We had a great start to our caterpillar/butterfly unit! Here is a look at the week:

Morning meeting

Simon was Star of the Week and excited to share his picture collage.  The kiddos liked his lizard and picture of his baby sister!

To begin our discussion on the butterfly lifecycle, I brought out my models of each step.  The kids took turns teaching their friends about the different stages in front of the class.  We also used our bodies to act out the life cycle.  The favorite part of the week was observing our caterpillars.  We watched them grow this week and are going to be predicting and observing what will happen next.  In journals this week, we are drawing pictures and recording our observations.

Centers

In language arts, the kids observed the caterpillars and added illustrations into their journals.  We discussed that the caterpillars will start to move to the top of the container and will hang in a J shape to prepare themselves for the chrysalis stage.  The kids have pointed out all week, “Ms. Strain, the caterpillar looks like a hook, it must be getting ready to change!” In math we did a ladybug shake and spill.  There were 2 colored cubes in a brown bag and the kids had to pick out 5 total cubes, separate the colors, and say/write the addition fact.  The fine motor center was based off the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  The kids fed the caterpillar by string the food on to a long string.

Small groups

In art we created our own 'feet' butterflies this week. The kids loved painting with their feet as opposed to our hands, and thought it was hilarious how much the paint tickled their toes!

The kids brought home Flutter this week and shared their pictures to the class. 

For Stella's birthday celebration, her big brother Matty came in to read a story to the class.  

Next week

We will continue to observe our caterpillars and watch them turn into chrysalis and eventually butterflies!