Teacher Resources, Lesson Plans, and Classroom Management Tips

Teacher Resources - Apple Unit

Apple Unit

Resources for Apple Unit

Getting Started

Apple Unit Parent Letter: Before beginning our apple unit, I send home a letter to parents to let them know what we will be learning about. The letter also asks that each student bring in 1-2 apples of any color. Click below to download our Apple Unit letter.

Apple Day Letter: At the end of our unit, we celebrate our learning by having an "Apple Day". As a part of our Apple Day, the children eat a feast of apple snacks such as apple muffins, dried apples, apple pie, etc. I send home a letter at the beginning of our apple unit asking parents if they would like to donate an apple snack. Click below to download our Apple Day letter.

• Apple Day Parent Letter - (.pdf format)

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Literacy Activities

Apple Craft Printable: Use the printable to make tracing stencils or use as is. Click below to download a printable apple craft.

• Apple Craft Printable - (.pdf format)

Apple Puppet: I got this apple reproducible from a book by Teacher's Friend called Alphabet Puppet Pals. So cute!

Writing

Shared Writing:

• Write a KWL chart about apples.

KWL Chart

• Brainstorm a list of foods that come from apples.
• Brainstorm a list of fruits.
• Write the word "apples" on the chalkboard. Brainstorm a list of words that can be made from the letters in the word "apples". Some examples are:
  • as
  • pea
  • pal
  • sap
  • seal
  • lap
  • slap
• Compare apples with another fruit such as an orange. Make a Venn diagram or use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast.
• Brainstorm and write words that describe apples.

Individual Writing

• Apple Cinquain Poems:

Songs and Poems

A Little Apple Seed (tune: "Eensy Weensy Spider") Once a little apple seed Was planted in the ground. Down came the raindrops Falling all around. Out came the big sun, Bright as it could be. And that little apple seed grew To be an apple tree. Way Up High in the Apple Tree Way up high in the apple tree Two little apples smiled at me. I shook that tree as hard as I could And down came the apples, Mmm, were they good! Eat An Apple Eat an apple. (bring hand to mouth) Save the core. (close hand in fist) Plant the seeds. (bend down and touch ground) And grow some more. (extend arms out) Apple Rock-n-Roll (tune: "Shortenin' Bread") Apples are a rockin', rockin', rockin'. Apples are a rockin'... all around. Apples are a rockin', rockin', rockin'. Shake that tree and All fall down! Ten Red Apples #1 Here I have five apples. (five fingers up) And here are five again. (five more fingers up) How many apples altogether? (shrug) Why, five and five make ten! (ten fingers up) Ten Red Apples #2 Ten red apples growing on a tree, (ten fingers up) Five for you and five for me. (show one hand and then the other) There's one little worm that you can't see (wiggle one finger) Where, oh where, could that worm be? (shrug) Ten Red Apples #3 Ten red apples grow on a tree. Five for you and five for me. Let's shake the tree just so. And ten red apples will fall below. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10! Apples Up on Top (tune: "Up on the Housetop") (from Mailbox Magazine) Up in the treetop, way up high, Three red apples for my pie. How will I get them to the ground? I'll shake that tree 'til they fall down! Shake, shake, shake! Watch them fall! Shake, shake, shake, I'll catch them all! Oh, into my basket, One, two, three! No more apples in the tree.

Climbing Up the Apple Tree Climbing up the apple tree, (climb in place) Swinging on a limb! (sway arms left and right) If I hear a robin, I may (cup hand near ear) Sing along with him! (sing "tra la la") And Robin, if you fly away, (put hands over eyes) Here's what I will do (point finger) I'll wish for a pair of sparrow wings (flap arms) And fly away with you! Apple Song (tune: "Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?" Have you ever seen an apple, an apple, an apple? Have you ever seen an apple, that grows on a tree? A red one, a yellow one, A red one, a yellow one, Have you ever seen an apple, That grows on a tree? Have You Ever Had An Apple? (tune: "Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?") Have you ever had an apple, An apple, an apple? Have you ever had an apple, And heard it go "crunch"? Have you ever had an orange, An orange, an orange? Have you ever had an orange, and heard it go "squish"? Have you ever had a banana, banana, banana? Have you ever had a banana, And heard it go "mush"? Johnny Appleseed Here comes Johnny Appleseed. Apple seeds are all he needs, Planting orchards way out west. Wears a pot upon his head, Beneath the trees he makes his bed. Folks say Johnny's apples are the best! Applesauce (tune: "Yankee Doodle") Peel an apple. Cut it up. Put it in a pot. When you do, You will find, It's applesauce we've got! Look out, Apple! A worker found an apple. She gave it to her boss. He accidentally sat on it. Now it's applesauce! Apple Anthem (tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star") (from Mailbox Magazine) Shiny, shiny, apple red. Hanging high above my head. On my tiptoes, reaching high. One last stretch, it's worth a try. Shiny, shiny, apple red. Grabbed it, ate it, now I'm fed!

Math and Science Activities

Apple Parts Printable: Click below to download a apple parts labeling printable.

• Apple Part Labeling Worksheet - (.pdf format)

Go "Apple Picking": Cut out paper apples from construction paper or have you children cut out and color paper apples. While your children's eyes are closed or while they are out of the room, place the apples all around the room. Later, have the children walk around the room and go "apple picking". After all or most of the apples are found, have your children place them in a basket and sit on the floor. Count the apples with the children and make a graph of the different colors. You can also divide the children into teams and chart the numbers for each group.

Apple Sequencing: I got this Johnny Appleseed sequencing page from a Newbridge September reproducible book. Here is a sequencing sheet I made myself that you can download and print. This sequencing sheet is not the same as the one that is pictured..

• Apple Tree Sequencing Cards - (.pdf format)

Apple Patterns: I made these patterning cards from an Ellison die cutter. I used different colored apples to make patterns and labeled them. I use this as a center during our apple unit. The kids use red, yellow, and green unifix cubes to copy the patterns.

Ten Apples Up On Top Activity: Read the book, Ten Apples Up On Top, and do this follow up activity. When we read the story, I use my pocket chart for the children to dramatize the story. I draw a little person and place him at the bottom of the chart. Then I use the Ellison die cutter to make 10 big red apples and label them 1-10. As we read the story, the children come up and add an apple to the pocket chart. After reading the story 2-3 times over a couple of days, the children make this project. I used the Ellison die cutter again to cut tiny apples and label the apples 1-10. Each child has a long sheet of white paper and draws a picture of themselves on the bottom. I make a small fold at the bottom to show the children where the person should go so they will have enough room for the apples. Then the children glue the apples on starting from 1-10.

Apple Graphing: An apple unit lends itself to many different hands on graphing activities. We use apples all week to graph in different ways. You can graph by color, size, variety, etc.

Apple Taste Test: Cut up some apples and have your children taste test them. Make a graph of the favorites!

Special Activities

Bob for Apples: Fill a tub with water and put several apples in inside. Divide students into two teams. See how many children are able to bite into an apple and lift it out of the tub without using hands.

Tissue Paper Apples: For this project, each child will need an apple frame that is stuck onto a piece of clear contact paper. The students stick small tissue paper squares to the contact paper. When they hang in the window they are beautiful! This project can also be done by glueing tissue paper between wax paper and ironing when finished.

Apple Prints: As one of our centers on Apple Day, the children hear the story The Little Red House with No Doors and make apple prints using apples and red, yellow, and green paint.

Johnny Appleseed Pot Hats: Cut 4 inch wide strips from gray or black construction paper (12x18 inch or large construction paper is best). Fit the strips around each of your children's head to make a band and staple. Add a smaller strip of paper to the band as the "handle" of the pot. Remember to put the handle at the bottom of the hat so it looks like the "pot" is upside down on the head. As an extra option, have your children color a small apple and write their name as "_____ Appleseed" in the middle. Staple the apple to the hat.

Pin the Apple on the Tree: Cut out a large tree from bulletin board paper and attach it to a bulletin board. Die cut apples, label with a name, and place a loop of tape on the back of each. Blindfold one student at time and have him/her place the apple on the tree.

Pass the Apple Game: Have your students sit in a circle. Give a child an apple and play music. When the music starts, have your children pass the apple around the circle. Shut the music off at random intervals. Whoever is holding the apple when the music goes off is "out". Play the game until one child remains.

Apple Day Shirts: I told my kids that if they any clothes or jewelry with apples on it that they should wear it to school for Apple Day. This little friend went home and made a shirt with his family. So cute!

Apple Day Feast: On the last day of our unit, we have Apple Day! We do many of the activities listed above and we also have an Apple Feast. Every year we have all sorts of different yummy snacks.

Recipes

Apple Surprise: Remove the cores from apples. Pack the hole with peanut butter and refrigerate. When it is time to eat, remove the apples from the refrigerator. Slice and serve!

Apples and Yogurt Dip: During the week, serve children different types of apples with a dip. You can make an easy and tasty dip by stirring some brown sugar and/or cinnamon into plain or vanilla yogurt.

Applesauce: Using a crockpot to make applesauce is the easiest way to make applesauce that I've found. We make it in the morning and it smells wonderful all day until the afternoon. Combine all of the ingredients together and place into a crock pot on high. When the apples are soft, use a potato masher to blend the apples into sauce. You need the following ingredients:

• 8 apples (cored, peeled, and sliced)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or white sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Related Units

• Fall Unit
• Pumpkin Unit
• Farm Unit

Resource Links

• Free Apple Teacher Kits and Printables - from New York Apple Association
• Apple Unit - from Virtual Vine
• Apple Unit and Printables - from Teaching is a Work of Heart
• Apple Unit Resources - from A to Z Teacher Stuff
• Apple Craft Ideas and Printables - from DLTK
• Apple Printables - from ABCTeach
• Apple Nutrition and Variety Information - from Washington Apples Just for Kids
• Tons of Apple Information Link - from the University of Illinois Extension