It is always fun to incorporate apples into the curriculum this time of year. Johnny Appleseed’s birthday is September 26th and fall is upon us. Here are a few ideas for integrating apples throughout your curriculum.
A is for apple
Review letter A and its sound. I like to use our puppet mascot for letter A, Alex Alligator, to help with a small group center activity. Students help Alex Alligator pick “ripe” apples to eat from his apple tree and feed them to him. “Ripe” apples are apples with letter A on them.
We also review beginning sound a. A “ripe” apple has a picture beginning with a.
Then the students do an independent activity. They pick ripe apples for Alex Alligator by coloring A apples with markers or bingo dabbers (which they love!).
Glue apple seeds on an A.
Paint apples on As by dipping a finger in red paint to make fingerprint apples or dipping a Q-Tip in red paint and “pressing” apples or using a bingo dabber and dabbing apples. Add stems and leaves when dry.
Apple Transitions
Use these fun apple games to help with transition times. They work great prior to bathroom time or washing up for snack.
Apple Hot Potato – play like the classic Hot Potato game except pass around an apple. When a student gets caught with the apple when the music stops, they go to the next activity or line up or go to the bathroom, etc.
Musical Apples – use the apple pattern below to make an apple cut-out for each child. Place the cut-outs on chairs or on the floor in a circle. Play music and have the students walk in a circle. When the music stops everyone must find an apple. If a student can not find an apple they go to the next activity or bathroom, etc. This game can also be played with letters. Write letters on the apples (some with letter A, some with other letters). When the music stops, if a student can not find an apple with a letter A he/she is out (this option allows you to have more than one student “out” at a time).
Apple Investigations
Ask students if they know what shape is inside an apple. Have them write or draw their predictions in their science journals. Cut an apple in half horizontally and show students the star shape inside which holds the seeds. Have them draw a picture of the apple shape in their journals or allow them to make an apple print of the star shape (dip the apple in paint and press onto paper).
Show students different types of apples. Have them predict whether the same amount of seeds will be in each apple. Cut the apples open and count the seeds in each type. Have students record their predictions and the actual results in their science journals.
Cut an apple in half and have a lesson on half and whole.
Make Applesauce
This is the easiest recipe I have found for applesauce. Since the crockpot method takes hours to cook, I use the blender instead. It is very easy!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
4 apples peeled and cut in eighths
1/4 cup sugar
a dash of cinnamon
Put water and 4-5 pieces of apple in a blender. Cover and process at blend until smooth. Increase speed and add remaining apple pieces a few at a time. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste.
The above activities are samples from Letter A Activities, Worksheets, & Unit Plan.
Apple Math
Use apple number cards for assessment and review activities (apple cards for subitzing, numbers 1-20, tally marks, & ten frames can be found here).
Practice subitizing and counting by having students match the correct number card to the correct apple seed card. Flash a subitizing or ten frame card for 3-5 seconds. Have students draw what they saw OR tell you how many seeds they saw and how they know they are correct.
Have students count out the correct number of apple seeds.
Sequencing – Give students a pile of cards and have them put them in sequential order. You can require the student to pair the numbers with ten frames or tally marks if desired (this can help students recognize patterns). This can also be done as a partner game or a whole group activity. For the whole group activity, give each student a number card and have them stand in sequential order.
Missing number – remove or cover up a number and have students tell you or replace the missing number.
Apple Go Fish – This classic card game can be played in a number of ways. A pair can consist of matching card to card or matching a number card with a tally mark card, a number card with a subitizing card, a number card with a ten frame card, etc. Deal 4-5 cards to each player. Students look for matches and lay them down. On a player’s turn they ask the player to their right if they have a card that is a match for one of their own. For example, if I have the number card 4 I would ask if they have the tally mark card that shows 4. Go Fish cards can be found here.
Apple Go Fish to Make 10 – This is a more challenging version of the classic game. Use 2 copies of the ten frame cards. A match consists of 2 ten frame cards that together equal 10. For example, the 3 ten frame card with the 7 ten frame card. When asking another player for a card the student could say something like “do you have the 3 to go with my 7 to make 10?”.
Apple Math Games
Students love playing these classic games so why not make them apple-themed?
Apple Tic Tac Toe – Give each pair of students a tic tac toe board and a pile of the appropriate cards. Students pick a card and find the coordinating number on the tic tac toe card. They use a dry erase marker to make their mark (x or o). If they choose a card that is not on the board they choose another card. Pre-made apple tic tac toe boards can be found here.
Bingo – Use either tally mark cards or ten frame cards or a combination of both as calling cards. Choose a calling card and show it to the students. Students find the matching number on their bingo card and mark it with a bingo marker, bingo dabber, or color the apple with a dry erase marker. Apple bingo cards can be found here.
Connect Four – Students place cards face down. They take turns turning over a card, finding the correct number on the board, and coloring the space in their color (either red or green). The first to get four apples in a row in their color wins. Connect 4 boards and cards can be found here.
