10 Children's Books for Theme Unit

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 

*See literature/ vocabulary project 

2. Becoming Butterflies by Anne Rockwell

This book covers the whole butterfly life cycle in a way that the students can relate to. 

3. Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison and Kevin Hawkes

This is the story about Velma Gratch trying to find something she is good at. 

4. Percival the Plain Little Caterpillar by Helen Brawley 

This story doesn't have the best theme or message in that Percival has to be beautiful to be worthy but it does have great illustrations and fun pictures for the students to see. 

5. Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel 

This story goes into the differences between and earthworm and a caterpillar and how they are so vital to each other. The worm digs into the ground so the tree can grow and produce leaves for the caterpillar to eat and turn to a butterfly. 

6. The Caterpillar and Polliwog by Jack Kent

This story is about the life cycle of butterflies and frogs and has the message of being comfortable with who you are. 

7. The Lamb and the Butterfly by Arnold Sundgaard 

This story is about the friendship of a lamb and butterfly and by helping each other they learn the differences of others and appreciate independence and freedom. 

8. Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards 

This story is about Clara who turns into a cream colored butterfly and Catisha who turns into a crimson colored butterfly. During a run in with a cow, Clara proves that being colorful and conspicuous doesn't compare with being common, content, and courageous. 

9. Caterpillar Spring, Butterfly Summer by Susan Hood 

This story using rhyming and is fun to read for young readers. Beautiful story about a caterpillar's busy day. 

10. Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert 

This story follows the cycle of four common butterflies from tiny eggs, to caterpillars, to butterflies. Has butterfly and flower facts and comes with a guide on how to plant a butterfly garden. 

Winter Math Center

Rationale:

• This activity meets standards:

• K.1.1.1 Recognize that a number can be used to represent how many objects are in a set or to represent the position of an object in a sequence.

• K.1.1.2 Read, write, and represent whole numbers from 0 to at least 31.

Materials:

• Mittens with numbers 1-10

• mittens with ten frames of dots 1-10.

Motivation:

• "Kindergarteners today I have a new math center for you to go along with out winter theme! You will have mittens with numbers 1 through 10 on them and mittens with ten frames 1 through 10 on them. You will have to match the number with the correct ten frame. When you get this done, you and a partner can play memory with the mittens. You will flip the mittens over and can pick two mittens, if they match you get to keep them and if they don't match you will have to turn them over and it is your partners turn.

Steps:

1. Lay the mittens face up.

2. Count the dots on the ten frame mitten and then find the matching number.

Memory game

1. Get with a partner and flip all the mittens face down.

2. The first person will flip two mitttens over.

3. If they match that partner gets to keep them and go again.

4. If they do not match, flip them back over and it is the other person's turn.

Bibliography:

http://blog.maketaketeach.com/mitten-match/

Weather Literacy Center

Rationale:

• This activity targets the 0.3.0.2 standard of "demonstrating an understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Materials:

• Print outs of clouds, rain drops, and lightning bolts with digraphs and pictures.

Motivation:

• "Kindergarteners, I have a new center for you today. With this one you are going to pick a cloud and math the lightining bolt and rain drops that have a picture with that sound in their name. For example, if you pick the 'th' cloud you could match the rain drop with the 'three' on it because 'three' has a th in the name."

Steps:

• First you pick a cloud.

• Then you find lightning bolts and rain drops with that digraph in the name of the picture.

Bibliography:

http://ofprimaryimportance.blogspot.com

Communication Tool

Rationale:

• The use of this tool is to help the students remember and tell their parents or guardians about what they know about caterpillars and butterflies. This will also help the students on their oral communication skill because they will have to tell the class what they did with the caterpillar the night before.

Materials:

• sock

• newspaper

• rubberbands

• pipe cleaners

Motivation:

"Kindergarteners we are going to start learning about caterpillars and butterflies this month/week! I have a new friend to introduce to you! This is Kiki the caterpillar and, she is going to help us learn about caterpillars and butterflies. You will each get to take her home with you and then come back and tell us what you did with her."

Description of project nature and use:

• This caterpillar will be introduced at the beginning of the theme unit as "Kiki the caterpillar." The students will each get to take home the Kiki for one night. They will have to talk to their parents or guardians about what they have learned about butterflies and caterpillars. They will come to school the next day and tell the class what they did with the caterpillar.

Bibliography:

Idea for caterpillar and how to make it: http://love-and-lollipops.blogspot.com/2010/05/no-sew-caterpillar-and-butterfly.html

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