Sunday, June 19, 2011

Way Up High in the Apple Tree

I know it's not fall yet, but I couldn't resist posting some of my Apple Unit. It is one of my absolute favorite units! I know that the main reason I just love doing the unit is because it ends with a fabulous visit to County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN.. http://www.countylineorchard.com/ If you live anywhere near County Line, I HIGHLY recommend visiting. Walking around and picking your own apples is just part of what makes it great....without a doubt what draws my husband and I there is the great food! We spend the day picking apples, snacking on apple doughnuts and fresh grilled corn, and shopping. It always turns out to be a great fall day!


I hope you find some things you can use! Thanks so much for reading!
Shannon


My Apple Unit that is linked to the Common Core can be purchased here...


All documents contain fonts that are copyright DJ Inkers. Virtually all documents contain graphics that are copyright DJ Inkers. They are used with permission. Please visit http://www.djinkers.com/, for wonderful clipart and fonts.


All the freebies can be purchased in one easy to download file here...

Kindergarten Hoppenings {Apples Blog Favorites}

 
 



Unit plan...
Apple Unit


Books We Love
Product DetailsProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct Details


The Literacy Goods
This is our Apples Class book. I mount the cover to tag board or construction paper and laminate it. Students write their name in the banner, fill in the color of their favorite kind of apple, and then illustrate their page. I take all the pages and bind them for our classroom library.
Apples Class Book


Sight Word Color by Code

Apples Book

These are Alphabet Concentration Cards. Cut apart and laminate. You can use them for whole group matching or as a center.
Apple Alphabet Concentration

I Have/Who Has is one of our favorite games to play as a group throughout the year! This apple edition helps students with lowercase letter recognition.
I Have Who Has Apple Edition

This is a worksheet to help students identify initial sounds in words. For those that use Jolly Phonics, I used the first set of sounds that are introduce in the program.
Beginning Sounds Match Up

This is a sound recognition game. Copy the apples on cardstock, cut, and laminate prior to use. Have students sit in a large circle. You can put the apples in a small basket or on a large cut out tree in the center of your circle. Teach the students the chant "Apples, apples nice and round. Pick an apple and make its sound!" Allow each child to choose an apple. The apples can also be used for ABC order in a large group or as a center!
Apple Sounds

The Math Goods
These are number mats. Students place the specified number of apples on the tree.


Apple Tree Number Mats 1-15

Patterning Worksheet (there are three levels of difficulty).
Apple Patterns

Roll an Apple is a dice game. Students roll a single die and then fill in the corresponding apple. They only get to fill in one apple each roll. Students can use crayons, markers, or the ever so popular...Do-a-Dot Markers to fill in the apples.
Roll an Apple Tree

The Apple Survey is more of a project. I have my high level students complete it; however, I am sure that students could be put into groups to complete it. It is a fun activity but does require students to visit other classrooms. In our school this is fairly easy because all the K rooms are in one hall.
Apple Survey

Here is the components of my "Do You Like Apples" graph. I use a piece of colored poster board. I glue the two apples to the corner with the title in the center and yes/no goes beneath the title. I use a dark marker to create the middle line of the graph. Students write their name on the small apple square and color it. Then we graph :)
Do You Like Apples Graph

The Comparing Apples Worksheet is completed as a whole group. I bring in three apples; one red, one yellow, and one green. I make sure they are 3 distinguishable sizes. We fill out the worksheet and taste each apple!
Comparing Apples Wksht

I don't have students bring in their own apples for this activity. I have students work in groups...so I am not cutting apart 21 apples. Each group gets an apple and each student completes their own worksheet.
Apple Seed Count Worksheet

Miscellaneous Goods
I love making various kinds of playdough throughout the school year for my Kinder-Hoppers! This is a recipe for Apple Pie Playdough. You certainly could make it with your students if you can use a burner. I just make it at home. I put it into a Ziploc bag and then into a brown bag and students smell and guess what is in the bag. Along with the recipe is a paper for you to fill out with students...like an Apple Recipe Book. It is soooo cute to see what they come up with!


Apple Recipe

For your little overachievers, students can play with the Apple Pie Playdough and create words. This is the worksheet that corresponds.
Playdough Words

Apple Investigation worksheet has two levels of difficulty. You can have students bring in their own apple or give each group an apple to work with (it definitely helps it cutting the apples).
Apple Investigation

This is an Apple Webquest for your high level students to complete as part of the unit.
Apple Webquest

My absolute FAVORITE art project during our apple unit has to be stained glass apples. They look gorgeous hanging on the windows!


We also do The Season's of an Apple Tree Project.

Listen and read from Scholastic.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/listen_read_27/apple-grows.asp

One of our absolute favorite songs!!!!

47 comments:

  1. This is awesome!!!! You thought of everything! Check out my apple alphabet file-folder game on TpT; it would be perfect for this unit!

    Thanks!
    Hadar
    Miss Kindergarten

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  2. Oh my goodness Shannon! This unit is AMAZING! Thank you so much for posting so many great printables and ideas :)

    ~Barbara
    www.mrskilburnkiddos.wordpress.com

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  3. Wow! Lots of great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

    Alessia
    mrsalbanesesclass.blogspot.com

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  4. Love it! I downloaded the apple concentration, patterning worksheet and beginning sounds sheet :)

    Thank you!

    Teachers Cannot Live By Apples Alone

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  5. This is great!!! I am really looking forward to using them!! :)

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  6. You are TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I do apples in September and now I have some new ideas to use!! Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much for sharing!! :o)

    Cindy

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  7. This is just absolutely FABULOUS!!! You are TOOOO generous!!! Thanks a MiLlIoN!!!!
    Little Warriors

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  8. Thanks SO SO SO MUCH! These activities will be fantastic for my Kinders! :)

    www.wildaboutkindergarten.blogspot.com

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  9. This looks awesome! But, I'm not able to download any of it. Scribd just goes in and out. I can see the page, but it says "private" then it blinks off. ???

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  10. These look great but I'm having the same problem as teachertam. Scribd says it's marked "private" and won't let me download anything. Help!

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  11. All should be fixed now. Sorry for the inconvenience!

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  12. Thanks Shannon! It must be really fun to be in your class!

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  13. Thank you Thank you Thank you!! You are the best!!!

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  14. I tried to download them yesterday and today with no luck. When I click on the red link, Scribd just blinks in and out. The document(s) never appears. I'm on a Mac. Should that make a difference? Any idea what I am doing wrong?

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  15. @teachertam, Unfortunately, I have heard of lots of problems downloading from Scribd with a Mac. I am a Mac-tard, so I wish I could offer some sound advice. I know my poor team member has to download from her laptop.

    I am sorry :(

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  16. Hi Shannon,
    These ideas are great!! I am looking forward to adding them to my apple unit. It is always nice to include new things rather than do the same thing each year and you have totally made that possible. Thank you so much for your willingness to share!
    Kari :)

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  17. What an awesome unit my teammates and I look forward to adding them next fall! Do you by any chance have a sample of your daily schedule posted anywhere on your blog? If not, would you mind sharing??
    Thanks so much for all your hard work!

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  18. Omgosh! You are amazing! I love the apple unit this will be great for me since my first unit going back to school is apples. I can't thank you enough for this amazing blog post. I will now be following your blog! I am in awe

    Please follow my blog at www.pocketfullofkinders.blogspot.com

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  19. Shannon! I love this unit! Thank you so much for sharing! I just printed off all your poems you've posted so far and I love them! I can't wait to see what you have coming! =) Hope you are enjoying your break and not working TOO hard!

    Jessica
    http://underthealphabettree.blogspot.com/

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  20. I can see why you've been nominated for awards! I teach year 2 so won't be using your ideas but I feel inspired your generosity/ sharing...

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  21. You are amazing! Thank you so much, this stuff is so wonderful!

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  22. Wow Shannon! You ARE just AWESOME!! Thank you soo soo much for sharing. I love doing apple units and can't wait to add some new things to it!! I would love to spend a day in your classroom!

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  23. I LOVE your blog! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Stacey

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  24. Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for sharing all of this! You have some fabulous ideas! I am so happy I found you, going to hit that "follow" button right now :)

    Jennifer @ Herding Kats In Kindergarten

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  25. What a great blog! I'm so glad I found it. Thank you for being so willing to share!

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  26. I am also going to hit the "follow" button as soon as I finish this comment! I can't wait to see what you come up with next!!!!

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  27. Oh My WORD!!! Thank you soooo much. My firsties will enjoy this. You're amazing!

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  28. We start apples next week for September. Can't wait to incorporate these new ideas!

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  29. @teachertam - I know I am late with us since I just found the blog, but I also have a mac and thought I would see if I can help. When using scribd, I have to use firefox as my browser. I don't know what you use, but thought I would see if this helps you out?

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  30. using so many of your ideas - thank you!!
    How do you do the stained glass apples? Those are incredible!

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  31. using so many of your ideas - thank you!!
    How do you do the stained glass apples? Those are incredible!

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  32. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I read this in June and thought, "I NEED to find this again in September." I can't wait to add your ideas to my apple unit.

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  33. Shannon, you should link up your post to my All About Apples {Linky Party}.

    Thanks so much for sharing your great resources! I can't wait to add them to my lessons this week and next! :)

    Blessings,
    Marlana
    Lil' Country Kindergarten

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  34. This is incredible. Thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful resources.

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  35. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am a preschool teacher and I was able to use so many of these!

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  36. Your blog site is amazing!!! I love the layout you created for your unit plans and lesson plans. Would you be willing to share a blank unit plan design?

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  37. OMG this stuff is amazing! I wish I had seen it last week when I was teaching apples! I will definitely use it next year! Thanks for sharing

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  38. Thanks Shannon! I just printed lots of great apple things to add to your unit I bought! I'm ready for a great apple week!
    Tonia
    mrsvento.blogspot

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  39. Hi Shannon! Thanks for posting your things! I am now following learning resources via pinterest and am following your blog too! I am totally FREAKED out by the stores having school supplies on the shelves so soon! It feels as though people try to rush through life when things are out 3 months in advance! I am already getting Halloween catalogs!!! YIKES!!!

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  40. Wow! Thanks so much! I just stumbled across your blog and love your apple resources! Lots of good updates for some of my tired looking things! Thanks for sharing! Even though it is only July, this has gotten me excited about school!

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  41. Would you please post directions on how you did your stained glass apples? Thank you so much!!

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  42. Thanks again for all your great posts. Love your blog! Your little man is super cute!

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  43. This is very good information a really nice blog. keep it up!!!


    Apple trees & Magnolia trees

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  44. EVERYTHING about this blog makes me happy. ALL THE THINGS.



    Apple Trees & Magnolia Trees


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