Apples Galore!

Are you even allowed to teach kindergarten and not have Apple Week? I mean, come on... it is a staple of kinder fun!

We just finished our apple week and I loved every part about it! First up.... I have always read the book 10 Apples Up on Top and I have always made a class book from it. I had never thought of this awesome-ness though:

Can you say cute!? Thank you to Shari Sloane for that idea.

After reading the story the kids color their own set of ten apples using a pattern {most are AB at this point and I ask them to underline their pattern, then I check it before they can color} The apples are cut and put in a baggie.  Then later on in the week they will draw themselves with however many apples they would like filling in the frame, "_____ has ____ apples up on top." I like to do it this way so that they all color, pattern and cut ten apples even if they may only put four "up on top."

The cute photos will go next to the finished craft... once I get these puppies up on the wall!

We also read various stories about good ol' Johnny Appleseed. Then we did this directed draw project from Teacher Bits and Bobs. I loved it. They did their Johnny with a very cute apple tree background. I opted for a simple cut apart sentence.

But here's the best part. A few days later in their journals we wrote a little Happy Birthday sentence in honor of Johnny and I asked them to draw Johnny as best as they could remembering our drawing lesson from earlier in the week.....

Um, not bad!! This was with no direct instruction, however my sample of Johnny was out for them to reference. Quick breakdown of the above picture... LOVE the one in the top left and just realized that is my little new blue flat in the bottom left picture. I love these new shoes...

A. They are comfy B. They are cute and C. I bought them in Barcelona this summer and when I look at them I smile and think of that great trip....

Ok so I digress...back to apples....  We listened to the story "Apples, Apples, Apples" and practiced our new sight word "the."

A little more patterning...and a little more practice of the word "the." In case you can't make it out he wrote "The Apple Pattern" as a title.

Probably the biggest hit of the week was making applesauce. The second they walk in the door the crockpot gets going and we got to eat and enjoy right before dismissal. This is great way to start our unit on the five senses too!

That's all for now my friends... I have one more apple themed idea that I will share tomorrow in its own post.... just click HERE!!