Instructor/Provider Name: Lisa Delhay

Name of Lesson:

Does the Caterpillar Eat a Healthy Snack?

Age Level:
Pre-School, ages 4-5

Subject Matter:
Health, Reading Comprehension, Life Skills

Materials Needed:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
cup cubed/chunked fruit (strawberries, bananas, blueberries) per student
2 oz. plain, unsweetened yogurt per student
(These combined food components equals one reimbursable snack for 4-5 year old)

Wooden sticks without pointed end to use for kabob sticksone per student
Spoons (appropriate sized spoons for preschoolers)

Technology Used:
YouTube, Mind Map, Zondle Game
Computer or iPad for technology learning tools and for end of the lesson assessment

Behavioral Objectives/Health Goals/Life Skills:

1. Students will express knowledge of healthy vs unhealthy snacks through answering
assessment questions.
2. Students will learn an example of a healthy snack for their age.
3. Students will help make a healthy snack for themselves so demonstrate independence.

Procedures/Description of Activities:
1. Prepare food needed for snack. Cut fruit into bite sized pieces or chunks/cubes. Measure out
individual containers of 2 oz. of plain, unsweetened yogurt and refrigerate until needed. Cut any
sharp ends off of wooden skewers.
2. Ask students to join you for a story on the computer in your classroom. Tell students that we
are going to listen to a book about a caterpillar that enjoyed to eat. Remind students of
expectations when listening to a story on the computer (examples: eyes on the screen, mouths
closed, hands on laps, sitting quietly in their seats so everyone can hear, etc.)
3. Listen to the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar on blubbr created for this listen. Make sure
ALL students can see the screen. Learning happens when hearing and when seeing the story!
Blubbr to listen to the story.
4. After the story is over, create a MindMap discussing the differences between a healthy snack
and unhealthy snack to ensure your first educational objective was met for the lesson. One

branch will answer the question what is a healthy snack? while the second branch answers the
question what is an unhealthy snack?
Here is an example: Mind Map from Spiderscribe This step addresses the second educational
objective.
5. Now, lets make a healthy snack! Instruct students to wash hands and find their seat at the
snack table.
6. Describe to students that they are going to learn an example of a healthy snack and make the
snack themselves. This step meets the second and third educational objectives for this lesson.
7. Give each student one wooden stick to use as a kabob stick and cup prepared fruit. Instruct
children to assemble their kabob in any order to make a colorful and healthy snack to enjoy. This
helps a student feel/touch the lesson being taught!
8. After kabobs are assembled, hand out yogurt and a spoon to each student. Encourage students
to dip their fruit chunks into the yogurt and eat their snack. Or students may eat each
component of their snack separately.
9. While students are eating their snack, encourage them to discuss other healthy snacks with
peers at their table. Specifically ask each table the questions listed in the multicultural infusion
diversity statement component of this lesson.
10. Follow your procedures for clean-up including washing hands.
11. At the end of your day, send home the parent enhancement worksheet with your students.

Multicultural Infusion Diversity Statement:

Ask students these questions:
Do students who go to a different school eat healthy snacks?
What about students older or younger than you?
Do students eat healthy in China? In Africa? In Mexico?
How are students healthy snacks different in these different countries? How are they the
same?
Encourage students to realize that students all over the world need to make healthy snack
choices.

Adaptations/Inclusion:
Adjust fruit as needed to accommodate individual food allergies. Any adjustments need
to remain within the perimeters of required components for a reimbursable snack.
( cup fresh fruit with 2 oz. of plain, unsweetened yogurt.)

If milk allergy, replace yogurt with 1 tbsp. peanut butter OR slice whole, grain bread.
If a student needs assistance making his/her kabob, an adult can assist.
This lesson addresses different learning styles: visual by sharing the pictures from the book with
the student, auditory by reading the story aloud to the student, and kinesthetic by the student
making his/her own healthy snack.

Assessment Strategies Used:

After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, ask students the following questions:
What is a healthy snack?
What is an unhealthy snack?
What good or healthy snack choices did the caterpillar make in the book?
What unhealthy snack choices did the caterpillar make?
You can also play the following Zondle game as a class or individually if there are enough
electronic devices for each student or a group of students.
Zondle Game

Extension Activity:
Send healthy snack worksheet based on popular childrens books home with the students.
Examples for worksheet:
* Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss paired with 2 oz. or cup green pudding (vanilla
pudding dyed green) and serving of vanilla wafers
* The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss paired with cup bananas and strawberries on kabob
and oz. cheese on end to resemble Dr. Seusss hat
* If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff paired with whole, grain
muffin and cup blueberries
* Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault paired with
serving of graham crackers (trunk of palm tree), cup sliced apples (leaves of
palm tree) and cup grapes (coconuts of palm tree)

Resource Citations:
https://www.educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/1213_np_tn_lt_PAandSnack_v2.pdf
(Resource used to find original book paired with a healthy snack option: The Very
Hungry Caterpillar paired with fruit kabob and yogurt)