1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Activities With Me!

Learning about apples is one of my students' favorite units.  It's a great way to plug in all sorts of science too. Today's blog features 3 of my newest apple packets. 

First up is "Life Cycle Of An Apple Activities". This packet includes a variety of quick, easy & fun, “Print & Go” activities that will help your students learn about the apple's life cycle.

Choose which one is appropriate for your kiddos, or give them a choice.
They are different enough so that you can do several: one to introduce your lesson, another to reinforce it, then later to assess.

You could also do one in class, then tuck another in backpacks for homework. They are great for early finishers and a sub tub too.

The packet includes:

* A Life Cycle of an Apple Wheel, which comes in full color so you can explain the science, then use as an independent center.
There’s also one in black and white, so that students can make their own.

* For a center, there’s a Life Cycle of an Apple “puzzle pie”, as well as…

* A Life Cycle of an Apple worksheet-poster, with a variety of options, plus 2 completed teacher samples you can use to explain what you want your students to do, or leave in your center so students can self-check their work.

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.  I’ve included a poster for the center of your display.

* There's also a set of sequencing cards for the apple’s life cycle. These can also be used for a Memory Match or “I Have; Who Has?” game.

* Create more games by using the life cycle word cards, ordinal number cards and the ”Kaboom!" cards, plus you can add the cover to make an "Itty Bitty" Life Cycle of an Apple Booklet.

* Finally, use the colorful life cycle of an apple bookmarks, as a mini- certificate of praise, which students can refer to as they share what they've learned with their families.

Next up is an apple-shaped “flip” booklet, which is a quick, easy and fun way to teach the life cycle of an apple as well.

I’ve included full-color patterns so you can quickly & easily make a sample to share, as well as a BW version for students.

Simply run off the whole apple “cover” on red, yellow & lime green construction paper.  (There are 2 options: One with graphics, the other with just words.)

The inside life cycle “pages” are 2-on-a-page to conserve paper.

There are adorable boy & girl graphic options to make the booklet more personal.

I purposely made the booklet just 2 pages long, so this would be a simple activity that can be done in a short amount of time.

Children color, trim, and glue their pages to the right hand side of the apple base, then add the cover.

When everyone is done, read the picture booklet as a whole group to review the science vocabulary, and solidify the life cycle's sequence. 

Finally, I think you will really enjoy the versatility of The "Itty Bitty" Apple Booklet packet.

My kiddos absolutely love “Itty Bitty” booklets.

I call them that because my pattern has 4 small pages on a one-page template, making the completed booklet “just the right size” for my students.

Because the booklet is little, children are not overwhelmed with a lot of worksheets, but instead, enjoy working on the mini pages.  It's a super-fun alternative to the "same old-same old worksheet".

Even though I just assign a few pages, many of my students ask if they can do more! The booklet keeps everything nice, neat and organized too, plus printing’s a breeze conserving paper and ink.

Another advantage of this packet is that you get to design your own booklet to suit your students’ levels and reinforce the skills you want them to practice.

It’s also super-simple to diversify which helps slower learners feel comfortable, while choosing other pages to challenge your brighter kiddos.

I’ve included 80 different options ( ! ) so your kiddos can practice a variety of math & language arts standards.
Assemble a “big” Itty Bitty booklet, with a variety of pages, or make several for the different subjects.  

They can be used for morning work, Daily 5 word work, a math center, for homework, early finishers or tucked in a sub tub.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has an apple theme, which will help you explain the 4 seasons by using a seasonal apple tree poster and worksheet. 

It's a great activity to transition to after reading the story, "The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree" by Gail Gibbons.  I hope you find it useful. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

Gotta dash, getting my haircut in an attempt to beautify myself for an upcoming wedding. Wishing you a stress free and relaxing day.

"Just because you find one bad apple, doesn't mean you should give up on the whole tree." -Unknown

I know I'm late in posting this, as September has gone by faster than its usual speed of light for me, but I wanted to finish up with apples, before I move on to other fall-themed units.

I figure apples fit well with my harvest theme for October, so I usually throw in a few extra apple activities that I didn't have time to cover earlier. It's also great to compare and contrast apples with pumpkins too. 

Any hoo, I had so much fun redesigning two of my all-time favorite life cycle of an apple crafts, and tossing in an emergent reader to round out the activities in my latest fall packet: Life Cycle of an Apple Activities.

I think you’ll love the versatility, as it’s appropriate for a variety of ages and levels, with lots of options.

The Life Cycle of an Apple emergent reader, is great non-fiction practice that reinforces plenty of sight words, as it includes 31 from the Dolch word lists!
Picture prompts help with the other words.

I’ve included a color copy for teachers, as well as a student copy in black & white.

Children trace and write the life cycle words, read the simple sentences, color the pictures, then cut & collate the pages into a “just the right size” booklet.

There’s a template with 6 on a page, as well as one with 12 mini-pages on a one-page template, so that you have the option to make Itty Bitty booklets, that are a real paper-saver.

To assist with reading, review the life cycle of an apple, with the 8 colorful pocket chart cards.

I also made a bookmark-size template for your students.

The 2 apple craftivities also reinforce the life cycle. Nothing like a hands-on artsy activity to get your kiddos excited.

I’ve included a simple 4-section life cycle, as well as a more detailed one, with 7 sections. I feature both options in the photographs.

Completed projects look awesome dangling from the ceiling, as there is a front & back for each project.

Choose either the apple with a sweet fingerprint poem, or the equally adorable apple pie.  Here's the poem:

"There's a star inside my apple!  It's a miracle indeed, that a sweet and yummy apple was once a little seed. This one is extra special.  It's made with TLC.  The seeds are from my fingerprints, as you can plainly see."

I made the leaf 3D by folding an extra one in half then gluing it to the flat one. For that finishing touch, have students glue their school photo on the leaf. 

The life cycle of an apple, on a small paper plate, covered with aluminum foil, also turned out really cute. I spritzed ours with apple-cinnamon air freshener! Our room smells fabulous! 

The back of the "pie" has the life cycle, and the front features the "Life Cycle of an Apple" title circle.  Since the apples end up in a pie, I thought I'd dangle a slice "Oh my! Apple pie." to complete the cycle. 

I hope your kiddos enjoy doing these activities as much as mine did. An added bonus, is the wonderful compliments you’ll get from appreciative parents, who’ll love this special keepsake!

Click on the link to pop on over to my little TpT shop to take a peek at this 33-pager: Life Cycle of an Apple Activities packet. 

While you're there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd click on the "Follow Me" button; then you'll know when I post Diane's Dollar Deals, new stuff, and FREEBIES too.

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's featured free item, is a fall-themed "Shapely Graphing" packet.  Reinforce graphing, shapes and colors all in one worksheet!  Can I get an Amen!?

The teacher's answer keys are in full color to save you a ton of time, while the student worksheets are in black and white.

It's the newest FREEBIE in my store; I thought it fit the blog today because it has an apple graph, then slides us into the rest of my fall themes: pumpkins, leaves and spiders. Click on the link above to grab it.

Well that's it for today.  If March roars out like a lion or lamb, then September is bidding adieu like a beach ball. 

It's a beautiful sunny day in the 70's, and time to take my poodle pup, Chloe, for a much-needed trot around the block.  Wishing you a blessed week. 

"Designers want me to dress like spring, in billowing things.  I don't feel like spring.  I feel like a warm red autumn." -Marilyn Monroe