Math Project

Rationale:

• This activity meets standard, K.1.1.3 Count, with and without objects, forward and backward to at least 20. It also fits with the theme of butterflys and caterpillars because the students are counting segments on the caterpillar.

Materials:

• Caterpillar picture and number matching cards

Motivation:

• "Kindergartners, since we have been talking about butterflys and caterpillars this week I have a fun math matching game for you."

Steps:

• Students match the number of body segments on the caterpillar with the numerical number.

• To make it more difficult, could play it like memory. They turn all cards over and have to flip two over and get them to match.

Bibliographic data:

• Ideas and materials were self-created. 

Art Project

Rationale:

• This art project is a wonderful way for students to make a butterfly. This is an art project and not a craft, so it allows the students to express themselves and choose their own colors and draw the butterfly how they choose. This project also teaches the students symmetry.

Materials:

• Paper

• Scissors

• Pencil

• Paint

• Painbrush

Motivation:

• "Kindergarteners we have been talking about butterflies this week. Today, I have an art project for you to make your own butterfly. I will show you how to make your butterfly and then allow you to go make your own!"

Steps:

• "First you will take your peice of paper and fold it in half the hambuger way."

• "Then you will draw your butterfly on one half of the peice of paper keeping part of the fold line in the drawing."

• "Next, using that same side you just drew your butterfly on, you will flip it over and paint that half of the paper on the side with no drawing."

• "Then, you will fold, on the fold line, the side that is painted together with paper. So the painted side will touch the other half of the paper."

• "You will rub the paper together so that the paint gets on the other half of the paper. Then unfold the paper and lay it flat to let it dry."

• "Once the paint is dry, fold the paper back in half and cut along the line of the drawing of you butterfly."

• "Then, unfold your butterfly and look at the finished product. Notice how both sides are the same? We can this symmetry."

Bibliography:

sharingkindergarten.blogspot.com

https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view

Literature/Vocabulary Project

Title:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle

Rationale:

• By using a read aloud story with the students it engages them and helps them understand through a story what is being taught. By having the story to accompany them the students can learn vocabulary, rhyme, punctuation, sounds of letters, and can describe the pictures.

Materials:

• baggie with caterpillar picture on front

• pictures and words of things caterpillar eats in the story

• Sheet with blocks and the days of the week in separate boxes

• pictures or each student of the foods he ate

Motivation:

• "Kindergarten we have been learning about butterflies and caterpillars this week. I have a story for you called The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I am going to read the story to you and I want you to put your thumbs up when you hear words that begin with the letter 'c'."

Vocabulary: days of the week, words with c, putting words in the caterpillar

• Students recognize words the begin with 'c'

• While reading the story have the students put their thumbs up when they hear a word that begins with the letter 'c'.

• Students get a sheet with the days of the week and pictures of the foods the caterpillar eats

• Read the part of the story again about what the caterpillar eats

• Have students put the images of what he eats in the corresponding boxes on their sheet

• For example: "On Monday he ate through one apple." The students will have to put a picture of an apple in the box that says Monday.

• Center Vocabulary work

• For a center activity, students would have a plastic bag with a picture of caterpillar on the front and pictures and words of things he ate in the story.

• The students will then have to say the word and then put it in the bag like caterpillar is eating it.

Bibliographic Data:

• Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York, NY: Philomel, 1994. Print.

• Center Vocabulary Work: http://www.classroomfreebies.com/2012/04/hungry-caterpillar-activity-packet.html

• The other two vocabulary ideas were self-created.

Chart Project

Title: Butterfly

Author: Unknown

Rationale:

• This song is great for helping the students remember the steps of the life cycle of a caterpillar and butterfly. You could add in actions with the words like spin, lays, and comes out. There are also some difficult words in this song that you could discuss and help the children say.

Materials:

• Chart with the song

• pictures and letters for phonics matching

• dice

• word work sheets

Motivation:

• "Kindergarteners we talked about the life cycle of a butterfly yesterday, remind me of some of the things we talked about. Good! I have a song for you today about the life cycle of a butterfly. This will help you remember it. Also there may be some words in this song that are tough but I will help you with them and we will talk about them."

Text:

Butterfly

(To the tune of "Up On The Housetop")

First come a butterfly who lays an egg.

Out comes a caterpillar with many legs.

Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin,

a little chrysalis to sleep in.

Oh, oh, oh wait and see!

Oh, oh, oh wait and see!

Out of the chrysalis, my oh my,

out comes a beautiful butterfly!

Illustrations:

• See chart for illustrations. Illustrations hand drawn.

Literary Activities:

• Chart exploration

• Can you find the words with a capital letter?

• Can you find the words that begin with the letter 'c'? letter 'b'?

• Can you find the two letter words? three letter words?

• Are there any words that rhyme in the song?

• Phonics Matching

• Have pictures of objects and letters

• The students have to match the letter with the beginning sound of the object.

• Students play until they have all the pictures and letters matched.

• Word Work

• Students each get a dice and a sheet of paper with lines for writing and at the top there are pictures of the dots one the dice and for each face on the dice there is a word the students have to write. For example under the picture of the one dot is the word "the" and if the students roll a one the have to write "the" on the lines on their paper