Grouchy Ladybug - Literature Based Unit Study

by Carolyn Wilson

The Grouchy Ladybug by ERIC CARLE

	Specific Topics Related to the Book
	Insects- all ages Telling Time- age 4-8 Dealing With Angry Feelings, Bullies & Forgiveness-all ages Connections to religious teachings-all ages
	General Topics Related to the Book
	Size Serration age 3-5 Animal Life-Habitat-Species-age 5-12 Literary Comparison- age 8-12 Gardening- all ages Reading & Language Skills- all ages
	Fun with the Arts
	Music Poetry & Literature Drama Mixed Media Creations

SPECIFIC TOPICS

INSECTS

1. Materials needed:

· At least one illustrated book about the characteristics of insects such as INSECTS OVER 300 FACTS for CURIOUS KIDS

· A colorful diagram (Entomology for Beginners) showing several kinds of insects and listing these characteristics which are common to all insects:

1. Legs, some of which may be used for special skills such as grasping prey or food, swimming and jumping
2. Main parts of its body, the head, thorax and abdomen
3. A pair of feelers or antennae at the top of the head
4. A skeleton or hard outer covering called an exoskeleton which protects its insides
5. May have 2 pairs of wings ,one pair or no wings at all

· Art supplies such as markers, crayons, scissors, blank paper of various sizes, cardboard or tag board

· A tape measure, yardstick, ruler, pencils and note paper

2. Materials suggested: (Tobin's Lab)

· Several rubber or plastic insects which can be purchased cheaply at any toy, science or novelty store

· A magnifying glass

· Containers such as clear plastic jars with lids for collecting insects

· Small nets with handles

3. Insect Activities:

· Read or introduce characteristics of insects then ask students to name types of insects. Check each suggestion to determine if it meets the characteristics common to insects.

· Take an insect walk. Take along the magnifying glass and collection materials

· Draw insects in a science journal. Older children can label the parts of the insect (head, thorax, abdomen, wings, etc.)Younger children can write the name of the insect on the drawing. The youngest children can dictate the name of their insects to an older writer.

· Older children can be instructed on how to collect, kill and display insects. Several days or weeks should be allowed for this project. (Insecting Collecting Techniques, 4-H Entomology Unit1---An Introduction to Insects and Their Relatives, Making an Insect Collection, Entomology Unit II---More information about insects and insect collecting.)

· Younger children can develop an ant farm using the inexpensive, commercial kits (Tobin's Lab)

· Use the rubber or plastic insects for:

1. Counting-
2. 1. Create groups of 5, 10, 20, & 100
   2. Use insects to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication & division
3. Sorting-by color, by wings \no wings,
4. Sand play
5. Other games
6. 1. Mystery bag
   2. Insect Safari Give each child an insect and ask them to find an identical one to create a pair, matching insects can be hidden in the room or given to other children

· Compare an insect to a spider. List the differences and the similarities.

Insects & Spiders (Looks at Series)

· Use art materials to create insects to decorate the walls, make cards or costumes for dramatic play. Older children can partner with younger children to design and create costumes. Older children can be assigned to make an insect costume for a younger child. If the assignment is to make antennae the circumference of the head must be measured so that the headband will fit properly. Of course this activity can be extended to making fabric costumes which will involve the following or creation of patterns. Make available an assortment of scarves, fabric pieces and clothes pins.

· Independent reports can be assigned to individual, partners or teams. Visit the library or use on line or home encyclopedias for research. Suggestions for topics are: Helpful Insects, Deadly Insects, Making Honey, How A Wasp Makes Paper, The Life Cycle of a Butterfly .

· Using Live Insects in Elementary Classrooms and Acres of Insects.

· Insect Books

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TELLING TIME

1. Materials needed:

· A clock which can be manipulated by the children so that they can demonstrate a particular time when asked. These can be purchased cheaply at teacher supply stores or at a toy store. Keep it simple to avoid possible complications and distractions. Of course the clock can also be homemade but be sure it is sturdy enough for frequent use! Designing and creating the clock would be a great assignment for 7-12 year olds!)

2. Materials suggested:

· A variety of clocks, alarm clocks, digital clocks, clocks that chime, watches and at least one clock which can be taken apart

· A sun dial

3. Telling Time Activities:

· Read The Grouchy Ladybug and use the manipulative clock to demonstrate the various times in the story.

· After reading the story use the clock again to show different times of the day and to discuss the activities associated with those times.{7:00 am waking up, 9:00 am starting lessons 12:00 lunch, etc.)

· Introduce the clock and all of the numerals. Introduce the time in hourly increments at first. When children are able to identify the hour then you can count the minutes on the clock.(Have at least one large clock with 60 minute marks which the children can see as you point and count). After you have counted all 60 minutes on the clock begin at the top of the hour, saying, "This is one o’clock. This is five minutes after one o’clock. Who can show me ten minutes after one o’clock?" Repeat until you have gone through fifty five minutes after the hour. State the times by saying, "It is three -fifty or fifty minutes after three o’clock." Questions for older children can include: "Why is 1:30 called half past the hour?" "Why is 2:15 called a quarter past the hour?" "Why is 1:45 called a quarter of two?" Tell them to count the minute marks to discover the answer.

· Older learners can create a clock using Roman numerals.

· Keep a time diary for the day. Begin by setting an alarm to ring on the hour. When it rings make a note or drawing of what is happening at the time. After the learners grasp the concept of hourly time then they are ready to ‘read’ the clock and identify different increments. At this point stop at the beginning or end of a new activity and record the time. Illustrate with a clock. Older children can keep individual diaries or one learner can be selected to keep the diary for the group. An older learner can draw three or four clocks, each on a different page and each showing a different time. The child should draw an activity which is appropriate for the depicted time of day.

· Younger children (5-7) can fill in blanks on incomplete clocks. Older children can draw the entire clock face. Children 5 and above can glue on the clock face numerals. Children six and over can cut out the numerals.

· Place a sundial outdoors. Visit it a various times of the day to observe and discuss differences.

· Telling time is a form of measurement. Ask the children to list other things that we measure and tools we use to measure. Ask older children to discuss or write about the reasons telling time was invented. Create a story about a day without time. What happens to friends who want to meet to play? How do children know when to turn on their favorite TV show or go to their swimming lesson. This is a great opportunity for a story starter!

· Have the learners list a favorite meal or snack for various times of the day. Create recipes for these items. Schedule a time to cook and eat. Older learners can help in planning the budget for grocery shopping. A great software resource for cooking with children is Someone’s In The Kitchen by DreamWorks.

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ANGRY FEELINGS

1. Story discussion questions:

1. Why was the second lady bug grouchy?
2. How did the first ladybug feel when the second ladybug was grouchy?
3. How did the first ladybug act when the second ladybug was grouchy?
4. What makes you angry? How can you act when you are angry?
5. Why did the grouchy ladybug fly away whenever a new animal agreed to fight?
6. Was it important that the animals looked the grouchy ladybug in the eye? Why?
7. What changed the grouchy ladybug?
8. What is difficult for you to share?

2. Drawing \writing assignments:

1. Draw a picture or write a story about a time when you were angry.
2. Draw a picture or write a story about a time when you felt threatened.
3. Which character do you admire most? Draw the character or \ tell why?
4. Write a real life story about your family or group’s or your experiences with a bully. Identify what causes the conflict. What does the bully say or do? How do others respond? What works best to resolve the conflict? Let family or group members select which roles to play. Do the story several times so that members can exchange roles.

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RELIGIOUS CONNECTION

1. Matthew 5:39-45

2. Luke 6: 27-38

3. Activities for Reading:

· Which of the following words fit the Bible passages? Which do not fit the passages?

REVENGE, FORGIVENESS, EVEN, FAIR, MERCY, PEACE, GENEROSITY, SELFISHNESS

· Why does Jesus tell us to "turn the other cheek"?

· Can you think of a time when you have loved your enemy? Did you show it with actions? Did God change the way you felt about someone or something?

· Draw a picture or write a story of loving an enemy.

· Adults can share or ask older learners to research and discuss historical, Biblical or personal information about people who have loved their enemy and the reconciliation of enemies.

1. Recently in the Midwest there was a white supremacist who harassed a Jewish family. When the supremacist became ill the Jewish family took him into their home and cared for him. This would be a good activity for older learns to search archives using a search engine or the local library.
2. Many Vietnam veterans have returned to Vietnam to provide assistance to villages that were once hostile to American forces. Another good research activity for older learners!
3. Older children and families could view the difficult movie, Dead Man Walking, to expand discussion of grace, mercy, forgiveness.
4. The study of Ghandi. Gandhi or Gandhi, Peaceful Warrior
5. Comparing and contrasting Martin Luther King to Malcolm X for a sophisticated connection to the ladybug story and the Bible passages.

6. 	Martin Luther King
   	Martin Luther King : The Peaceful Warrior
   	Martin Luther King Jr. : A Man Who Changed Things (Rookie Biographies)
   	Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. (Bullseye Biography)
   	The Story of Malcolm X, Civil Rights Leader

· Ask older learners to write a fable which teaches a lesson on forgiveness or patience or grace

· Read and discuss the story, The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles.

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GENERAL TOPICS

LEARNING ABOUT SIZE

1. Materials Needed:

· a series of stacking cans, cups or boxes which fit inside of each other and can create a stair step pattern when put in order by size {these can be homemade from empty cans, square boxes of a variety of sizes or you can buy an inexpensive set of measuring cups or an infant stacking or "nesting" toy}

2. Materials Suggested::

· A variety of stuffed animals, puppets or paper cutouts representing the characters in the story. You can substitute a collection of animals different from those in the story. Be sure to use animals of graduated sizes so the story can be retold using these animals.

· Masks, costumes or props for the children to use when acting out the roles in the story

3. Activities for Learning About Size:

· Ask the children to become each of the animals, using their creative movement to shrink into ladybugs who fly, pinch like lobsters, snap beaks like a sparrow, stretch out like a whale, etc.

· Arrange the stuffed animals, puppets or cutouts by size

· Assign the children \ family members roles as the animals, remember that the youngest child can use acting ability to become the largest character, have the actors arrange themselves in order of size

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ANIMAL LIFE

1. Materials Needed:

· A book or collection of books describing and defining the characteristics of animal groups such as fish, reptiles, mammals, insects Eyewitness Books

· Posters or illustrations of the animal groups and their characteristics

1. Mammals: have hair, babies born live, breath with lungs, are warm blooded
2. Reptiles: have scaly skin, cold blooded, usually lay eggs,
3. Birds: lay eggs, have feathers
4. Fish: lay eggs, breathe in water,
5. Insects: (see above)

2. Materials Suggested:

· a set of plastic or wooden animals from a variety of animal groups

3. Activities Suggested:

· Ask older learners to create posters or charts listing characteristics of animal groups and showing examples of the groups

· Create category headings along the top of a chart and list animals from book along the side column, work with learners to place an x under the categories that apply to the animal

· Younger learners can create habitats appropriate for each of the animals in the story using props, murals and other creations, place the stuffed animal, puppet or cut out in the appropriate habitat; use this time to discuss what type of food the animal needs, what type of weather conditions it lives in, who it’s natural enemies are, sounds that it makes, and other facts that have been obtained through observation and \ or research; older learners should prepare a written, illustrated report to accompany the display

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LITERARY COMPARISON

1. Materials Needed:

· Several Eric Carle books

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book
2. Walter the Baker
3. Have You Seen My Cat

· Several versions of Mother Goose Mother Goose : The Children's Classic Edition or A Mother Goose Book or Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes (Everyman's Library Children's Classics) or The Original Mother Goose

· Randomly selected picture books by other authors

1. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
2. Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
3. I Went Walking by Sue Williams

2. Activities Suggested:

· Older learners can read the Eric Carle books, create a graph showing comparisons and contrasts among the books in both content and illustrations.

Example for Grouchy Lady Bug-GLB, Have You Seen My Cat -HYSMY & The Very Hungry Caterpillar- VHC

· Read different versions of Mother Goose(Hickery-Dickery Dock) comparing and contrasting the illustrations

· Younger readers can discuss, dictate or write about which Carle book they like best and why.

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GARDENING

1. Materials Needed:

· A plot or planter box for a garden, if this is not available visit a local garden

· A book or books about gardening with children and \ or gardening in your area Gardening Books

2. Materials Suggested:

· Lady bugs, colonies can be purchased in many garden supply stores (Tobin's Lab)

· Magnifying glass

· Clear containers with lids for collecting insects

· Small nets with handles

3. Activites:

· Plant a garden that is appropriate for your location and time of year, if you are planting an edible garden remember that children like plants that bloom quickly, try a variety is weather and soil permit-carrots or radishes which grow underground, strawberries which grow on a vine, (pumpkins are always a favorite) and flowers which grow on a stem

· Inspect the garden daily for signs of pests

· Release ladybugs into the garden to help the garden stay pest free

· Older learners can research insects who are pests and helpers to the garden, keep a lookout for these in your garden area

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READING AND LANGUAGE

The purpose of these activities is to supplement not replace other, sequenced reading instruction you may be using.

1. Activities Suggested:

· Create a list of spelling words from the story, ask the learners to use the words in sentences, original stories or research reports

· create a list of spelling words from names of insects

· Ladybug, firefly & breakfast are compound words from the story; define compound word and have the learners list other compound words, (from the story and others) divide them into syllables, use in sentences or stories

· Older readers can search the story for apostrophes, discuss the uses of apostrophes in the story, generate a list of rules for the use of apostrophes, answer this question: In the phrase, "showing its stinger" why is there no apostrophe?

· Grouchy is an adjective, define adjective for the learners and have them create a list of other adjectives which describe the characters in the story, list antonyms for grouchy, list synonyms for grouchy

· For younger learners introduce the ! and the ? , define when they are needed, copy sentences from the book on a board or a paper but omit the ! or ?, have the learners read the sentences and fill in the ? or !, have them write their own sentences using ? or !

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FUN WITH THE ARTS

MUSIC ACTIVITIES Link to music publisher or vendors of CDs and tapes

· Ladybug-Ladybug Fly Away Home-traditional song . Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home. (hard to find)

· Baby Beluga- by Raffi Baby Beluga CD Baby Beluga (Raffi Songs to Read) book

· Brush Your Teeth-by Raffi. This song relates to telling time. Singable Songs for the Very Young CD

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LITERATURE ACTIVITIES

· Insect selections include:

1. Two Bad Ants by Chris VanAlsburg Great illustrations!
2. Walt Disney's the Grasshopper and the Ants by Margaret Wise Brown
3. Quick As a Cricket by Audrey Wood, Wonderful illustrations, a good starter for dramatic play & creative movement and a great introduction to similes
4. One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes A great resource for a math lesson on grouping, multiplication and division
5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book by Eric Carle, Another one of his best books, use this one for a lesson in comparing and contrasting the artistic and writing styles of the same author
6. The poem, "Forgiven" from Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne This is about a beetle but it is also about forgiveness-a treat!

· Telling time: "Hickery-Dickery Dock" by Mother Goose Find several versions and have older children compare the illustrations.

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DRAMATIC PLAY OPPORTUNITIES

· Guide the children in retelling the story

· An older learner or adult can write down the retelling

· Children can act out the story, using their own , improvised language; the story should be reenacted several times so that children can play many roles

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ART EXPERIENCES

· Children can be assigned pages of the story to illustrate or can be partnered to complete murals to use as back drops for the play

· Older learners can work with or for younger children in designing and making costumes

· The learners can team together to create a chart or mural depicting the metamorphous of a butterfly

· 2-5 other art or craft ideas to follow

· Eric Carles’ work inspires the free creation using water colors, collage art (especially using tissue paper)

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