the word Caterpillar by one of our kiddos! Along with an awesome drawing of the very hungry caterpillar! :) We are making huge steps towards success already! They are learning through playing with the chalk!
And finally-two of the journals. We don't as a rule make the children do journals, but we leave them open on our Graphic Communication table (writing center) and allow them to come and go as they please. Most of them do it without being asked-sometimes we put the bug in their ear to inspire them! We have science journals and writing journals. These masterpieces are part of our science journals!
The top one a cocoon, and the bottom one, of course a beautiful Monarch! :) I am loving the interpretations of whats happening in our room!
We are Krazy for Katerpillars in Kindergarten. (hmmmm...sounds like a bulletin board.)
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