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Theme: Fall
Munchy, Crunchy Apples
Objective: Children will explore apples, including how they ripen in the fall, and learn about the parts of an apple tree.
‹ Return to ThemeWhat You Will Need
- Red, green, and yellow apples (e.g., McIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, etc.) – 1 red, 1 green, and 1 yellow per every 8 children
- Wine corks – at least 1 per 2 children
- Paper towel tubes – one per child (Cut two 1” slits at one end of each tube. The slits should be at 12:00 and 6:00.)
- Glue or glue sticks
- Scissors
- Small paper plates – 2 per child
- Knife (to cut the apples)
- Red and green paint
- White construction paper – 1 sheet per child
- Picture of an apple tree
What To Do
- Display the picture of the apple tree and the apples. Cut open a red, a yellow, and a green apple and talk about the apples (see Did You Know and Guiding Student inquiry).
- Give each child a paper plate containing one slice each of a red, a yellow, and a green apple. Have the children taste and compare the apples (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
- Cut one apple treetop shape out of white construction paper for each student or trace the shape and have the children cut their own.
- Pour a small amount of green paint onto the remaining paper plates and give one to each child.
- Have the children use a finger or a thumb to make fingerprints all over the white treetop shape to represent the leaves.
- Add a small amount of red paint to the paper plates and have the children use the corks to stamp apples among the fingerprint leaves.
- Give one paper towel tube to each child. This is the trunk of the tree.
- When the painted treetops are dry, let the children slide their treetops into the slits in the tubes.
Guiding Student Inquiry
- Explain what is the same/different about these apples.
- Describe what apples look like – shape, color, and size.
- Tell me what the inside of the apple looks like.
- What parts of the apple can we eat? Are there parts that we cannot eat?
- Which apple do you like better?
- Tell me some things that you eat that are made out of apples or have apples in them.
- Why are apples ripe in the fall?
- Explain how apples grow.
Explore, Extend and Integrate
- Make a bar graph to show the number of children that liked the taste of each color of apple.
- Make applesauce or apple juice as a cooking activity.
Check for Children’s Understanding
- Could children explain the parts of an apple?
- Could children explain how apples grow?
- Was each child able to create an apple tree including a trunk, leaves, and apples?
Did You Know?
Apples are fruits that are grown all over the world. There are more than 7,500 kinds of apples. Apples come in a variety of colors such as red, green, and yellow. Apples are grown in all 50 of the United States. There are approximately 2,500 types of apples grown in the U.S. The major apple-producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and Virginia.
Common Core State
Standards Initiative
These lessons are aligned with the Common Core State Standards ("CCSS"). The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of the concepts and skills children are expected to learn and guide teachers to provide their students with opportunities to gain these important skills and foundational knowledge.**
Did You Know?
Apples are fruits that are grown all over the world. There are more than 7,500 kinds of apples. Apples come in a variety of colors such as red, green, and yellow. Apples are grown in all 50 of the United States. There are approximately 2,500 types of apples grown in the U.S. The major apple-producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and Virginia.
Apples grow on small deciduous trees all over the United States. Apple trees come from the tiny seeds inside an apple. In the spring, apple trees blossom with white or pink flowers. Apples develop from these flowers. Apples are ready to be picked in the fall when they are fully ripe. Different types of apples are grown for different tastes and uses such as cooking, eating fresh, and making cider.
Vocabulary
- apple — a round fruit that has red, green, or yellow skin; apples grow on trees.
- seed — the little part of a plant that grows into a new plant.
- fruit — the part of a plant that has seeds and flesh; most fruits can be eaten, and they are usually sweet.
- deciduous — having leaves that drop off each year.
- leaf — a flat growth from the stem or branch of a tree or plant; leaves are usually green.
- trunk — the main stem of a tree.
Lesson Tips
- If you are unable to get wine corks for this project, the children can use the tips of Styrofoam packing noodles, the lids of magic markers, or the plastic caps from soda bottles.
Books
- The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
- Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss
- How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
- Applesauce by Shirley Kurtz
Important Legal Disclosures and Information
While we believe that the books and resources recommended may be of value to you, keep in mind that these are suggestions only and you must do your own due diligence to determine whether the materials are appropriate and suitable for your use. PNC has no sponsorship or endorsement agreement with the authors or publishers of the materials listed.
There are currently no Common Core Standards for pre-k, but these lessons are aligned as closely as possible to capture the requirements and meet the goals of Common Core Standards. However, these lessons were neither reviewed or approved by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices or the Council of Chief State School Officers, which together are the owners and developers of the Common Core State Standards.
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