Way Up High in the Apple Tree

I know it's not fall yet, but I couldn't resist posting some of my Apple Unit. It is one of my absolute favorite units! I know that the main reason I just love doing the unit is because it ends with a fabulous visit to County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN.. http://www.countylineorchard.com/ If you live anywhere near County Line, I HIGHLY recommend visiting. Walking around and picking your own apples is just part of what makes it great....without a doubt what draws my husband and I there is the great food! We spend the day picking apples, snacking on apple doughnuts and fresh grilled corn, and shopping. It always turns out to be a great fall day!


I hope you find some things you can use! Thanks so much for reading!
Shannon


My Apple Unit that is linked to the Common Core can be purchased here...

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Unit plan...
Apple Unit


Books We Love



The Literacy Goods
This is our Apples Class book. I mount the cover to tag board or construction paper and laminate it. Students write their name in the banner, fill in the color of their favorite kind of apple, and then illustrate their page. I take all the pages and bind them for our classroom library.
Apples Class Book


Sight Word Color by Code

Apples Book

These are Alphabet Concentration Cards. Cut apart and laminate. You can use them for whole group matching or as a center.
Apple Alphabet Concentration

I Have/Who Has is one of our favorite games to play as a group throughout the year! This apple edition helps students with lowercase letter recognition.
I Have Who Has Apple Edition

This is a worksheet to help students identify initial sounds in words. For those that use Jolly Phonics, I used the first set of sounds that are introduce in the program.
Beginning Sounds Match Up

This is a sound recognition game. Copy the apples on cardstock, cut, and laminate prior to use. Have students sit in a large circle. You can put the apples in a small basket or on a large cut out tree in the center of your circle. Teach the students the chant "Apples, apples nice and round. Pick an apple and make its sound!" Allow each child to choose an apple. The apples can also be used for ABC order in a large group or as a center!
Apple Sounds

The Math Goods
These are number mats. Students place the specified number of apples on the tree.


Apple Tree Number Mats 1-15

Patterning Worksheet (there are three levels of difficulty).
Apple Patterns

Roll an Apple is a dice game. Students roll a single die and then fill in the corresponding apple. They only get to fill in one apple each roll. Students can use crayons, markers, or the ever so popular...Do-a-Dot Markers to fill in the apples.
Roll an Apple Tree

The Apple Survey is more of a project. I have my high level students complete it; however, I am sure that students could be put into groups to complete it. It is a fun activity but does require students to visit other classrooms. In our school this is fairly easy because all the K rooms are in one hall.
Apple Survey

Here is the components of my "Do You Like Apples" graph. I use a piece of colored poster board. I glue the two apples to the corner with the title in the center and yes/no goes beneath the title. I use a dark marker to create the middle line of the graph. Students write their name on the small apple square and color it. Then we graph :)
Do You Like Apples Graph

The Comparing Apples Worksheet is completed as a whole group. I bring in three apples; one red, one yellow, and one green. I make sure they are 3 distinguishable sizes. We fill out the worksheet and taste each apple!
Comparing Apples Wksht

I don't have students bring in their own apples for this activity. I have students work in groups...so I am not cutting apart 21 apples. Each group gets an apple and each student completes their own worksheet.
Apple Seed Count Worksheet

Miscellaneous Goods
I love making various kinds of playdough throughout the school year for my Kinder-Hoppers! This is a recipe for Apple Pie Playdough. You certainly could make it with your students if you can use a burner. I just make it at home. I put it into a Ziploc bag and then into a brown bag and students smell and guess what is in the bag. Along with the recipe is a paper for you to fill out with students...like an Apple Recipe Book. It is soooo cute to see what they come up with!


Apple Recipe

For your little overachievers, students can play with the Apple Pie Playdough and create words. This is the worksheet that corresponds.
Playdough Words

Apple Investigation worksheet has two levels of difficulty. You can have students bring in their own apple or give each group an apple to work with (it definitely helps it cutting the apples).
Apple Investigation

This is an Apple Webquest for your high level students to complete as part of the unit.
Apple Webquest

My absolute FAVORITE art project during our apple unit has to be stained glass apples. They look gorgeous hanging on the windows!


We also do the seasons of an apple tree project.


Listen and read from Scholastic.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/listen_read_27/apple-grows.asp

One of our absolute favorite songs!!!!