WHOSE APPLE
TREE?
Read to children The
Seasons of Arnold’s
Apple Tree, by Gail
Gibbons (Voyager Books).
Talk about the four
seasons, and write their
names on a chart. Help
children remember how
the tree looked during
each season. Give each
child four pieces of
drawing paper. Invite
children to draw a tree
trunk and some branches
using brown crayon on
each page. Have children
label the first page
“winter.” Encourage them
to use white tempera
paint for snow on the
ground and branches. On
the page labeled
“spring,” children can
use pink paint a sponge
pieces to make blossoms
on their tree. Have
children do the same for
“summer” using green
paint. Then they can use
a cotton swab to dab on
light green apples.
Label the last page
“fall,” and ask children
to again use sponge
pieces with yellow,
orange, and brown paint.
Children can add ripe
apples by dabbing cotton
swabs in red paint. Let
each child write his or
her name in the title on
a front page “The
Seasons of
_____________’s Apple
Tree.” Staple each
child’s booklet
together.
GRAPH IT
Bring to school several
varieties of apples. Cut
then into small pieces.
At circle time, invite
children to taste each
kind and decide which
their favorite is.
Create a simple graph on
a large piece of chart
paper. Down the left
side draw and label each
type of apple being
tasted. Record each
child’s choice by
drawing a happy face in
the row across from the
appropriate apple. Guide
children in using the
graph. Help them count
and ask: How many
children chose
Macintosh? Granny
Smith?… Which apple did
more children choose?
MORE GRAPHING
Provide samples of apple
products such as apple
cider, apple juice,
applesauce, and so on.
Invite children to taste
each and to choose their
favorite. Give each
child a small piece of
apple-shaped paper and
have him or her draw the
favorite food choice on
it. Use the apple
cut-outs to create a
graph, and then
encourage counting and
more-or-less questions.
YUUMMMM!!
--- Provide canned
biscuits and apple pie
filling. Flatten
biscuits and add a bit
of filling on half of
each one. Fold the other
half of the biscuit over
the filling and press
the edges closed. Bake
according to biscuit
directions for mini
apple pies.
--- Wash and cut 6
apples into bite-sized
pieces. Combine 1 cup of
raisins, �-cup yogurt,
and ½-cup whipped salad
dressing. Add apples and
mix well for
apple-raisin salad.
FOLLOWING
DIRECTIONS
--- Cut out apple shapes
from red, green, and
yellow construction
paper. Place them at
various spots in your
classroom. Gather the
children and let one or
two at a time search for
an apple. Give clues
such as, “It is near our
sink, but not in it.” Or
“Look high, look low,
look near the science
center when you go.”
Continue until everyone
has had a turn to find
an apple.
--- Use the same cut out
apple shapes to help
children practice
listening skills and
using location words.
Give each child an apple
shape and a set of oral
directions: “Place your
apple over something,
under something, next to
something,” and so on.
Continue until everyone
has had a turn.
JOHNNY APPLESEED
Read a simple biography
about Johnny Appleseed.
Give each child a piece
of red, green, or yellow
construction paper. Have
each child use half of
an apple to make an
apple print on his or
her paper. Tell students
that apple print will be
Johnny Appleseed’s face.
Invite students to add
eyes and a mouth to the
face. Then encourage
students to complete the
picture by adding a pot
for Johnny’s hat, a
body, and a seed bag.
Display students’
pictures by hanging them
in alternating colors
red, yellow, green, red,
yellow, green, and so
on.
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