GOING BUGGY
BULLETIN BOARDS:
1. "W're All Aflutter in Kindergarten"-Decorate board with butterflies.
2. "Our Kindergarten Hive", "We're Busy Bees",
"Buzzing with Bee Facts"- Decorate board with
a hive and bees.
3. "Ant Picnic"- Use a red and white plastic picnic tablecloth for backgound. Each child glues magazine photos of food and an ant pattern on a paper plate. Staple on tablecloth. I add a laminated picnic basket and ants in center of tablecloth.
Ladybug Phonics- Children match halves of ladybug patterns to form words on the pocketchart.
BOOKS:
Little Miss Ladybug and her Magical Red Thread
by Karen Acres
Are You a Ladybug? By Judy Allen
Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen
Goodnight, Sweet Butterflies by Dawn Bentley
Buzz, Buzz, Busy Bees by Dawn Bentley
I Like Bugs by Margaret Wise Brown
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle
Alpha Bugs: A Pop Up Alphabet by David A. Carter
How Many Bugs in a Box? by David A. Carter
Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Charlie, the Caterpillar by Dom Deluise
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn
Monarch Butterflies by Gail Gibbons
Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth
From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman
Hey, Little Ant by Philip M. Hoose
Little Miss Spider by David Kirk
Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk
I’m a Caterpillar by Jean Marzollo
The Best Bug Parade by Stuart J. Murphy
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes
Becoming Butterflies by Anne Rockwell
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Simms Taback
The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani
I purchased The Very Hungry Caterpillar book and doll at Barnes and Nobles.
Students retell The Very Hungry Caterpillar using
teach.com/books/hungrycaterpillar/felt_fun.htm
POEMS AND SONGS:
“Ladybugs”
By Maria Fleming
Ladybugs all dressed in red
Strolling through the flowerbed-
If I were tiny just like you
I’d creep among the flowers too.
"Five Little Ladybugs"
Five little ladybugs climbing up a door,
One flew away and then there were four.
Four little ladybugs sitting on a tree,
One flew away and then there were three.
Three little ladybugs landed on a shoe,
One flew away and then there were two.
Two little ladybugs looking for some fun,
One flew away and then there was one.
One little ladybug sitting in the sun,
She flew away and then there were none.
"Spiders"
Spider (child's name) went out to play
On a spider web one day.
She had such enormous fun,
She asked one more spider to come.
Spider (child's name) went out to play...(continue)
"The Spider"
Watch the busy spider
He's helpful as can be.
Eating insects all day long.
Now they won't bite me!
"The Itsy Bitsy Spider"
The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again.
"The Fuzzy Caterpillar"
The fuzzy caterpillar crawled upon a leaf,
Spun her little chrysalis,
And then fell fast asleep.
While she was sleeping,
She dreamed that she could fly.
And later when she woke up
She was a butterfly!
“What do Caterpillars Do?”
By Aileen Fisher
What do caterpillars do?
Nothing much but chew and chew.
What do caterpillars know?
Nothing much but how to grow.
They just eat what by and by
Will make them be a butterfly.
But that is more than I can do
However much I chew and chew.
"Caterpillar Song"
I started as a tiny egg
Upon a leaf of green.
And now I stay upon the leaf
So I will not be seen.
Soon I'll build a chrysalis
Upon a limb up high.
I'll stay a while and then come out
And be a butterfly.
"A Caterpillar's Song"
("I'm a Little Teapot" tune)
by Cynthia Cappetta
I'm a little caterpillar, green and fat,
But I will not always look like that.
I will grow and change
As time goes by,
And I'll become a butterfly!
"The Butterfly Song"
("Up on the Housetop" tune)
First comes a butterfly and lays an egg.
Out comes a caterpillar with many legs.
Oh, see the caterpillar spin and spin.
A little chrysalis to sleep in.
Oh, wait and see.
Oh, wait and see.
Oh, out of the chrysalis,
My, oh, my,
Comes a pretty butterfly!
"Ladybug"
The ladybug's a beetle.
It's shaped like half a pea.
Its color is a bright red
With lots of spots to see.
Although the name is "ladybug"
Some ladybugs are "men".
So why don't we say "gentleman bug"
Every now and then?
"Five Little Ladybugs"
Five little ladybugs climbing on some plants
Eating the aphids, but not the ants.
The first one said, "Save some aphids for me."
The second one said, "They're as tasty as can be!"
The third one said, "Oh, they're almost gone!"
The fourth one said, "Then we'd better move on."
The fifth one said, "Come on, let's fly!"
So they opened up their wings
And they flew through the sky.
"I'm a Little Honeybee"
("I'm a Little Teapot" tune)
I'm a little honeybee
Yellow and black.
See me gather
Pollen on my back.
What the queen bee tells me
I must do
So I can make sweet honey for you!
"The Beehive"
Here is the beehive.
(make a fist)
Where are the bees?
Hidden inside
Where nobody sees.
Here they come buzzing
Out the hive.
(slowly open fist)
One, two, three,
Four, and five!
(hold up five fingers)
"Baby Bumblebee"
Buzz, buzz!
(clap hands)
I'm bringing home my baby bumblebee.
Won't my mother be so proud of me?
I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee.
Oh, he stung me!
...swishing up my baby bumblebee (rub hands together)...yuck, he's all over me!
...washing up my baby bumblebee (pretend to wash)...look, I'm all clean!
"Bumblebee, Bumblebee"
("Jingle Bells" tune)
by Jean Warren
Bumblebee, bumblebee,
Landing on my toes.
Bumblebee, bumblebee,
Now he's on my nose!
On my arm, on my leg,
On my elbow.
Bumblebee, bumblebee,
You land and then you go!
*Class can act out using bee popsicle stick puppets.
"Little Ants"
Little ants go marching
Across my picnic plate.
Little ants, be careful-
That's my lunch you ate!
If you had any manners,
You'd crawl down right away,
And go marching
Somewhere else today!
"Oh, the Ants are Busy"
("She'ss be Coming Round the Mountain" tune)
by Kristine Wagoner
Oh, the ants are busy,
Busy as can be.
Oh, the ants are busy,
Busy as can be.
See them dig and dig and dig
Lots of tunnels, oh, so big.
Oh, the ants are busy,
As busy as can be.
"Firefly" 
by Meish Goldish
Firefly, firefly,
Wow, how you glow!
Under your body
You light up below!
Firefly, firefly,
Wow, how you shine!
At night in the dark
I can see you just fine!
"Fireflies in Flight"
("Camptown Races" tune)
Fireflies come out at night.
Blink, blink, blink, blink.
Showing off their little lights
In the summer sky!
Can you see them glow
Flying to and fro?
Fireflies come out at night
In the summer sky!
"Crickets Chirping"
("Frere Jaques" tune)
by Bonnie Woodard
Crickets chirping, crickets chirping.
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
Chirping in the treetops,
Chirping that never stops.
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
WRITING:
Journals- "If you were a butterfly, where would you fly to?"
MATH:
Patterns- Children create patterns on a laminated butterfly pattern using pattern blocks.
Number Sequencing- Children put circles programmed with numbers in numerical order to form a caterpillar.
Counting-
1. Child identifies number writen on ladybug's back and places corresponding amount of black counters (black circles can be cut from a foam sheet purchased at a craft store) on it.
2. Children identify what number is on each butterfly and places that many spots (counters) on it.
3. Roll a Ladybug- play using dice
Graphing- What is your favorite bug? What is your least favorite bug?
Estimation- Estimate how many bug counters are in a jar.
SCIENCE:
1. Lifecycle of a Butterfly- Draw lines on paper plate so it is divided into four parts. Label each part "egg", "caterpillar", "chrysalis", and "butterfly". Cut out green leaf and glue popcorn kernel on "egg" section. Glue spiral pasta on "caterpillar" section. Draw branch and glue macaroni pasta on "chrysalis" section. Glue spiral pasta on "butterfly" section. (I dye the pasta using a mix of food coloring and rubbing alchohol to make it more colorful.) In the photo below, the students drew their own butterflies instead of using bowtie pasta.
2. Insects and their Homes Match- Children match insect and home flashcards on the pocket chart:
bee-hive
ant-ant hill
caterpillar- cocoon
mosquito-pond
worm-dirt
3. Pollenation Reinactment- Make two large pink and yellow flowers and bee puppet. Lay flowers on floor and sprinkle some sequins (pollen) on the first flower. Child, holding the bee puppet, goes to first flower, picks up some sequins, goes to second flower, and deposits sequins on it. As child does this the class sings:
There was a Kindergarten bumblebee.
It buzzed to a yellow flower.
Now buzz, buzz, with your pollen
To the pink flower.
4. Ants on a Log Snack- Cut celery stalk into small pieces and spread peanut butter across top. Lay raisins (ants) along it.
ART:
1. Mosaic Butterflies- Children cut out butterly pattern and glue paper mosaic tiles on its wings.
2. Paper Tube Butterfly- Paint toilet paper tube. When dry, punch hole in it and add antennea. Glue on wiggly eyes. Cut out butterfly wings and color. Glue toilet paper tube in center to represent butterfly's body.
3. Handprint Butterfly- Color butterfly's body. Trace 4 handprints, cut out, and glue on butterfly to represent wings.
4. Pointilism Butterfly- Children cut out butterfly pattern and paint by dipping q-tips in paint.
5. Clothespin Butterfly- Children glue dots of glitter on to tissue paper. Bunch center and attach clothespin. Glue pipecleaner antennae and wiggly eyes on.
6. Class Caterpillar- Each child paints a paper plate and glues on decorations such as foam shapes. Create a caterpillar head using one plate and staple plates together to form a giant caterpillar.
7. Marble-painted bee-Cut a bee out from yellow construction paper. Marble paint with using black paint. Glue wax paper wings and wiggly eyes on. Tape pipe cleaner antennae on back of head. I drew lines on the antennae using a black permanent marker.
8. Honeycombs Beehive- Children glue Honeycombs cereal on to a beehive pattern.
9. Ladybug on Leaf- Children color and cut out ladybug. Glue on black paper spots. Tape pipe cleaner antennae on back. Glue on paper leaf.
