Books to be used for thematic unit:

A House for Hermit Crab...ISBN #0-887-08056-1

Animals, Animals...ISBN #0-590-43640-6

Do You Want to be My Friend?...ISBN #0-694-00709-9

From Head to Toe...ISBN #0-590-22202-3

Have You Seen My Cat?...ISBN #0-689-81731-2

Hello, Red Fox...ISBN #0-590-63587-5

Little Cloud...ISBN #0-590-36805-2

My Apron...ISBN #0-590-53524-2

1,2,3, to the Zoo...ISBN #0-689-11645-3

Pancakes, Pancakes!...ISBN #0-590-44453-0

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me...ISBN #0-590-43112-9

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear?...ISBN #0-8050-1759-3

Rooster's Off to See the World...ISBN #0-590-42565-X

Thank You, Brother Bear...ISBN #0-590-25487-1

The Honeybee and the Robber...ISBN #0-590-48967-4

The Secret Birthday Message...ISBN #0-694-01148-7

The Foolish Tortoise...ISBN #0-590-46285-7

The Grouchy Ladybug...ISBN #0-06-443450-8

The Mixed-up Chameleon...ISBN #0-694-01147-9

The Tiny Seed...ISBN #0-590-42566-8

The Very Busy Spider...ISBN #0-399-21166-7

The Very Hungry Caterpillar...ISBN #0-399-20853-4

The Very Lonely Firefly...ISBN #0-399-22774-1

Today is Monday...ISBN #0-590-45908-2

Walter the Baker...ISBN #0-590-44452-2

• film dispensers chocolate cookie wafers
• yellow pipe cleaners red frosting
• black pipe cleaners colored marshmallows
• iridescent wings chocolate chips
• wiggle eyes popsicle sticks (to spread frosting)
• glue small plates
• Ziploc baggy full of items for book pages
• pre-made books glue
• crayons food stickers
• paper (to cover tables) scissors plastic sacks caterpillar clothespins center stickers butter lids popsicle sticks (for gluing) spray painted cardboard
• book icons helium balloons

About Eric Carle:

Eric Carle was born on June 25, 1929 in Syracuse, New York to Erich W. (a civil servant) and Johanna (Oelschlaeger) Carle. When he was six (6) years old, his parents moved him to Germany and he was educated there. He graduated from the prestigious art school, Akademie der bildenden Kunste, in Stuttgart. Carle enjoyed Germany, although he always dreamt of returning to America. He once wanted to build a bridge from Germany to America, because America was the land of his happiest memories. In 1952, Carle arrived in New York with $50 and a fine portfolio. Soon, he found himself working at The New York Times and later was the art director of an advertising agency. One day, Carle met Bill Martin Jr., and together they created Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? The first book that Carle wrote and illustrated himself was 1,2,3 to the Zoo. Since then, Carle has been creating his own books and also illustrating for other authors! It is said that "the secret of Eric Carle's books' appeal lies in his intuitive understanding of and respect for children, who sense in him instinctively someone who shares their most cherished thoughts and emotions"

(www.eric-carle.com). (He married Dorothea Wohlenberg in June of 1954. The two later divorced. They have two children, Cirsten and Rolf. He later remarried and now lives with his wife Barbara in Northhampton, Massachusetts.)

About Honeybees:

Honeybees have been classified as follows:

A typical small hive contains perhaps 20,000 bees and these are divided into three types: Queen, Drone, and Worker. The queen basically keeps the workers uninterested in reproduction on their own by secreting a pheromone. This chemical is spread from body to body among the workers starting with those tending the queen.

The other job of the queen is to lay eggs and this task consumes all her conscious effort. Drones are tolerated in the hive only when there is a possibility that they may mate with a queen. Thus a few are tolerated in spring and fall, more in the summer, but none in the winter. The workers keep the drones out of the hive to starve to death in the autumn. Drones, like queens, lack the body parts to effectively harvest nectar or pollen to feed themselves. Drones also lack a stinger of any kind. They are designed for mating only. Workers, as their name implies, do most of the "work" around the hive. They secrete wax from glands on the abdomen and fashion the honeycomb and broodcomb from it. This comb contains hexagonal cells large enough to hold a developing worker or drone, a small quantity of honey, or pollen. When the cells are filled with honey, pollen, or a pupa a worker caps the cell thereby sealing the contents inside. Flowers, which have evolved to attract honeybees, have optimized their flowers to increase the chance of a bee visit. The bees unwittingly carry pollen from flower to flower, thus pollinating the plants and permitting them to reproduce. Plants most successful in attracting bees and getting them to make repeat visits will out-reproduce those which are less successful. Thus flowers must both attract and reward an insect visitor.

About Ladybugs:

Most species of lady beetles are among our most beneficial insects as they consume huge numbers of plant feeding insects--mostly aphids. This fact and their attractive appearance have contributed to the generally good opinion of them held by most people. Lady beetles belong to the beetle family Coccinellidae which means, "little sphere". There are probably as many as 4,000 species found worldwide and over 350 kinds are found in North America. Most common Northeastern species can be identified by the pattern of spots on their elytra (flight wing covers). Like all beetles, the lady beetles have a complete metamorphosis with distinct egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. For many species, in the North at least, there appears to be one generation a year. Adults of one common species, the Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens Guerin), spend the winter in protected hiding places such as logs, buildings, ground covering vegetation, and the like, where many hundreds of individuals may cluster together. With the onset of spring the adults leave their winter homes and fly to fields and yards where mating takes place. The females deposit the eggs in clusters of up to a dozen per mass. The larvae hatch from the eggs in about a week and immediately start to consume aphids or other appropriate food. In a little less than a month they pupate and the pupal period lasts only about one week. When the adults emerge they too feed on aphids, but as fall approaches they may eat some pollen that supplies fat for winter hibernation. The appetite of lady beetles is quite remarkable. An adult female Convergent Lady Beetle may consume up to 75 aphids a day while the smaller male may consume up to 40. One larva may eat up to 350 aphids during its life span.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Cooking and Science

Pre-Requisites: The students will be studying ladybugs and insects.

Objectives:

1. The children will learn basic information about ladybugs.
2. The children will create their own ladybug snack.
3. The children will utilize fine motor skills (spreading, placing) in creating their snack.

Materials (for 1 ladybug per child):

• 1 T. red frosting 1 chocolate wafer
• 8 mini chocolate chips 2 mini marshmallows
• 1 small paper plate 1 Popsicle stick

Introduction: The teacher will share basic ladybug information with the children and they will create their own ladybug snack.

Procedure:

1. Hand out to each child a Ziploc bag filled with the necessary materials for creating the ladybug snack.
2. Allow each student to spread his or her red frosting onto the chocolate cookie wafer.
3. Ask that the children put the chocolate chips (for the black dots) and marshmallows (for the eyes) onto the red frosting.

Closure: Allow the students to enjoy eating the ladybug snack, while the teacher reads The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle to the children.

Extension: Have the children create a story about a "grouchy animal". The students can also play "Ladybug Math" and complete the ladybug science worksheet. The students can also practice telling and displaying time on the clocks (digital and standard) provided on worksheets.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Language Arts/Reading

Pre-Requisites: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their

own life cycles. The food pyramid will also be discussed.

Objectives:

1. The students will share information about being a kindergartner.
2. The students will create their own very hungry kindergartner book.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills (gluing, writing, and coloring) in creating their book.

Materials (for 1 "book" per child):

• Ziploc bag full of items for the book glue
• food stickers crayons
• pre-made books

Introduction: The teacher will ask the students to share information about kindergarten and the foods that they like to eat. She will also talk to the children about what foods are healthy to eat and which ones are considered "junk food".

Procedure:

1. Hand out to each child a Ziploc bag filled with the necessary materials for creating the very hungry kindergartner book.
2. Allow each student to write his/her own name on the book.
3. Ask that the children draw a picture of themselves on the first page.
4. The teacher will read the story to the children and they will have to provide the necessary information for the blanks and then glue the corresponding pictures to the pages.

Closure: Allow the students to enjoy reading their "book" to you. Then, teach the song for the days of the week to the children ("There are 7 days" to Clementine or "Sunday, Monday..." to Yankee Doodle. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to the children.

Extension: Have the children make a sock puppet for the caterpillar. The "VHK" book can also be made for the months of the year using icons or having the children draw their own pictures for the corresponding information on the pages. The students can also learn the months of the year by learning "January, February..." to Yankee Doodle. In art, the students can create "Fuzzy Caterpillar Clothespins".

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Science

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying beehives and colonies along with information about queen bees, worker bees, and honeybees.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about honeybees.
2. The students will create their own honeybee out of a film dispenser.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills (gluing, sorting) in creating their honeybee.

Materials (for 1 honeybee per child):

• film dispensers yellow pipe cleaners
• black pipe cleaners iridescent wings
• wiggle eyes glue

Introduction: The teacher will share basic honeybee information with the children and they will create their own honeybee insect.

Procedure:

1. Hand out to each child a Ziploc bag filled with the necessary materials for creating the honeybee.
2. Allow each student to create the insect using guided help from the teacher.
3. Ask that the children fly their honeybees around in a circle with the group.
4. (Optional) Punch a hole in the bottom of the film dispenser and stick a pencil in the hole. Then, the students can fly the insect around.

Closure: Read The Honeybee and the Robber by Eric Carle to the children and ask them about stealing from others. Talk about ways to be polite in "asking" for something.

Extension: Have the children create a beehive. They could also have a guest speaker talk about bees and beehives. For a discovery lesson, allow the students to use magnifying glasses and research honeycombs and beehives that a teacher can get from a beekeeper. Allow the students to create "butter in a jar" and bread in a bag. Then allow the students to taste honey on their bread and butter.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Art, Science

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their own

life cycles. The food pyramid will also be discussed.

Objectives

1. The students will learn basic information about life cycles.
2. The students will create their own caterpillar.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills (sorting, gluing) in creating their caterpillar.

Materials (for 1 fuzzy caterpillar per child):

• 5 small pom-poms 1 clothespin
• 2 small wiggly eyes glue
• 1 2" piece of black pipe cleaner folded in half

Introduction: The teacher will share basic life cycle information with the children and they will create their own fuzzy clothespin caterpillar.

Procedure:

1. Hand out to each child a Ziploc bag filled with the necessary materials for creating the fuzzy clothespin caterpillar.
2. Allow each student to glue the pom-poms together and then glue the caterpillar to the clothespin.
3. Ask that the children glue two wiggly eyes on one end of the caterpillar.
4. Dip the folded end of the pipe cleaner into glue and stick it onto the caterpillar's head.
5. Put the caterpillar on paper to dry, then have the child write their name on the bottom of the clothespin.
6. The students can attach their caterpillar to their lapel or another part of their clothing to proudly display their creation.

Closure: Allow the students to clip their caterpillar to their bag or to clothes. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to the children.

Extension: Have the children create a story about the life cycle of an animal. In art, the students will create tissue paper collages. In language arts and reading, the students will create "Very Hungry Kindergartner" books. In social sciences, the students will be reenacting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a ply for their parents. In music, the students will be learning the song "My Little Caterpillar". In cooking, the students will be creating "the hungry caterpillar in a paper cup".

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Social Sciences

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their own

life cycles. The food pyramid will also be discussed.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about life cycles.
2. The students will create a play about a "Very Hungry Caterpillar".
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills in creating their caterpillar play.
4. The students will be involved in movement and will display social skills.

Materials:

• Cardboard to cut into shapes (apple, pear, plum, cocoon, etc)
• Various paints to paint the cardboard
• Tights and a leotard (the butterfly) and wings

Introduction: The teacher will share basic life cycle information with the children and they will create their own Very Hungry Caterpillar play for their parents.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to the students.
2. Assign parts for the various foods, including every child.
3. Assign one child to be the cocoon and one child to be the caterpillar.
4. The narrator (teacher) will read the story and the children will appear when their "food" is called.
5. When the cocoon is spun in the story, the child dressed as the cocoon will appear.
6. At the end of the story, a child dressed in tights and beautifully decorated wings will appear on the stage.

Closure: Invite the parents to come and witness the story of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". The parents will be so impressed with their children's costumes (designed by the children).

Extension: Have the children create a story about the life cycle of an animal. In art, the students will create tissue paper collages. In language arts and reading, the students will create "Very Hungry Kindergartner" books. In social sciences, the students will be reenacting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a ply for their parents. In music, the students will be learning the song "My Little Caterpillar". In cooking, the students will be creating "the hungry caterpillar in a paper cup". This activity could be used as the culminating session. The students could invite their parents to see the play and they could sing their songs and serve treats based on the Eric Carle books.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Art, Science

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their own

life cycles. The food pyramid will also be discussed.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about life cycles.
2. The students will create their own tissue paper caterpillar collage.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, and coloring) in creating their caterpillar collage.

Materials:

• 12" x 18" piece of white construction paper
• several 4" circles of green tissue paper
• one 4" red circle for the head
• thinned white glue or liquid laundry starch
• paint brushes

Introduction: The teacher will share basic life cycle information with the children and they will create their own tissue paper caterpillar collage.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to the students.
2. Place green circles overlapped on the white construction paper for the caterpillar's body.
3. Add the red head at one end and brush with starch or glue.
4. Be sure that all of the edges have been moistened.
5. When dry, add details with paint, crayon, marker, tissue, or construction paper scraps or fabrics.
6. If desired, add a background of grass to white paper to cut around caterpillars and place them on a class mural or in a big class book.

Closure: Place the collages on a class mural either inside the classroom or in the hallway. Another idea is to bind the pictures into a big class book

Extension: Have the children create a story about the life cycle of an animal. In art, the students will create tissue paper collages. In language arts and reading, the students will create "Very Hungry Kindergartner" books. In social sciences, the students will be reenacting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a ply for their parents. In music, the students will be learning the song "My Little Caterpillar". In cooking, the students will be creating "the hungry caterpillar in a paper cup".

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Science and Cooking

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their own

life cycles. The food pyramid will also be discussed.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about life cycles.
2. The students will be forming and shaping dough to create the different stages of the butterfly's life cycle.
3. The students will be using fine motor skills in creating their butterflies.

Materials:

• enough dough for X students variety of buttons
• pipe cleaners wax paper
• scissors glue
• cardboard flats (enough for X students)

Introduction: Discuss the different stages that a caterpillar experiences to get to the beautiful, colorful stage of a butterfly. Ask the children to identify the different stages (egg, caterpillar or larva, cocoon, and butterfly). Today, we are going to form and shape dough to show the life of the butterfly. We will be making the caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly stages.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to the students.
2. Give each child a plastic bag with the dough inside.
3. Remove the dough from the bag (collect the bags), place on wax paper, and have the students separate the dough into three balls. Two of the balls need to be the same size and the third needs to be a little smaller.
4. Take one of the bigger balls of dough and shape it into a worm. This can be done by making lots of little dough balls and then connecting them, or by rolling the dough ball into a worm-like shape (show teacher-made example). This will first be the worm then, use it for the body of the butterfly.
5. Take the other bigger ball of dough and split it in half. Form wings for the butterfly and pinch them into the side of the body.
6. Take the smaller ball of dough and shape it into a cocoon by clasping it between your hands. It can also be shaped like a football (show teacher-made example).
7. Add the buttons and pipe cleaner for the antennae. Make sure to press the decorations firmly into the dough.
8. The teacher will bake the shapes at 350 until firm.
9. Then, when the shapes are dry, the students can paint their sculptures and let them dry flat.

Closure: Ask the children to explain to you the different stages that a butterfly experiences when developing into a beautiful butterfly.

Extension: Have the children create a story about the life cycle of an animal. In art, the students will create tissue paper collages. In language arts and reading, the students will create "Very Hungry Kindergartner" books. In social sciences, the students will be reenacting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a play for their parents.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Music and Movement

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their own

life cycles.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about life cycles.
2. The students will utilize fine motor skills in creating this caterpillar fingerplay.
3. The students will be moving with the actions of the finger play.

Materials:

• the students' bodies and hands

Introduction:The teacher will share basic life cycle information with the children and they will learn a finger play to present at their culminating assembly for their parents.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to the students.
2. Teach the students the poem and then the actions to the finger play.

Line 1 & 2: Make a fist, but extend the thumb and wiggle it forward as if crawling.

Line 3 & 4: Hold fist still, rotate in a circle, and then fold the thumb.

Line 5 & 6: Stir hand back and forth.

Line 7 & 8: Pop thumb out as head looks around.

Line 9 & 10: Place both thumbs back to back for butterfly's body and flap palms for wings.

Closure: Have the students practice this poem and then recite it for the parents on the final day of the Eric Carle unit.

Extension: In art, the students will create tissue paper collages. In language arts and reading, the students will create "Very Hungry Kindergartner" books. In social sciences, the students will be reenacting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a ply for their parents.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Art, Science

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and their own

life cycles. The food pyramid will also be discussed in depth with this activity.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about life cycles.
2. The students will create their own food group caterpillar in a Ziploc bag.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills in creating their food group caterpillars.

Materials:

• 1 Ziploc baggie per child 6 twist-ties per child
• 4 Tlbs. dry milk 10 Cheerios
• 5 dried potatoes 4 raisins
• 5 peanuts 1 M & M
• permanent marker black pipe cleaner (antennae)

Introduction: The teacher will share basic information with the students about the food pyramid. The food groups and their recommended servings will be discussed with the students.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to the students.
2. Begin by placing 4 Tlbs. of dry milk in one corner of the Ziploc baggie to represent 4 servings of the milk group. Use a twist-tie to separate the food groups.
3. Add 10 Cheerios to represent 10 servings of the cereal group. Twist-tie the section.
4. Add 5 dried potatoes to represent 5 servings of the vegetable group. Twist-tie the section.
5. Add 4 raisins to represent 4 servings of the fruit group. Twist-tie the section.
6. Add 5 peanuts to represent 5 servings of the meat group. Twist-tie the section.
7. Add 1 M & M to represent 1 serving of the sweets group. Twist-tie the section.
8. Attach a pipe cleaner for the antennae and draw a face on the baggie.

Closure: Place the "food-group" caterpillars on a class mural either inside the classroom or in the hallway.

Extension: Have the children create a story about the life cycle of an animal. In art, the students will create tissue paper collages. In language arts and reading, the students will create "Very Hungry Kindergartner" books. In social sciences, the students will be reenacting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a ply for their parents. In music, the students will be learning the song "My Little Caterpillar". In cooking, the students will be creating "the hungry caterpillar in a paper cup". During the culminating activity that the parents are invited to, have the children explain to the parents what the food groups are and how many servings a child should have per day of each group.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Language Arts/Reading

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying a unit on ladybugs and their habitats.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about ladybugs.
2. The students will create their own ladybug book to share with their classmates and families.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills in creating their ladybug books.

Materials:

• duplicate the booklet pages (1 page for each child) white construction paper
• sponges tempera paint
• paintbrushes black buttons
• black pipe cleaners green construction paper
• glue stapler
• red construction paper scissors

Introduction: The teacher will read "The Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle to the students. The teacher will also provide the students with information about the ladybug.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Grouchy Ladybug " to the students.
2. Give each child the duplicated packet of pages for their ladybug book on white paper.
3. Allow the children to make sponge prints of ladybugs in the appropriate pages of the text.
4. Make a leaf out of green construction paper and cover the ladybug on the last page with the leaf. Glue down only the stem of the leaf to create a "peek-flap".
5. Allow the students to paint their cover page for their booklet.
6. Staple all of the layers together, along the head, after they have been cut apart.
7. Glue on pipe cleaner to create the antennae.

Closure: Allow the students to share their new books with a friend. The students could also invite an older class to come to their room and listen to the Kindergartners' stories.

Extension: Have the children create a story about a "grouchy animal". The students can also play "Ladybug Math" and complete the ladybug science worksheet. The students can also practice telling and displaying time on the clocks (digital and standard) provided on worksheets.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Math

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying a unit on ladybugs and the concept of time.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about ladybugs.
2. The students will create their own grouchy ladybug clocks.
3. The students will utilize fine motor skills in creating their ladybug clocks.
4. The students will be required to begin learning to tell time.

Materials:

• white burner covers black vinyl numbers
• paint markers 1 blue arrow (minute hand)
• 1 red arrow (hour hand)

Introduction: The teacher will read "The Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle to the students. The teacher will also provide the students with information about the ladybug. The teacher will also begin presenting the math concept of time to the students.

Procedure:

1. Read the story "The Grouchy Ladybug " to the students.
2. Give each child a white burner cover for the clock face. (The teacher needs to make the black dot in the center of the clock for the students to attach their "hands" to.)
3. Give each child a set of vinyl numbers (1-12) or allow them to write the numbers on themselves with paint markers.
4. Give the students the red and blue arrow.
5. Teach them how to move the minute hand, while the hour hand remains in place.
6. Allow the children to have fun in creating the time on their ladybug clocks.

Closure: Allow the students to sit their clocks on their desks. The class could decide what time they would like to display on their clocks (a daily activity). For example, the students may want to show the time for recess or music on their clocks.

Extension: Have the children create a story about a "grouchy animal". The students can also play "Ladybug Math" and complete the ladybug science worksheet. The students can also practice telling and displaying time on the clocks (digital and standard) provided on worksheets.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Language Arts/Reading

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying an entire unit on Eric Carle and should be learning

about his life as an author.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn basic information about the life of Eric Carle, the author.
2. The students will have the opportunity to be exposed to many Eric Carle books.
3. The students will research on the Internet, the Eric Carle web site.
4. The students will be required to share something new that they have learned from the Eric Carle study, before they leave the classroom each day.

Materials:

• as many Eric Carle stories the teacher can get his/her hands on
• various activities associated with Eric Carle
• pillows, beanbags, and a reading spot

Introduction: The teacher will share basic Eric Carle information with the students and expose the students to various Eric Carle literature.

Procedure:

1. Read an Eric Carle story daily to the students.
2. Give each child the opportunity to visit the reading center on a daily basis
3. Send Eric Carle books home with the students
4. The teacher might want to have multiple copies of the various stories on hand.

Closure: Ask each child to share their favorite Eric Carle book with the class and tell why they enjoy the story. The students could also be required to share what information they located on the Internet.

Extension: Ask the children to e-mail a question to Eric Carle and share the information that they receive back with the other students in the classroom. Have the students create their own story based on their favorite book.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Math

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying an Eric Carle unit and during this part of the unit,

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?" will be used. The students will need to be familiar with various shapes and colors.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn their shapes.
2. The students will be required to learn their colors.
3. The students will create a book about the shapes and colors.

Materials:

• photocopied pages
• stapler
• crayons

Introduction: The teacher will review the colors and shapes with the students. The class will also read aloud "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?". The teacher will need to create the pages for the book (i.e. {1st page} Red circle, red circle, what do you see? {2nd page} I see a green square looking at me. Green square, green square what do you see...)

Procedure:

1. Read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?" to the students.
2. Give every child 1 of each page from the book.
3. Read the pages aloud for the students. Then, have the students read the words aloud with them.
4. Allow the children to draw the shapes and color in the shapes that correspond with the pages in the book.
5. Read the story along with the students when they have completed their books.

Closure: The teacher will provide other stories that are about shapes and colors and allow the children to explore them.

Extension: Allow the students to use shape sponges and tempera paint to practice making their shapes and corresponding colors. Ask the students to look around the room to find shapes and colors and record those on a sheet of paper. Review the lists with the students and point them out. On a daily basis, review the colors and shapes with the students.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Social Sciences (Social Studies)

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying an Eric Carle unit and during this part of the unit,

"Have You Seen My Cat?" will be used. The students will need to be familiar with various people in the school (i.e. cooks, secretary, teachers, and the principal).

Objectives:

1. The students will learn about various occupations within their school.
2. The students will be required to illustrate a picture for a class book about the principal.
3. The students will be required to visit with various people about their jobs.

Materials:

• various colors of construction paper
• Crayons
• stapler

Introduction: The teacher will invite various individuals to come and speak to the class about their jobs within the school.

Procedure:

1. Read "Have you Seen My Cat?" to the students.
2. Give every child a piece of construction paper to draw their character on.
3. The teacher should ask the students to narrate their picture and the teacher can write the information on the picture.
4. Staple the pictures into a class book.
5. Read the new book aloud for the class.

Closure: The teacher will have the principal come into the classroom and read their book about him to the entire class.

Extension: Photocopy various cat pictures and allow the students to play memory with the pictures. Have the students complete the cat match worksheet. Work with the students to find where the animals on the "Where is my home" worksheet live.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Music and Movement

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying an Eric Carle unit and during this part of the unit,

"The Very Busy Spider" will be used.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn to sing the song "The Itsy Bitsy Spider"
2. The students will be required to put the actions to the words of the song.
3. The students will be presenting this song for their parents at the end of the unit.

Materials:

• students' voices and body parts
• spider headbands

Introduction: The teacher will share basic spider information with the students. The teacher will also read another spider story to the children.

Procedure:

1. Read "The Very Busy Spider" to the students.
2. Read "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" to the students.
3. Teach the tune to the students.
4. Add the actions to go with the lyrics.

Closure: The students will practice the song and actions. Then, the students will perform the song for their parents.

Extension: The students will create spider headbands. The students in the cooking unit will enjoy a spider snack. The students will play spider math games (see attached sheet). The students will also learn the "Insect and Spider Round" to sing for their parents.

Age Level: Kindergarten Subject Area: Music and Movement

Pre-Requisite: The students will be studying an Eric Carle unit and during this part of the unit,

Any books involving insects will be used.

Objectives:

1. The students will learn to sing the song "The Insect Song" to the tune of "Three Blind Mice".
2. The students will be required to put the actions to the words of the song.
3. The students will be presenting this song for their parents at the end of the unit.

Materials:

• students' voices and body parts
• insect headbands
• word chart or pocket chart (for clues)

Introduction: The teacher will share basic insect information with the students.

Procedure:

1. Read "The Very Busy Spider" to the students.
2. Teach the tune to the students.
3. Add the actions to go with the lyrics.

4. Repeat the song, replacing the boldfaced insect name and its corresponding action word with each of these word pairs in turn: grasshoppers/hop, butterflies/flutter, little ants/run, ladybugs fly, and crickets/jump.

Closure: The students will practice the song and actions. Then, the students will perform the song for their parents.

Extension: The students will create insect headbands. The students in the cooking unit will enjoy a ladybug snack. The students will play ladybug tug-of-war. The students will also learn the "Insect and Spider Round" to sing for their parents.

Books and Literature:

Children's Literature Review, Volume 10, pp. 70-86

Copycat, September/October, 1993

Creative Teaching Press, Inc., 1992

Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults

Something About the Author, Volume 4, pp.41-43

Something About the Author Autobiography Series, Volume 6

Teacher Created Materials, 1992

The Education Center, Inc., Teacher's Helper, Kindergarten,

April/May/June, 1995

The Education Center, Inc., The Mailbox, Kindergarten,

February/March, 1993

The Education Center, Inc., The Mailbox, Pre-Kindergarten,

April/May, 1995

The Education Center, Inc., The Mailbox, Primary, June/July

1991

The Grouchy Ladybug, Eric Carle

The Honeybee and the Robber, Eric Carle

The Mailbox, Kindergarten, June/July 1998

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle

Internet sites:

www.eric-carle.com

To the bakery - Pancakes, Pancakes!; Walter the Baker

To a restaurant - Pancakes, Pancakes!; Walter the Baker

To visit a beekeeper - Honeybee and the Robber

To the zoo - Animals

To a pet store - various books

To see the big telescope - Little Cloud; Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me

To a farm - Rooster's Off to See the World

To a greenhouse - The Tiny Seed

At the beginning of the Eric Carle unit, the students will be expected to assist in creating a KWL chart with the rest of his or her classmates.

During the unit, the student's will use self-evaluation when completing projects and assignments. The teacher will also assess the students on the completion of their projects. The teacher will also take note of those students that are displaying "outstanding" behavior (whether that is positive or negative behavior).

At the completion of the unit the students will be asked to complete a "survey" that the teacher has created about the unit.

1. I completed my work. Yes No

2. I followed directions. Yes No

3. I did my own work. Yes No

4. I paid attention in class. Yes No

5. I am proud of my work. Yes No

1. My favorite activity from the Eric Carle unit was __________________.
2. The activity I found the most difficult was _______________________.
3. The activity I learned the most from was ________________________.
4. My teacher could have helped me more with ____________________.
5. My favorite Eric Carle book was _______________________________.

Literature:

"You Can Make a Collage: A Very Simple How-to Book"

"The Art of Eric Carle"

"Charlotte's Web"

The Miss Spider's Series

"The Itsy Bitsy Spider"

"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly"

Video:

Eric Carle Picture Writer

A Bug's Life

On the Farm

Disney's Under the Sea

Disney's Animal Kingdom Songs

Little Bear: Family Tales

The Jungle Book

Computer Software:

A Bug's Life Action Game

A World of Animals

Simba's Pride Active Play

Lithograph:

Butterfly Lithograph

The Juggling Caterpillar Lithograph

The bulletin boards created for this unit will be child-centered. I will display the various artwork and activities that the children complete. I will have bulletin boards in the classroom and in the hallways that will exhibit the activities.

One certain bulletin board will display the Tissue Paper Caterpillar Collages.

Another hallway bulletin board will display a caterpillar with my picture on the head of the caterpillar and the rest of the children's pictures on the following green balls.

A display of the books that we create, based on the Eric Carle books, will be shared in the reading center.

A video will be made from the assembly that will be the culminating activity for the Eric Carle unit. The parents will be given access to the video if they would like to keep one for their own personal files

At the completion of the Eric Carle unit, the students will present an open house. The students will be allowed to invite their family and friends to the school for the "Eric Carle Celebration". The students will be singing songs that they have learned, presenting plays and skits, and showing their artwork that will be displayed throughout the room and in the hallways.

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar - This book is about the food that a caterpillar eats throughout the story. The story assists the students with their counting and works with numbers.
• The Grouchy Ladybug - This book is about the feelings of a ladybug and the development of her personality. The story aids students with learning the concept of time.
• The Honeybee and the Robber - This book is an interactive story that children can pull the tabs and participate in the formulation of the story. This book allows students to observe the life cycle of bees.
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - This book is about the animals in a zoo and what they observe. This is a wonderful story to adapt to the lives of the children in the classroom. (i.e. Nikki, Nikki, who do you see? I see Heidi looking at me.)
• Pancakes, Pancakes - This book looks at the cooking element. This is a great piece of literature to incorporate into a field trip to a restaurant or bakery.
• The Very Busy Spider - This book reviews the ability of a spider to spin her web. The web is raised on the pages of the book so that the students can touch and feel the web.