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.

4 pages.

Add that extra touch of pazzazz by running apple die-cuts through a crinkler.  This is a wonderful fine motor skill that will strengthen hand and finger muscles.  Simply insert the paper into the roll and crank.  The roller will press into the paper so that it will come out looking like corrugated cardboard.

5 pages.

This apple craftivity reinforces an ABC-ABC pattern, as well as the fact that apples can be red, yellow or green. This activity will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be up-dated and included in my jumbo, 56-page Apple Colors packet in my TpT shop.

3 pages.

A quick and easy "craftivity" to reinforce the concept of 3D, as well as the fact that apples can be red, yellow or green.  When you rub the apple-topped pencil between the palms of your hands, it will twirl. 

3 pages.

A lovely fine motor skill "craftivity."

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple "Craftivities" With Me

Studying apples was one of my very favorite units.  Apples can be used across the board for every subject.  I especially enjoy designing hands-on apple lessons that help students practice their fine motor + listening and following direction skills.  Because my room was on the far end of the school, one of the corridors provided a hallway to myself!  I LOVED decorating it to the hilt, with my students' "mess-terpieces"; we always received tons of compliments too.

To introduce, and encourage rhyming, I like to make up poems and songs to familiar tunes.  I used the tune of 3 Blind Mice for the Apples Apples Apples dangler.  It reinforces the concept of small-medium and large, as well as the fact that apples can be red, yellow or green.  Older students can also label the parts of an apple.

To make this even more special, have students glue their photo to the leaf, and press their pinkie finger on a brown stamp pad, to make the 5 seeds in the center of their apple.  Making a brown construction paper loop for a stem, adds pizzazz, and makes it easy to hang these from the ceiling. Click on the link to veiw/download the Apples Song Dangler.

Small squares of red, yellow and green tissue paper, collaged on a card stock apple, also provides great fine motor skill practice.  The results are truly amazing. For a high gloss finish, gently paint the top of the apple, with watered-down Elmer's white glue, or Modge Podge.  For that extra bit of pizzazz, add a scrap of calico fabric and a button. Click on the link to view/download the Tissue Paper Apple Activity.

If you've cut apples using an Ellison die-cut machine, save the outside "frame."  For an "instant" apple, put the "frame" on top of the tissue paper collage.  If you want these to have a "stained glass" look, collage the tissue squares on a sheet of wax paper, trim and hang in the window.

Another quick & easy craftivity your students can do, to reinforce the concept of 3D, as well as the fact that apples come in 3 colors, is to have them make an apple pencil topper. 

I call these apple twirlers, because you can rub the pencil between the palms of your hands and make the apple twirl. 

To make one, run off the apple template on red, green and yellow construction paper.  Students trim their apples, fold them in half and then glue each half together til they have a 3 dimensional apple, whose "faces" are red, green and yellow.   This is a teachable "fraction" moment, to cover the terms "whole" and "half."  While the glue is still wet, students slide their apple onto the top of their pencil.   Click on the link to view/download the Pencil Apple Twirler.  

A spin off of this activity, is a tri-colored apple paper chain.  Instead of putting their apple on top of a pencil, students add a seed center to each face, punch a hole at the base, make a yarn loop and attach yellow, red and green paper chain links.  Review an ABC-ABC pattern with your students, as well as odd and even numbers. 

They can make their chains as long as they have time for. Older students can write an apple fact on each one of the strip before they link them up.  Click on the bolded link above to view/download this craftivity.

Finally, to add a bit of pizzazz to your apple cut-outs, and help students strengthen their finger muscles, use a hand held crinkler, to give papers the look of corregated cardboard.

You can buy these rollers at any hobby store.  They retail for around $18, but watch for weekly 40%-50% off coupons and get one then. 

Students simply insert their paper into the roller and crank away.  My Y5's LOVED doing this, and nick named the machine "Mr. Cruncher Muncher." Click on the link for the pattern.

Thanks for visiting today; feel free to PIN away!  If you'd like to check out all of the awesome-educational items that I spend way too much time pinning, click on the heart to your right.   I try and blog every day.  Hope you can pop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIE!

"When you change the way you see things, the things you see change." -Unknown

8 pages

Reinforce the 3 colors of an apple, the concept of small, medium and large; practice fine motor + listening & following direction skills; while covering rhyming, with this apple song dangler.   Completed projects look delightful hanging from your ceiling.  This activity will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be up-dated and included in my jumbo, 56-page Apple Colors packet in my TpT shop.  For your convenience, I've included a PREVIEW here.

1-2-3 Come Spy Some Apple Fractions With Me

Whenever I do a theme, I try to incorporate a variety of standards, that encompass all of my subjects.  Because fractions are sometimes difficult for younger kiddo's to understand, it's very important to SHOW these math concepts, and then to reinforce them, by having students follow up with several hands-on activities.  If you teach first grade, these fraction lessons will help with the Common Core State Standard: 1.G.3

There's nothing like food to grab a child's attention, so I suggest showing children a variety of apples, explaining that they are not only red, which many of them think, but yellow and green as well.

Display an uncut apple and explain that it is a WHOLE apple, then cut the apple down the middle and explain that now the apple is cut in half, and that 2 halves make a whole.  Show this by putting the two pieces back together. 

Ask children if any one knows how many pieces you'll have, if you cut the apple in quarters, then show them, by cutting the apple in half and then in half again.  Count the 4 pieces; review that one of the 4 pieces of an apple is called a quarter or 1 fourth.  Rubberband the 4 pieces together, to show that 4 pieces equal a whole apple.  Ask your students to choose a partner and explain what they have just learned to each other. 

While they are doing that, cut up the apples so that everyone can have a little bite of each kind.  Tell them to remember which colored apple was their favorite, so you can graph the results.  If you'd like a copy of this apple graph as well as all sorts of other apple graphing templates, (22 different apple graphs) click on the link.

Later, to reinforce and practice fractions, students put together an apple flip-up booklet.  To make one, run off the printable on red, yellow and green construction paper. 

Children choose a color and fold it in half horizontally.  This is another opportunity to review the word half with them, as well as what horizontal means.  Students cut the top "doors" so that they will "flip up."  Remind students to open their paper, so they are less likely to cut the bottom one at the same time they are slitting the top.

Children write their name on the front of their apple flip up booklet and glue apple pictures under the "doors" to match the fraction words on the top.  When everyone has completed their "flip up" review as a whole group. 

Included in this packet, is also a trace and write apple fraction booklet, so that the math vocabulary is reinforced in yet another way.  This is a great activity for your Daily 5 Word Work. There are matching apple fraction pocket or word wall word cards as well.  Click on the link to view/download the Apple Fraction Packet. 

If you feel students need more practice, or you'd like a quick review, follow up the next day by having them do the apple pie flip up or the apple pie trace and write booklet.  Click on the link to view/download the Apple Pie Fraction Packet.

At the end of the day, I review things that we've learned, using anchor charts.  After we go over the concepts, I let children help decide where we should hang the latest posters.  Click on the link to view/down load the Fraction Anchor Chart Posters.

Because my Y5's especially enjoyed "craftivities" (great for fine motor skill practice) I often set up a more "artsy" center, for students who completed their table top lesson. 

These independent centers were highly motivating for students to get down to business and complete their work, so they could make "something special."  To avoid hurt feelings, children who ran out of time, got to collect the "pieces" and materials for the project to take home.

The Fraction Apple Flip craftivity is perfect for these independent centers. Click on the link to view/download it. 

To make one, simply run off the templates on red, lime green and yellow construction paper.  Students cut and collate their apple so that the 1/4 is on the top, followed by the half and then the whole apple.  Staple the corner and review.  I've included a stem and leaf template to make the fraction sections look like an apple.  Pre-cut these for students to glue to the top-back of their apple.

Finally, games are a terrific way to practice life skills, as well as reinforce standards, in an interesting and fun way.  This "Spin to Win" game, is called Apple Fraction Action. 

Students can play indepently, or in a group of 2 or 3. Whatever apple they land on, they mark an x under the matching fraction apple on their graph.  When the timer rings, students total up their columns and circle which apple they have spun the most. 

I've included a whole class graph as well, so you can review, by charting everyone's answers. Click on the link to view/download the Apple Fraction Action game.

Thanks for visiting today!  As always, feel free to PIN away.  To ensure that "pinners"  return to THIS blog article, click on the green title at the top; it will turn black, now click on the "Pin it" button located on the menu.  If you'd like to see all of the really creative and educational things I spend way too much time pinning, click on the heart to your right.

I blog and design every day; hope you can pop back tomorrow for the newest freebie(s).

"Treat a [student] as he is, and he will remain as he is.  Treat him as he can and should be, and he will become, as he can and should be." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

6 pages. Common Core State Standards: 1.G.3

Reinforce your students understanding of fractions as well as graphing with this Apple Fraction Action spinner game.  Children can play individually or in a group of 2 or 3.  They take turns spinning, marking an X under the fraction apple on their graph.  I've also included a whole-class graph to total up everyone's results.

10 pages. Common Core State Standard: 1.G.3

Help students understand fractions by using an apple pie.  While cutting a whole pie, into halves and then fourths, explain each fraction.  To reinforce math concepts and new vocabulary, students make an apple fraction flip up booklet.  A trace and write apple fraction booklet is also included, with matching apple fraction pocket or word wall word cards.