Smart Goal Paper

C is for Caterpillar C is for candy and cabbage, crickets and caterpillars! Engage emerging readers with a fun story about a friendly caterpillar

Grade Level: PK-1

SKILLS: fine motor skills, gluing, letter recognition, phonemic awareness

GOALS: Students will identify names of objects that begin with the letter c. Students will understand that all living things have a life cycle. Students will create a colorful caterpillar.

Set up and prepare:

• Content Overview Begin the lesson by writing the letter c on the board  and demonstrating the sound.
• Next ask them if they can think of any words that begin with the letter. A great way to start this discussion is by calling out any names of students that begin with the letter C. Introduce the book Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards to the students and ask them if they see any c words in the title.
•  Explain that the author uses many c words throughout the book. Challenge the students to listen carefully for c words they hear as you read the story.
•  Read the book aloud to the students. When you’ve finished, ask them what c words they remember.
• Explain that you will read the book again and you want them to clap (another c word) when they hear a word that begins with c.
• This integration of listening and physical activity is a great strategy to engage more than one part of the brain and reinforce phonemic awareness. Read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar aloud to the students.
•  Discuss the life cycle of the butterfly and explain that all living things grow and change over time.
• Introduce the word metamorphosis to the students and explain the meaning in the context of the story. How are the two books similar? How are they different?

Preparation: Cut the pipe cleaners into segments about an inch long. Provide each student with a variety of pom-poms and jiggly eyes.