All About Apples

Friends~It is almost APPLE season!  I love this time of year.  The air is crisp and the applesauce smells sooo good in the crockpot. There is so much learning that can take place with this sweet fruit!

Bringing apples into the classroom in September is the perfect way to ease your students into learning. One of my very favorite apple fiction stories is Apple Picking Time by Michele Benoit Slawson.  

It is the sweetest story about a young girl and her time picking apples with her family.  It shows real perseverance.  Check out a video read of the story below!

 One of my favorite activities to do with this book is to create purple punch cards for my students just like in the book.  As they work throughout the day, I punch their cards with an apple hole punch. Like the one below.  You could also use the a moon shaped one like in the story. 

Then I reward them with a sweet apple treat at the end of the day as they turn in their cards!

Here are some response questions for you to use during a book talk to help second grade teachers hit RI.2.1 I can ask and answer W questions. 

 This standard will also work with the nonfiction books below!

I also love to use the fable of the Magic Apple to hit my 3rd grade reading skill, RL.3.2 I can recount fables and determine the central message. 

Below is a video read of the book to add to your lessons. 

 

This file is great for unlocking folktales from Pearson!  Be sure to click below and save!

I love to bring in some factual information about apples too!  This video is a great lead into the nonfiction word of apples.  

Here is another video that is great for the life cycle of an apple!

It is so simple to put a fun life cycle craft together. See the example in the picture below. 

I love the Book I Am an Apple for this project!  Students can use this book to walk them through the life cycle. It is also a great book to talk with students about beginning print concepts.  Take them on a picture walk and discuss the title, cover, spine, illustrations, and words.  

RF.K1 I can understand print concepts. 

or grab this download of the story The Magic Apple for Kindergarteners! 

My favorite book for apple facts is Apples by Gail Gibbons.  

Reading both fiction and nonfiction books on a topic will allow first grade teachers to hit RL.1.5 Ti can tell which books are stories.