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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for I’m a Caterpillar

The cover for I'm a Caterpillar Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources
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Use I’m a Caterpillar by Jean Marzollo to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

Introduce young readers to nonfiction with this informational text about the life cycle of a caterpillar. Pair this book's colorful illustrations and approachable text with these complete mini lessons to have students asking questions, identifying the author's purpose, making inferences and predictions, and synthesizing with ease.
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with I’m a Caterpillar in the drop down below.

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Asking Questions with I'm a Caterpillar

Spark your students natural curiosity about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly with Jean Marzollo's I'm a Caterpillar. Channel their curiosity into a mini lesson focused on asking questions to better understand this amazing process.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.1.1,RI.1.4,RI.1.5,RL.1.7,RI.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7D,1.13E,1.13D,1.13A,1.10E,1.9D(iii),1.9D(ii),1.9D(i),1.7F,1.7E,1.1A,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6E,1.6B,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with I'm a Caterpillar

Use I'm a Caterpillar by Jean Marzollo to work with students on identifying the author's purpose and show them that informational texts can also be entertaining! This mini lesson prompts students to stop and think about why the author wrote certain pages the way she did and what the author's reasoning might have been for writing the book.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.1.1,RI.1.2,RI.1.3,RI.1.5,RI.1.7,RI.1.8,RI.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7F,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.10C,1.10B,1.10A,1.9D(iii),1.9D(ii),1.9D(i),1.8A,1.1A,1.7E,1.7D,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6G,1.6E,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Making Inferences with I'm a Caterpillar

Because young readers usually have some background experience with the life cycle of a caterpillar, I'm a Caterpillar by Jean Marzollo is a natural fit for a making inferences mini lesson. The colorful and detailed illustrations support practicing this comprehension strategy without being dependent on the text.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.1.1,RI.1.3,RI.1.4,RI.1.7,RI.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7D,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.9D(iii),1.9D(ii),1.9D(i),1.7F,1.7E,1.1A,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6F,1.6E,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Making Predictions with I'm a Caterpillar

After every few pages in I'm a Caterpillar, author Jean Marzollo includes a u201ccliff-hangeru201d where students can predict what will happen next. Readers can then check their thinking by turning the page and discovering if their prediction was correct or incorrect.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.1.1,RI.1.3,RI.1.5,RI.1.6,RI.1.7,RI.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,SL.1.5,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7E,1.13E,1.13D,1.10E,1.10C,1.10B,1.9D(iii),1.9D(ii),1.9D(i),1.7F,1.1A,1.7D,1.7C,1.7B,1.6I,1.6E,1.6C,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Synthesizing with I'm a Caterpillar

Use the engaging life cycle of a butterfly as a springboard for comprehension strategy work focused on synthesizing. This sometimes difficult concept is made easier with this step-by-step mini lesson that has students pausing and "thinking about their thinking" while reading Jean Marzollo's I'm a Caterpillar.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.1.1,RI.1.2,RI.1.3,RI.1.5,RI.1.7,RI.1.8,RI.1.10,RF.1.1,RF.1.2,SL.1.1b,SL.1.2,SL.1.3,W.1.5,W.1.8,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7C,1.13E,1.13D,1.9D(iii),1.9D(ii),1.9D(i),1.9C,1.8C,1.8B,1.8A,1.7F,1.7E,1.7D,1.1A,1.7B,1.7A,1.6I,1.6H,1.6G,1.6F,1.6E,1.6B,1.6A,1.1D,1.1C
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Vowels with I'm a Caterpillar

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use I'm a Caterpillar by Jean Marzollo as a springboard for instruction focused on vowels.

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how words with short "i" sound (-it, -ip, -in word families) are used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with words.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.1.3,RF.1.4
TEKS Alignment
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Vocabulary Connections with I'm a Caterpillar

This set of vocabulary development resources for I'm a Caterpillar highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.1.4a,L.1.5c,L.1.6
TEKS Alignment
1.7F,1.3A,1.3B,1.3C,1.3D
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Comprehension Assessment with I'm a Caterpillar

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of I'm a Caterpillar.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with I'm a Caterpillar

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with I'm a Caterpillar. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Retelling and Summarizing with I'm a Caterpillar

The BookPagez extension activities are a great way to push student engagement beyond the pages of the text. Try using this activity with early finishers, with students who show a deeper connection with the text, or as a center activity.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Asking Questions with I'm a Caterpillar (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with I'm a Caterpillar (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Making Inferences with I'm a Caterpillar (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Making Predictions with I'm a Caterpillar (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Synthesizing with I'm a Caterpillar (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Retelling and Summarizing with I'm a Caterpillar (Spanish)

Worksheet
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About the Book

The cover for the book I'm a Caterpillar
Title: I’m a Caterpillar
Author: Jean Marzollo
Genre: Informational, Nonfiction
Themes: Animals & Insects, Spring
ISBN: 9780613137058
Publisher's Summary:
Follows a caterpillar as it changes into a butterfly, from its pupa stage through its transformation into a chrysalis, to its metamorphosis into a butterfly newly emerged from a sticky cocoon. Provides a simple explanation of what happens as a caterpillar changes into a butterfly--from the caterpillar's point-of-view.
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