Apples

Review unit vocabulary every session. Chose from the variety of activities: bingo, hide the word cards, spell the words with magnetic or cut out letters, write the words on chalkboard with water and paintbrush, use red play dough to write the words, make word puzzles to put together.

Unit Vocabulary – apple, pick, ripe, tree, pie, sweet, tart, core, peel, seed,

        A variety of books are read to the students throughout the unit.

        The unit poems are copied for the students to use in their poetry journals. Some of the poems the students will write/copy independently.

Day 1

Introduction - European settlers brought apple seeds and trees with them to the New World. Records from the Massachusetts Bay Company indicate that apples were being grown in New England as early as 1630. In 1796, in Ontario, Canada, John McIntosh discovered a variety of apple which is today enjoyed by people around the world--the McIntosh Apple!   Each day, apples are enjoyed by people in every country, and are the world's most popular fruit!

Venn Diagram – show the students 3 apples (red, yellow and green). Ask the students to tell what is the same about the apples – write their response in the correct section of the diagram. What is different about each apple? – write their response on the chart. Be sure to cut the apples and count the seeds, look at the color of the seeds, etc. Record this data as well. Eat the apples that were cut apart!

Poem -

Apples

Apples, apples, what a treat,
Sweet and tart and good to eat.
Apples green and apples red,
Hang from branches overhead.
And when they ripen, down they drop,
So we can taste our apple crop.
Author Unknown

Day 2

Art Activity - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/plants/fruit/ - make a 3D apple

Internet Project – introduce the Apple Seed Counting and Taste Test project. See web page - http://home.centurytel.net/mrs_browns_classroom/pages/apples_2002.htm

Save the seeds, they will be used on day 5 of the unit. Model how to make graph using graph paper.

Day 3

Apple Sauce Snack - Peel and core about 8 apples. If you want to involve your students, slice the apples and allow them to cut them into chunks using plastic knives. Place the apples, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon into a crock pot or slow cooker. Cook for at least a couple of hours or until apples are mushy. Cool and serve.

Poem -

Apples

Apples juicy, apples round,
on the tree or on the ground.
Apples yellow, apples red,
apple pie and juice and bread!
Apples crunchy, apples sweet,
apples are so good to eat!
Author Unknown

Day 4

Story – Apple Man’s Secret – Prior to class session make props to illustrate the story. Students can use various items to make their own apple man! To see the story go to - http://www.alphabet-soup.net/dir2/applestory.html

Art – use the apple to print apple patterns

Day 5

Apple Journals – provide several sheets of lined paper cut in apple shape. Students cut out apple covers and assemble the books. Possible writing prompts:

Apples look ______________.

Apples sound _____________.

Apples taste _____________.
I think apples _______________________________________.

Growing apple trees from seeds is SO EASY!!!

HERE'S HOW...

Wrap some paper towel around the inside of a drinking glass, and put your seeds between the glass and the paper towel. This will let you to watch your seeds grow. Keep the paper towel moist!

You should have sprouts in a month.

THEN...

Plant the sprouts in rich potting soil and keep the soil moist.

IN THE SPRING...

Plant your small apple trees in the garden.

Art Activity - Give each child a 10"x10" square of red, yellow, or green construction paper. Have the children snip the corners off (in little triangles), until the squares become circles or ovals. To add leaves have small green rectangles precut and, again, have the children snip the corners off until they become an oval. Glue on a brown stem.

Day 6

Measurement - Apple Circumference Measure the circumference of different size apples. Line up the apples from biggest to smallest.

Poem -

Way up high in the apple tree,
Five little apples were smiling at me!
I shook that tree as hard as I could,
Down came those apples
M-m-m! They were GOOD!
Author Unknown

Day 7

Discussion – Johnny Appleseed

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/usa/people/Appleseedindex.shtml

Cooking - Make mini apple pies with canned biscuits and apple pie filling. Add a little filling to each biscuit and fold in half. Press the edges closed and bake according to the biscuit instructions. There you have it! Little apple turnovers!

Day 8

Discussion – continue with Johnny Appleseed

Art – make this pop up card. Modify the tree to look like an apple tree or make an apple pop up. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/popuptree/

Additional resources:

http://www.thevirtualvine.com/apples.html

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/dir2/apple.html

http://eduscapes.com/42explore/apples.htm

http://www.superkidz.com/apples.html

http://www.mrsballingall.homestead.com/apples.html

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8854/apples.html

http://www.kinderthemes.com/apples.html

http://dcrafts.com/apples.htm