In Eric Carle's' book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, students follow the life cycle of the caterpillar as it eats its way through the story. Use this story as an introduction to the caterpillar and how it forms a cocoon and eventually turns into a beautiful butterfly. To extend this book to science, take your class on a cocoon walk and measure how far the cocoon thread of a moth would be if it were unwound. Using a rolling tape measure, walk your students around and around the playground just like a caterpillar would spin a cocoon. The cocoon thread of a moth would measure 2640 feet, so walk until you reach that measurement. This activity lets students experience just how long a caterpillar thread would be. Another activity is to chart on a calendar how many days it takes for a moth to spin a cocoon. Caterpillars take three days to spin, and they rest on the fourth day inside the cocoon. Mark each day that the cocoon is spinning on the classroom calendar and when the caterpillar is at rest.
In Robert McCloskey's book Make Way for Ducklings, a mother duck is having trouble finding a proper place to build her nest. She eventually chooses a place, but when the ducklings hatch, she has to march them through the city of Boston to get back to the water. Make Way for Ducklings is an effective introduction to animal habitats and animal babies. Begin the lesson by talking about the mother duck and what kind of place she needs to find to make her nest. Talk about the role of both father duck and mother duck in egg incubation and discuss how long it will take the eggs to hatch. Show pictures of eggs at different stages of development. This would also be a good opportunity to have an incubator in your classroom with eggs being hatched so the students can observe the process firsthand.
Mirette on the High Wire, by Emily Arnold McCully, introduces students to the concept of balance. In this book, Mirette learns the art of high wire balancing from a traveling performer named Bellini. In this activity, students will do an investigation about the force of gravity and the center of gravity. Begin by reading the book and discussing the story. Then have students design and construct an object out of a Styrofoam cube and balance it on their finger. The students will insert a large paper clip into the Styrofoam cube. The only part of the structure that can touch their finger is the paper clip. Add items like pipe cleaners, washers and small weights to the cube, trying to keep it balanced when it rests on the end of the finger.
Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, is a book about a young girl and her father taking a walk in the moonlight to see and hear the great horned owl. Begin by reading the book and talking about all the creatures the girl and her father encounter on their walk. Discuss animals that are nocturnal and what that means. Then turn your focus to owls and how they live and eat. Pass out owl pellets and have students dissect them, looking for hair and bones of other animals. Have students try and identify the animals that the hair and bones belong to. Discuss regurgitation and why owls and other animals do it. At the end of the lesson, have students talk about the different types of prey that owls eat and how often they feed.