Notes
| Synopsis | A story about the life cycle of a butterfly. |
| Lesson access | via url-link or QR-Code |
| Equipment for child | tablet or laptop & internet connection and perhaps headphones |
| Materials | dictionary (online or paper), craft materials |
| Language Skills | listening, vocabulary (verbs), speaking (read aloud) |
| Cross-curricular Links | art, biology (life cycle of the butterfly), maths, healthy eating |
| Themes & Values | Growth and change |
| World Event Day | Learn About Butterflies Day World Food Day |
STEP 1: Look at the Cover
| Look | Describe the caterpillar on the front cover: colour, size, shape, body parts. |
| Research | What do caterpillars like to eat? |
| Personalise | What do you like to eat when you are very hungry? |
| Revise | Revise the days of the week. |
| Think | What do you the think the 50 on the front cover represents? |
Step 2 and Step 3: Listen and Watch
| Part A | Listen and watch for general understanding and enjoyment. |
| Part B | Listen and watch again and answer the questions, pause and replay when you need to. |
| Who does Eric Carle dedicate the story to? | |
| What does the caterpillar begin its life as? | |
| What does the caterpillar eat on each day of the week? | |
| How does the caterpillar feel on Saturday night? | |
| What does the caterpillar eat on the Sunday? | |
| What does the caterpillar build around himself? | |
| What happens to the caterpillar after two weeks? | |
| Name the colours you see on the last double spread? |
Step 4: Add your Voice
| Choose & Create | Make a butterfly-collage or an egg-box-caterpillar |
| Discover | Follow the colour key to discover 6 butterflies from around the world. Download |
| Research | Find out in which continents the 6 butterflies are found. |
| Think | Which country do you think Eric Carle’s butterfly lives in? (The food will give you clues). |
| Compare | Rewrite and illustrate ‘Saturday’ with foods typical of your country. |
| Discover | Watch the animation of the story. Which musical instruments and sound effects can you hear? |
Step 5: Share and Evaluate your work
| Share | Send your work to your teacher or share in your virtual classroom. |
| Evaluate | Complete the evaluation sheet to reflect on your learning. |
Need Help ?
Part A: Read and complete. You can write or say your answers. You can do this on your own, in pairs or in a class discussion.
Part B: Think about how well you did. Choose and draw the smiley face that fits best.
Learn Sign Language
If you enjoyed the read aloud, why not learn some British Sign Language (BSL). Watch Leanne sign The Very Hungry Caterpillar and learn how to sign: caterpillar, apple, plum, pear, orange and butterfly.
©Ellis, G. & Gruenbaum, T. for PEPELT 2020
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, published by Puffin Books 1994
Video © Puffin Time for Stories
Picturebooks in European Primary English Language Teaching 