The Very Hungry Caterpillar Visits Us!!

After we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" today, we had a surprise...out popped the Very Hungry Caterpillar! He entered the classroom moving his arms and growling with hunger. Several students were given food pieces (an apple, pear, plum, strawberry, orange, etc.) to feed our caterpillar. After he had eaten all of the food, he left (with a stomachache). However, he may return someday as a beautiful butterfly.
This turned out to be an enjoyable and effortless "retelling" of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The story came to life for the children with a costume and some paper food pieces. As the VHC was "eating" his food, the children would shout out, "Now the plums, now the strawberries..." The more the students hear a story, the better they can retell it (orally and in writing). It's always a good idea to retell a story in several different ways such as finger puppets, story boards, or reader's theater. Another benefit of retelling a story is that student's response to literature (in writing) will be clearer due to their understanding of it. We have done several activities with this story this week including having the children sequence the story on a sentence strip, drawing the middle of the story (items of food the VHC ate) and adding a great beginning and ending to the story in Writer's Workshop, and retelling with picture cards but nothing topped the surprise visit from the VHC himself.