SEPTEMBER THEMES

APPLE THEME
Literature
Read and discuss a combination of the following books or poems.

BOOKS
Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg
The Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki
A Book of Fruit by Barbara Hirsch Lember
Picking Apples and Pumpkins by Amy & Richard Hutchings.

POEMS

McIntosh Apple by Steven Kroll
Pie Problem by Shel Silverstein

Both poems can be found in THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF POETRY FOR CHILDREN


WRITING

Use the Apple Shape Book Pattern to make a shape book for each child. On them day, you can use the following samples or let children write their own. Write a senctence on each page and illustrate it. Guide students, using the suggested samples and allowing the students to think their sentences through. Ask the following Questions: What do we put at the beginning of the sentence? What goes at the end? What does the word start with? What letters makes that sound? Note where phonics rules are not followed, special punctuation, etc.

KINDS OF APPLES

Some Apples are red.
Some apples are green.
Some apples are yellow.
Some apples are in between.
I like _____________ apples best.

THINGS MADE FROM APPLES

I like apples... Apple pie, Apple juice, Applesauce, Candied Apples, And just plain apples.


PATTERNS

Have students trace the patterns and then color their tracings at this station. Patterns

of leaves, apples, trees, and baskets. Students trace around the outside edges of these patterns.


COOKING

APPLE TARTS
3-4 Rolls of sugar cookie dough
4 cups presliced apples, in resealable plastic bag
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 T cinnamon
nutmeg to taste
3-4 sticks of butter or maragine

Materials:
2-3 cookie sheets
2 spatulas
1 paring knife
2 butter knives
paper towels
baking cups
measuring spoons
teaspoon

DIRECTIONS
give each child a 1/2 inch slice of cookie dough. Have them work the dough into a smal bowl shape. Place the cookie bol into a baking cup. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of finely sliced apples into the cookie bowl. Sprinkle with sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg and dot with butter. Bake 350 degrees oven for 8-10 minutes. Watch Carefully!


GRAPHING
Prepare the following ahead of time: Slice the red, yellow and green apples and store each type separately in a plastic bag. For each student you will need one slice of each type of apple. Make three-columned graph on butcher paper or poster board. On the bottom, add labels for the three types of apples.
On Apple Day:
Let students in your group taste a slice of each kind of apple and choose which apple slices they like the best.

Give each student a self-stick note. Have students write their names on the notes and place them in a column to indicate their favorite apple.

Have the students discuss the graph results. When finished, estimate how many seeds an apple has. Open one up and count.


WORD PROBLEMS

Provide students with paper, pencils and crayons.

Have students work a problem together before tying them on their own. The helper can do this by using the mini chalkboard to illustrate. Ask students to illustrate the problem first and then find the solution.

If students are still having problems, ask them questions sucha s the following:
What facts are given?
How can we use those facts to find the answer

If necessary, do the problem with the students on the chalkboard, but do not do it for them.

WORD PROBLEMS


Apple Stationery

Apple Word Flash Cards

Apple Picture Flash Cards

Picture Sequence Cards 1

Picture Sequence Cards 2

Sentence Sequence Cards

Apple Name Tag,Bookmark, Game