Apples, Apples Everywhere

Here in Virginia, it's apple picking time at all the local orchards. Time for apple pie, apple cider, apple dumplings, and the list goes on... yum! So of course, we threaded lots of apple activities into our class.

We were learning about our five senses in science, so this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate all of them. First, we explored apples with our sense of sight, smell, and touch. The students shook the apples to see if they made a sound, and then determined they did not. When we taste tested the apples, we talked about the sound they made as we crunched them!

Of course, after we tasted the apples we voted and graphed our favorite kind! Then we made these apples that I saw here  from Under the Big Top.

We also read Ten Apples Up On Top and stacked apples on top of our pictures based on the number of letters in our names.

We also read about Johnny Appleseed!

Of course, we had to be crafty for the sake of being crafty too. I like to find quick, fun crafty things that the kids can do with a volunteer or sub while I do guided reading (or attend a county meeting). 

My new Fall Math Stations include some apple-y fun, so they fit in perfectly!

You better believe we made applesauce. It's such a memorable experience and it's the perfect springboard for writing and science. For our applesauce, first, we read the book Applesauce Season by Eden Ross Lipson. Then, we made our own applesauce! I kept ours as simple as humanly possible. 

25 apples, peeled and chopped

1/8 cup sugar (you can even leave out the sugar--my apples weren't the sweetest so I opted to add it)

Splash of apple cider

Cinnamon

We make it right on our classroom rug. The students took turns stirring it and adding either some apples, sugar, cinnamon, or apple cider. Then, we put the crock pot out of reach and let it cook on high for about 6 hours. 

It made our classroom smell AMAZING. The kids devoured it!

We also slipped in some just-for-fun activities that I tried with my son and I knew that the kids would get a kick out of. First up, we made this green apple play dough recipe that comes from From Playdough to Plato.  Does it look like a mess? Well, it was. But it didn't have to be! I accidentally loaded a ton of cornstarch and from that point there was no turning back. :) The kids still had fun with it! 

I tried it with Jackson the night before, so I know that it can turn out beautiful and soft and perfect if you're careful not to go overboard with the corn starch! From this creamy texture, just add cornstarch bit by bit until you can form it into a ball. :)

And we even made an apple volcano from Growing a Jeweled Rose. You can imagine how this went over. :) We used this as our shared experience before writing. 

 I hope you enjoyed reading about our apple fun! Maybe you'll try some of these in your own classroom!