Poetry Break #4

Introduction: It’s spring!! New life is all around us in the form of plants, tree blossoms, birds and insects. The butterfly is a symbol of new life and is a popular figure of spring. The Caterpillar by Douglas Florian can be read to celebrate that exciting feeling of spring fever:

THE CATERPILLAR

She eats eight leaves at least

To fill her,

Which leaves her like a

Fatterpillar,

Then rents a room inside

A pupa,

And checks out: Madame Butterfly-

How super!

Extension: Florian’s poem could be used to extend a science study on the life cycle of a butterfly. It is a great way to incorporate poetry into the content areas. Following this insect as she transforms from a larva into a pupa and finally into her adult form, the butterfly, students will enjoy listening to and reading this poem and the others in Douglas Florian’s Insectlopedia. The students, after hearing and reading it, could write their own poetry describing the transformation. Younger students could illustrate a picture that coincides with the poem. Insectlopedia would a great poetry book to read with a science unit on bugs.

Florian, Douglas. 1998. The caterpillar in Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia, 6. New York: Scholastic Inc.