April Book of the Month
Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly
Written by Alan Madison
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Through this book, students will:
Read and identify a combination of fiction/nonfiction within the same story
Analyze the character traits of Velma Gratch
Understand the meaning of reputations
Discuss and understand self-esteem
Identify the life cycle of a butterfly
Use a Question Wheel to illicit higher levels of thinking during discussion
Integrate elements of the book into the content areas
Use Thinking Maps to analyze characters and story plot
VOCABULARY
This vocabulary list is all inclusive. Use it to create word lists specific to your needs and
student expectations. (ex: past tense, adjectives, science vocabulary, verbs, nouns)
chorus
Guinea pig
recall
inquired
chrysalis
discovered
coincidence
aquarium
banners
trembled
Tour guide
Tangled vines
gorgeous
gym
magnificent
noticed
owlish
metamorphosis
adored
conservatory
agreement
Knobby knees
Carroty curls
scales
gurgled
alighted
fondly
memories
muddled
fabulous
repeated
colorful
absolutely
surrounded
wobbled
Clip board
precisely
variety
tingly
Miraculous
spectacular
lamented
caterpillar
bobbed
monarch
museum
bedecked
Spaghetti arms
introduced
slathered
migration
yarned
velvety
antennae
insect
pointer
commotion
soaring
“way cool”
Brown Elfin
Question Mark
Gossemer Wing
Pygmy Blue
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marvelous
twitching
whispered
positively
enormous
overflowed
Names of Butterflies:
Frosted
Sleepy Orange
Flasher
American
Morpho
Snout
Orange
Giant
Monarch
Swallowtail
Black Monarch
delicate
wonderous
perched
fumed
trailed
floated
Comma
Painted Lady
Short Tailed
Skipper
GENRE
A Combination of Fiction and Non-Fiction
LITERARY
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roosted
weightless
budge
oversize
flitted
skyscrapers
ELEMENTS
Characterization
Conflict
LANGUAGE ARTS
Writing Activities:
Write From The Beginning: Use the theme of Informational Writing to have students
each choose a different type of butterfly and to research their choice and illustrate their
butterfly. (The book mentions about 10 different ones and that there are 20,000 different
kinds.
Write From The Beginning: Use the theme of Expository Writing: How to Care for a
butterfly cocoon.
Write From The Beginning: Use the theme of Imaginative Narrative: The Day A
Butterfly Landed On My Finger.
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Great opportunity to do a mini-lesson on adjectives using the page with the door
to the Butterfly Conservatory.
Use the photos in the book to work with students on descriptive language and
adjectives that describe Velma Gratch. Anchor charts of these descriptions will
be helpful for students’ writing activities.
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Point out the way in which the words are written on the copyright page in the
shape of a butterfly.
Discuss why it is sometimes hard to follow in a sibling’s footsteps.
ALLITERATION: (miraculous math, spectacular spelling, magnificent
memories)
ENVY: notice and discuss the looks on the other students’ faces on the page
where they are all on the return bus trip.
Would it be realistic for the butterfly to stay on her finger through the night,
through gym class, through ballet and soccer, etc?
Compare the caterpillars on the inside front cover to the butterflies on the inside
back cover.
Make words using only the letters from one word: METAMORPHOSIS,
CONSERVATORY, etc.
Draw your own butterfly and write about a trip you may want to take with it
Have students keep a diary about the butterfly they will have in their classroom
Sequencing Handout from hard copy lessons
The Biggest Butterfly (student book made from handout template)
Thinking Maps
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Create a flow map that charts the main events in the story. You can also do a
flow map that charts the steps in the life cycle of a butterfly.
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Use a bubble map to describe Velma Gratch or to describe butterflies.
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Use a tree map to categorize information from the book, such as:
Metamorphosis
Cocoon
Caterpiller
Butterfly
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Use a double bubble map to compare Velma Gratch to her sister Frieda. Use
another double bubble map to compare Velma Gratch to her sister Fiona. Also
compare and contrast the butterfly’s trip to Mexico to her family’s trip to Mexico.
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Create a multi-flow map to describe cause and effect based on what happens in
the story and why.
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MATH
Count all the different butterflies represented in the book
“Pasta-bilities” from the hardcopy handout
Measure a variety of butterflies using centimeters and inches
Caterpillar Butterfly Math lesson from hardcopy handout
Take classroom polls and create graphs to show the results:
How many brother and sisters do you have?
How many of you are the youngest of all your siblings?
Show several butterflies: which one is your favorite?
Science
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The Life cycle of butterflies
MIGRATION:
Study and learn about METAMORPHOSIS
Habitats –
Find out why the students must not touch the butterflies.
Recognize the importance of living things and what purpose they have in their
growth, survival, and reproduction
Living and non-living organisms
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Create a butterfly garden
Lots of science activities in your hard copy handout
FINE ARTS
Do a class project on STUDENT METAMORPHOSIS. Have students bring in a
picture of themselves as babies and one of themselves now. Then have them
draw how they think they will look as a young adult and then as an elderly person.
Use these pictures and illustrations to create a chart of the Life Cycle of (student).
Draw different shapes of butterflies
Make a butterfly mobile (hardcopy handout)
Egg Carton Butterfly (hard copy handout)
Sun-Catcher Butterfly (hard copy handout)
Websites:
www.kevinhawkes.com
www.justonemorebook.com2007/11/12/interview-with-kevin-hawkes
www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers guides/9780375835971.pdf