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

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Investigations With Me

Yesterday's articles featured all sorts of apple craftivities.  Today's apples incorporate a bit of science and math.  Whenever I started a themed unit, I always began by reading some interesting books. 

To cover all sorts of genre, I included fiction as well as non fiction stories, and sprinkled in some poems and songs too.  To get a list of my apple books, click on the link.  Another thing I did, was to do some research of my own.

One of my favorite things about the Internet, is the incredible amount of material on the web.  People have spent hours sharing their knowledge and ideas, and I'm grateful. 

I absolutely LOVE doing research and finding out interesting information about the things my students will be studying.  I'm always amazed at the amount of "cool stuff" that I also learn along the way. 

While doing research for my apple unit, I compiled a list of 125 interesting facts about apples, and thought I'd share it with you. 

Highlight the facts you want to share with your students.  After you read the information, test students' comprehension, by having them write 3 facts down on the recording sheet that's provided. 

They could also add facts to some of the art projects discussed yesterday, like writing information on a paper chain for the 3D apple "dangler" activity.  Click on the link to grab your copy of the 125 Interesting Apple Facts.

A quick, easy and fun way to get some science into your lessons, is to cover the life cycle of an apple. 

For hands-on learning, I've designed 4 different "craftivities" to show the life cycle of an apple. 

Completed projects make awesome bulletin boards, or decorations for your hallway. (Suspend them from the ceiling, as a border along a wall.)

The first packet features an apple, apple pie, and apple tree option. 

You can choose which you feel is most age-appropriate, or give older students a choice.  Click on the link for the Life Cycle of an Apple packet. 

This packet will be FREE for an entire year (!) after which time, it will be up-dated and rolled into my 33-page Life Cycle of an Apple Activities packet in my TpT shop.

The fourth option, is an apple "dangler" because once completed, it looks terrific dangling from the ceiling. 

I made it 3 dimensional by doubling up on the tree and apple cut outs (folding and gluing them together) and making the apple blossom out of a coffee filter that I edged with pink marker.  

Click on the link for the Life Cycle of an Apple Dangler craft.

Finally, for some apple math activities, I designed the apple investigations packet.  It will help your students learn about measurement.

Children measure height, weight, width and circumference of their apple. They trace and write vocabulary-building words, predict, answer questions, plus collect and analyze data.

As you can see, a lot of standards are covered in this simple booklet.  Click on the link above, to grab your FREEBIE.  

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  For another fun writing prompt "craftivity" scroll down to the next blog article to take a look at the Johnny Appleseed packet.

I'm writing this early Saturday morning so that it will automatically go live on Sunday.  I really try to limit my computer time on the weekends.  Having family coming over for a day of swimming, certainly helps me "behave".  I'm off to get ready for some memory-making fun. 

"You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed." -Unknown

14 pages.

There are 3 Life Cycle of an Apple craftivities in this packet + 2 different apple life cycle templates to choose from.  Children can color, cut and glue their life cycle to an apple, apple tree, or apple pie plate, or use the photographs instead of the coloring clip art.

This packet will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be up-dated and rolled into my 33-page Life Cycle of an Apple Activities packet in my TpT shop.

1-2-3 Come Sequence The Life Cycle Of An Apple With Me!

I liked to do several life cycle "craftivities" for our apple unit.  After several hands-on activities, the sequence eventually got into everyones head.  Cutting and glueing are wonderful fine motor skills that need plenty of practice, so I made several ways for you to use the life cycle of an apple printables.

For a quick and easy table top activity, run off the “Sequencing the Life Cycle of an Apple” worksheet.  Make sure you print a color copy for your demonstration model.  Students cut off the bottom and then cut and glue the individual pictures to the matching ordinal number position at the top of the paper. Before hand, point out to students, that the pictures are numbered.

When everyone has completed their project, use the “teacher cards” on your word wall or pocket chart, to reinforce and review the life cycle (science) as well as the new vocabulary. This is a great time to cover ordinal numbers as well.

If you’d like to involve math, have students choose a partner and take turns rolling a die.  Whatever number they roll, is the piece that they cut and glue.  If they roll a six, they lose their turn.  The first child who completes their apple life cycle, or the one who has the most squares glued on when the timer rings, is the winner.  All children should complete their paper.

To involve a bit more cutting, plus listening and following directions skills, pre-cut red, yellow and light green construction paper into 11 by 4 inch strips.  Give students a color choice.  They cut “slits” on their ordinal number template; the “doors” will then flip up.  So that children don’t snip off their “fllip-up’s” remind them to STOP cutting when they run out of a line to follow.

Students rub a line of glue along the top of their ordinal number rectangle (this is the title portion) and glue it to their piece of construction paper.

Children press on the folds to crease them, so that they easily flip up.  Students glue the appropriate picture under each flap.  When everyone is done, to make sure that students have the correct order, review the life cycle.

Click on the link to view/download The Life Cycle of an Apple activities.

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"All of the things we achieve are things we have first of all imagined." -David Malouf