1.3.b Students evaluate the accuracy, validity, bias, origin, and relevance of digital content.

Analyzing the truth behind stories

E.I #14.1: Uses senses to investigate characteristics and behaviors in physical and natural worlds and begins to form explanations of observations and exploration

Objective: Students will make observations and make connections to stories 

Measuring: In preschool it is measured in engagement, I will encourage all students to incorporate and ask questions during story time and encourage critical thinking when making observations.

Incorporating technology: students really enjoy watching the very hungry caterpillar animated version, it allows them to make connections that the caterpillars need to eat and grow before going into the chrysalis. Students also enjoyed watching a life cycle of the caterpillar on smart boards but I rely on physical stories to encourage engagement and pausing and asking questions during story time. We also use our phones to take photos of growth and students enjoy seeing the time lapse.

Read The Very Impatient Caterpillar  

I read the Very Impatient Caterpillar with my students, this story discussed metamorphosis and discussed being patient while the caterpillar has to wait in its chrysalis for two weeks.

Connections to real world

During this time we have began watching caterpillars grow, students look at the caterpillars and make connections to their growth. Students observe that the caterpillars have to eat their good to grow bigger

Connections to truth of the stories 

While caterpillars are in their chrysalis students will document the days that have passed while the caterpillars are waiting patiently. It took our caterpillars 11 days to come out of their chrysalis. Making the connection to the Very Impatient Caterpillar it took the caterpillar 2 weeks to become a butterfly. Although ours did not take the whole 14 days the students discussed that they needed to be patient and were resting and the they concluded that the story is true because they are patient. 

overall students are 3-5 years old and enjoyed this activity heavily and continued monitoring our butterflies as we fed them and released them.