September 25, 2006: Apple Unit

Apples speak “autumn” to me like nothing else. I was raised in a home where apples where as important as oxygen. My father is a fifth-generation orchardist, a retired fruit breeder and professor at Cornell University, a consultant, and partner of Cummins Nursery. Three of my four brothers have, in some manner, followed in my father’s footsteps. It’s only natural that we do an apple unit study every couple of falls. I have not written this out in my traditional unit study format but rather have listed activities, recipes, rhymes, books, and other resources. If you want a great apple read as a parent, I recommend Frank Browning's Apples. Admittedly, I'm partial to this book because my father is mentioned several times, but it is an excellent and lyrical book about apples.

Information and Activities
• Buy as many different varieties of apples as possible. We came up with a total of 14 varieties from 3 different produce markets. Make a chart with various information on each apple: color, number of seeds in each apple, taste, etc.. First count the seeds in each apple and then tasted one slice from each apple. Describe the apple and write down your reactions (sweet, sour, mushy, crispy, bland etc.). We each picked a favorite and recorded that as well.
Save a slice from each apple to see which will take the longest to brown. Be sure you label each apple slice (you can do this by putting the slice on a labeled piece of paper.
Save a couple of seeds from a few different apples. Take 1 seed from each apple and place inside of a damp paper towel piece. Label. With the other seed from each apple, place in slightly damp soil. Label. Discuss what might happen. Watch and record data over the next few weeks.
Look at the stickers from the apples. Where are most apples grown? Check here for more information about apple commerce.
• Apple Facts
• “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”
• History of the Apple
• Read Robert Frost’s “After Apple picking": Write apple poems using various formulas (haiku, cinquain, couplets, etc.)
• Take a field trip to an apple orchard. Watch cider being made.

Apple Recipe Ideas
• Apple pie: Mix all kinds of varieties after your science projects.
• Applesauce: (Peel, core and quarter about 8 apples. Add 1/2-1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of water and 2 tsp. of cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, mashing often with a potato masher. Cook until desired texture.)
• Fried Apples: (Cut apples into slices. Fry in butter with 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1 T. cinnamon. Serve with biscuits.)
• Mini Pies: (one refrigerator biscuit per child, apple slices, cinnamon, sugar Have each student press out their biscuit. Take one apple from the filling and place to one side. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the apple. Fold in half. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top. Bake according to the biscuit package and enjoy.)
• Baked Apples: Cut apple in half and core. Fill core hole with a dab of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Put in microwave for up to 1 minute.
• Dried apples: Slice apples into rings and hang to dry for a week or more.
• Lot of recipes from FamilyFun.

Arts and Crafts
• Apple Mural/Acrostic: Make mural using apples to paint with. We just made a big sheet like wrapping paper with all kinds of apple prints. When dry, write A P P L E vertically down middle. Write words or phrases that describe apples by each one.
Ours:
A—autumn, aromatic
P—pretty pink petals
P—pie, Pink Lady
L—luscious
E—exciting, edible, excellent

• Enchanted Learning has all kinds of apple activities, from crafts to apple books, for all age levels.
• Carve apple heads. Soak in lemon juice and water for 1 hour. Hang to dry for 2-4 weeks.
• More apple craft ideas.

Books about Apples
Aliki. The Story of Johnny Appleseed
Anderson, LaVere. The Story of Johnny Appleseed
Asch, Frank. Oats and Wild Apples
Bennett, Denise. The Color Tree
Berger, Melvin. An Apple A Day
Blocksma. Apple Tree! Apple Tree!
Bourgeois. The Amazing Apple Book
Butler, Stephen. The Mouse and the Apple
Caseley. An Apple Pie and Onions
Cowley, Joy. The Apple
Curran, Eileen. Look At A Tree
Davies, Kay. My Apple
Demuth, Patricia. Johnny Appleseed
Dodd, Lynley. The Apple Tree
Eberle. Apple Orchard
Gibbons, Gail. The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Gleitner, Jan. Johnny Appleseed
Greenaway. Apple Pie
Greene. John Chapman: The Man Who Was Johnny Appleseed
Hale, Richard and Nicky Wilbur. Worm
Hall, Zoe. The Apple Pie Tree
Heuck. Who Stole the Apples?
Hodges, Margaret. The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed
Hogrogian, N. Apples
Hunt, Mabel. Better Known as Johnny Appleseed
Johnson, Hannah Lyons. From Appleseeds to Applesauce
Johnson, Sylvia. Apple Trees
Kellogg, Steven. Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale
Kozjak, Sarai. The Apple Tree That Would Not Let Go of Its Apples
Kurtz, Shirley. Applesauce
LeSeig, Theo. Ten Apples Up On Top
Lindbergh, Reeve. Johnny Appleseed
Little, J and Devries, M. Once Upon A Golden Apple
McMillan, Bruce. Apples: How They Grow
Maestro. How Do Apples Grow?
Marzollo, Jean. I Am an Apple
Micucci, Charles. The Life and Times of the Apple
Moon, Cliff and Bernice. Look At An Apple
Noble, Trinka Hakes. Apple Tree
Norman, Gertrude. Johnny Appleseed
Nottridge, Rhoda. Apples
Parnall, Peter. Apple Tree
Patent, Dorothy. An Apple a Day
Priceman, Marjorie. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
Rockwell, Ann. Apples and Pumpkins
Saunders Smith, Gail. Apple Trees
Scheer, Julian. Rain Makes Applesauce
Schneiper, Claudia. An Apple Tree Through the Year
Selsam. The Apple and Other Fruit
Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree
Slawson, Michele Benoit. Apple Picking
Thomas, Ulrich. Applemouse
Tryon, Leslie. Albert's Field Trip
Watson, Tom. Fox and the Apple Pie
Watts, Barrie. Apple Tree

Teacher Resources for Apples and Growing
Charles Micucci. The Life and Times of the Apple (Creative Teaching Press Apples)
Apples (Teacher Created Materials)
Paulette Bourgeois. The Amazing Apple Book


Finger Plays and Rhymes

Apple On A Stick
Apple on a stick, apple on a stick
I can lick it all day and not get sick.
Apple in a cup, apple in a cup
I can drink it all day and not fill up.
Apple in a crunch, apple in a crunch
I can eat it all day, it is so good to munch
Apple in a cake, apple in a cake
I can eat it all day with no tummy ache
Apple in a pie, apple in a pie
I can eat it all day and never cry.
Apple in a dish, apple in a dish
I can eat it all day, it's so delish!

Red Apple
A little red apple
Hung high in a tree
I looked up at it
And it looked down at me
"Come down, please" I called
And what do you suppose---
That little red apple
Dropped right on my nose!

Five Red Apples
Five red apples in a grocery store
Bobby bought one & then there were 4
Four red apples on an apple tree
Susie ate one & then there were 3
Three red apples. What did Alice do?
Why she ate one & then there were 2
Two red apples ripening in the sun
Tommy ate one, & now there was 1
One red apple & now we are done
I ate the last one & now there are none!

Five Little Apples Sitting On A Gate
Five little apples sitting on a gate.
The first one says, "Oh, my it's getting late.
The second one says, "Fall is in the air."
The third one says, "Don't worry my dear."
The fourth one says, "Let's run and run and run."
The fifth one says, "I'm ready for some fun."
Oooh, went the wind and out went the light
and the five little apples rolled out of sight!

Five Apples Sat on a Gate (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)
Five apples sat on a gate, five apples sat on a gate.
Heigh dee ho, dee high dee ho, Five apples sat on a gate.
The first apple said, "Hello", the first apple said, "Hello"...
Heigh dee ho, dee high dee ho, Five apples sat on a gate....
(continue counting apples down to one).

Climbing Up the Apple Tree
Climbing up the apple tree, (climb in place)
Swinging on a limb! (Raise arms above head, sway left and right)
If I hear a robin, I may (cup hand near ear)
Sing along with him! (sing tra la la)
And Robin, if you fly away, (Put hands over eyes)
Here's what I think I'll do: (Point with index finger)
I'll wish a pair of sparrow wings (gently flap arms at side and move around)
And fly away with you!"

Ten Red Apples
Here I have five apples. (hold up five fingers on right hand)
And here are five again. (hold up both hands)
How many apples altogether?
Why, five and five makes ten.

Eat an Apple
Eat an apple; (Bring right hand to mouth)
Save the core. (Close right hand in fist)
Plant the seeds. (Bend down touch hand to ground)
And grow some more. (Extend both arms out)

Picking Apples (Tune: Frere Jacques)
-use when picking up legos, blocks, etc.
Picking apples Picking apples
One by one
One by one
Put them in a basket
Put them in a basket
Oh, what fun! Oh, what fun!

All Around The Apple Tree
sung to the tune of Mulberry Bush
Here we go round the apple tree, the apple tree, the apple tree
Here we go around the apple tree
On a frosty morning.
This is the way we climb the ladder -pick the apples -wash the apples -peel the apples -cook the apples -eat the apples
On a frosty morning!

Here Is An Apple
Here is an apple(make circle with thumb and pointer)
and here is an apple(make circle with other thumb and pointer)
and a great big apple I see(Make circle with arms)
Now let's count the apples we've made (repeat above actions)
1- 2 - 3 !

Ten Red Apples
Ten red apples grow on a tree (Both hands high)
Five for you and five for me. (Dangle one hand & then the other)
Let us shake the tree just so (Shake body)
And ten red apples will fall below (Hands fall)
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. (Count each finger)

Worms In The Apple Tree
(Tune: Kookaburra)
Look at all the worms in the apple tree,
Eating all the apples they do see,
CRUNCH, when they eat their lunch,
There will be no apples left for me.
Look at all the birdies, they do call,
Eating all the worms up, one and all,
SLURP, little birdies burp,
Guess there will be apples after all.

Apple Tree Rhyme
Way up high in an apple tree (hold arms over head)
2 little apple smiled at me (hold up 2 fingers to cheeks)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (pretend to shake tree)
Down came 2 apples. Mmmm, they were good! ( rub stomach and smile)

Apple Poem
Apples big,
Apples small.
Guess what?
I like them all.

A Little Apple Seed
(Tune: Eensy, Weensy Spider)
Once a little appleseed was planted in the ground
Down came the raindrops, falling all around.
Out came the big sun, bright as bright could be
And that little apple seed grew to be an apple tree!

Tiny Apple Seed
(Tune: Insey Weensy Spider)
The tiny little apple seed was planted in the ground,
down came the rain, falling all around,
out came the sun, as bright as bright can be,
and the tiny little appleseed became an apple tree!

Use a flannelboard with this. Make a small brown seed, about 10 blue raindrops, a big yellow sun and the tree with red apples on it.

Apples Are Falling
(Tune: Are You Sleeping?)
Apples are falling, apples are falling
From the tree, from the tree.
Pick up all the apples, pick up all the apples,
One. two, three; one, two,. three.
(Use appropriate motions for actions)

Two Little Apples
Two little apples hanging on a tree
Two little apples smiling at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
Down came the apples
Mmmm were they good!

Apple Surprise
Way up high in the apple tree,
A little brown worm smiled at me.
I winked my eye, And what do you suppose?
A shiny, red apple dropped on my nose!

Five Red Apples
Five red apples hanging in a tree (Hold up five fingers)
The juiciest apples you ever did see.
The wind came by and gave an angry frown (Fingers flutter downward)
And one little apple came tumbling down (One finger falls)
Four red apples, hanging in a tree, etc.

Four Little Apples
Four little apples dancing in a tree, (Let four fingers dance)
They danced so long that they set themselves free. (Fingers fall)
They continued to dance as they fell to the ground
And there by some children these apples were found. "Oh!
Look at the rosy one! (Hold up one finger)
"It almost bounced!" "I'll take the red one!" (Hold up second finger)
Another announced.
The third child laughed as he chose the yellow one. (Hold up third finger)
"I'll take it to Mother, ‘cause she lets me have fun."
The fourth child put the last one on a tray (Put fourth finger in palm of left hand)
And carefully carried the green apple away.

Apple Tree
( Tune: Twinkle Twinkle)
Apple, apple tree so tall,
I can hardly wait till fall!
When your apples I can pick,
Fill my basket, eat them quick.
Apple, apple tree so tall, I can hardly wait till fall!
Apple ,apple tree so fair,
What do I see growing there!
Green and round and plump and sweet,
Soon they will be good to eat.
Apple, apple tree so fair,
What do I see growing there!

Do You Know the Apple Man?
(Tune: Muffin Man)
Do you know the Apple Man,
The Apple Man, the Apple Man,
Do you know the Apple Man,
Who likes to play with me?
Oh, he has a great big smile,
A great big smile, a great big smile,
Oh, he has a great big smile,
And likes to play with me.
Oh, he has a bright red face,
A bright red face, a bright red face,
Oh, he has a bright red face,
And likes to play with me.
Oh, he has a star inside, A star inside, a star inside,
Oh, he has a star inside, And likes to play with me.

Apple Roll Chant
5 little apples in the bowl
1 fell out and started to roll
It bumped the table and hit my feet!
How many apples left to eat?
4 little apples in the bowl...
3, 2, 1 little apple in the bowl.

Five Little Apples
Five little apples,not any more.(Count on fingers)
I give one to________(Child's name)
And now there are four.
Four little apples are what I see I give one to _____________,
And now there are three.
Three little apples for me and you.
I give one to_____________, And now there are two.
Two little apples: oh,what fun! I give one to ___________,
And now there is one. One little apple,only one.
I give one to _________, And now there are none.

Johnny Appleseed
Thank You Johnny Appleseed
We owe you quite a lot
For the apples that you planted
With a walking stick and cooking pot.
Your seeds were planted far and wide
Across our frontier land
A friendly word you had for all
You gave a helping hand.
Thank You Johnny Appleseed
We owe you quite a lot
For lovely trees and apples
And the lessons that you taught!

Climbing Up the Apple Tree
Climbing up the apple tree, (climb in place)
Swinging on a limb! (Raise arms above head, sway left and right)
If I hear a robin, I may (cup hand near ear)
Sing along with him! (sing tra la la)
"And Robin, if you fly away, (Put hands over eyes)
Here's what I think I'll do: (Point with index finger)
I'll wish a pair of sparrow wings (gently flap arms at side and move around)
And fly away with you!"

Criss-cross applesauce (make an X on the child's back)
Spiders crawling up your spine (finger walk up child's spine)
Cool breeze (blow on child's neck)
Tight squeeze (gently squeeze the child's shoulders)
Now you've got the chillies! (You get a funny feeling like goosebumps)

Apple Surprise
10 shiny apples, hanging on a tree.
"Whish" went the wind And they all fell on me.
I picked up one and started to laugh,
When I found a surprise after I cut it in half.

Apples in the Fall
Apples, apples in the fall
Some are big, and some are small,
I wish I could eat them all,
Apples, apples in the fall.

Picking Apples
(Tune: Paw-Paw Patch)
Pick the apples, put them in your basket,
Pick the apples, put them in your basket,
Pick the apples, put them in your basket,
Way down yonder in the apple orchard.

Apple Song (Tune: Rock a bye Baby)
This is the tree (tree picture)
With leaves so green (leaves for the tree)
Here are the apples (some apples to hang on tree)
That hang in between
When the wind blows The apples will fall (drop down the apple pictures)
And here is the basket to gather them all. (basket picture)

Apple Rhyme
Apples, apples, good to eat.
Apples, apples, juicy and sweet.
Pick them off a tree, buy them at a store,
Apples, apples, WE WANT MORE!

Apple Magic
In every single apple lies
A truly magical surprise.
Instead of slicing down, slice through
And watch the star appear for you!

5 Red Apples
5 red apples sweet to the core.
1 fell down and then there were four.
4 red apples sitting in a tree.
1 fell down and then there were three.
3 red apples one for you, and you, and you.
1 fell down and then there were two.
2 red apples shining in the sun,
1 fell down and then there were one.
1 red apple left all alone
1 fell down and then there were none.