Preschool

Lesson Plans

Apples

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How to use these lesson plans

This lesson plan packet contains the following:

Book list

1-page weekly lesson plan grid o Alternate weekly grids for 4 day, 3 day, and 2 day programs

5 daily lesson plan sheets

2-page centers explanation

Printables

Use the Book List to stock your classroom reading center and choose which books

you’ll read aloud during the apple theme.

The 1-page weekly lesson plan has ideas for center activities, read alouds,

whole group lessons, small group math lessons, small group science lessons, and small group literacy lessons.

The alternate lesson plan sheets are perfect for creating your own plans if

you teach a 4-day, 3-day, or 2-day preschool program. Simply grab the items you’d like and arrange them to the calendar that’s best suited for you. These sheets are editable – so you can type in the dates, days of the week, and activities. You can also just print the templates and handwrite your plans.

The daily lesson plans delve into the specifics of each lesson idea. Materials are

included along the top of each daily plan. The days of the week and dates on these sheets are editable.

The centers explanation has more information about each center activity. There

are 2 to 3 ideas for each center. Some teachers keep the same activities in each center for an entire week, while others like to change the activities a couple times a week.

You can pick and choose the activities that suit you and your classroom best. For example, maybe some of the small group ideas would be better done during your whole group time. You may decide to use some of the small group ideas during center time. Even though the plans are listed as one week, there are really enough activities to encompass an additional week or two if you incorporate non-themed activities.

Text highlighted in blue indicates a hyperlink. Click on the hyperlinked text to be taken to activities and ideas online.

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Apples Book List

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins

Apples by Gail Gibbons

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

Apples for Everyone by Jill Esbaum

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

Apples by Ken Robbins

An Apple Pie for Dinner by Susan VanHecke

Up, Up, Up! It’s Apple Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro

Apples by Jacqueline Farmer

The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons

Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd

I Am an Apple by Jen Marzollo

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro

The Biggest Apple Ever by Steven Kroll

Apples A to Z by Margaret McNamara

Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray

Ten Little Apples by Natalia Vasquez

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Apples Lesson Plans Dates: _____________

NOTES:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Read Aloud Apples Up, Up, Up! It’s

Apple Picking Time The Apple Pie

Tree Johnny Appleseed Apple Farmer

Annie

Whole Group Sort real apples

Apple taste test Words that start like apple

Taste test graphing

Make applesauce

Literacy Apple names

Apple words Apple emergent reader

Sensory writing tray

“We Like Apples” class book

Math Counting apples Apple shapes Apple number cards

Apple patterns Dice game

Science Apple exploration

Oxidation experiment

Apple decomposition

Label an apple Apple eruptions

CENTERS Arts & Crafts Button apple tree

Tissue paper apple tree art Apple print-making

Science Apple observations

Apple life cycle

Pretend Play Apple stand

Apple pie bakery Apple orchard

Literacy Apple-themed words Make apple names

Apple-themed books

Math Apple pompoms Apple numbers

Sensory Apple play dough invitation

Apple cinnamon sensory bin Apple scented water play

Building Apple farm building

“Apple” stacking

Fine Motor Build apples using Legos

Bobbing for apples

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Materials Read Aloud Apples (red, yellow, and green);

sharp knife; apple letters (printed or handmade)

Apples

Whole Group Activity Small Group Literacy Sort real apples

Ask families to send in different apples. Explain that sorting means putting items that are the same

together. Brainstorm attributes that the apples can be sorted by. Some examples – color, size, has a stem,

doesn’t have a stem. Then work together to sort and count the apples.

Apple names Print out apple letters or make your own using construction paper. Place sentence strips with kids’ name on them in a pocket chart. Work with

children to create their names (and/or friends’ names) with the apple letters. They can use the names in the pocket chart as reference. Talk them through the process as much as they need it.

Small Group Science Small Group Math

Apple exploration Cut open an apple. Talk with the

children about their senses. Walk them through each of their senses as it

relates to the apple. Ask open-ended questions such as “What do you see with your eyes?” to engage them in

conversation about the apples.

Counting apples Use the apples from whole group time. Extend that activity with small groups by counting, sorting, and patterning

with the apples.

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Materials Read Aloud Apples (red, yellow, and green); apple

peeler and corer; various liquids (lemon juice, etc.)

Up, Up, Up! It’s Apple Picking Time

Whole Group Activity Small Group Literacy Apple taste test

Peel and core apples of different colors (red, yellow, and green). This is especially fun to do with an old-school peeler/corer.

The children can take turn helping with this process. Then have each child try a

bit of all the different apples. Once everyone’s had a chance to taste, record the favorite apple type of each child. This information will be used in more activities later in the week. Keep some of the apple

scraps for tomorrow’s decomposition experiment.

Apple words Brainstorm a list of apple-related words with the students. Record the words on a

large piece of chart paper or construction paper. Ensure that the

children can see as you write down each word. Add illustrations to each word for

future reference by the kids. The children can also help with the

illustrations if you’d prefer.

Small Group Science Small Group Math

Oxidation experiment Explain to the children that apples turn brown because of exposure to the air.

There are ways to prevent browning, and they will be scientists to determine how to do so. Brainstorm a list of possible

liquids that might prevent oxidation. Set up an experiment to see what happens.

Apple shapes Draw shapes on construction paper, or use painter’s tape to create shapes on the floor or table. Have children place any kind of apple manipulative (red, yellow, and green pompoms or glass jewels, for example) to outline the

shapes. Discuss the characteristics of each shape while doing so.

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Materials Read Aloud Apples, printable emergent

reader, printable apple numbers The Apple Pie Tree

Whole Group Activity Small Group Literacy Words the start like apple

Work together with the children to come up with words that start with the

short a sound /a/. Say the word “apple” with a stress on the first

sound. Have the kids mimic you. Then make the /a/ sound in isolation.

Encourage the children to come up with words that start with the same

sound.

Apple emergent reader Print out the free apple reader.

Assemble and use with individuals or small groups. The emergent reader lends itself to a discussion about

colors and many early literacy concepts.

Small Group Science Small Group Math

Apple decomposition Place apple scraps from yesterday’s taste test in a container. Add a whole apple in a nearby container. Cut an

apple in half and place half in a third container. Let children make daily

observations about what’s happening to each apple sample as the week progresses. Extend this activity by placing the pieces in a safe place outside to watch for longer than a

week.

Apple number cards Print out apple number cards or

create your own with construction paper. Sort, count, and match the

cards during small group time.

© Preschool Teacher 101 May not be distributed or shared without express written permission Clip Art © Dianne J. Hook DJ Inkers Font © Hello Literacy

Materials Read Aloud Apples; paint; oats; cinnamon or

apple pie spice; dot markers Johnny Appleseed

Whole Group Activity Small Group Literacy Taste test graphing

Graph the results from Tuesday’s taste test. This can be done by graphing apple prints, children’s

names, or children’s apple drawings. Be sure to ask the kids what they

notice about the graph. Which apple was the favorite?

Sensory writing tray Place oats in a tray with a dusting of cinnamon or apple pie spice. Children

can use cinnamon sticks or their fingers to practice letter writing and

mark making.

Small Group Science Small Group Math

Label an apple Slice an apple in half and observe

what can be seen. Draw a picture and work together to label each part of the

apple. Be sure to place the labeled apple picture up in the science center

for future reference.

Apple patterns Use green, yellow, and red dot

markers to create patterns. Some children will need you to start the

pattern, as well as some assistance in extending the pattern. Others may

want to explore different patterns – AB, ABC, ABB, etc.

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Materials Read Aloud Apples; sugar; cinnamon; class

book pages; baking soda; vinegar; apple dice game; dice; red, yellow,

and green pompoms; child tweezers

Apple Farmer Annie

Whole Group Activity Small Group Literacy Make applesauce

Have the children work together to make crockpot applesauce. There are a variety of recipes online. This one is

a simple one to start with. Once it’s done, everyone can have delicious homemade applesauce for snack.

“We Like Apples” class book Edit the “We Like Apples” cover page. Edit and print a book page for each

child in the class. The child’s name and favorite apple can be typed into the

document or you can write it in. Children color their own page for the book and read it with you. Laminate the pages and put together a class book for your reading center. For

more information, refer to this post.

Small Group Science Small Group Math

Apple eruptions Make apple “volcanoes” by adding baking soda to cored apples. Pour

vinegar over the baking soda to create the foam. Talk with the children about

what they’ve observed and why it happened.

Apple dice game Print out a few copes of the “Put the

apples on the tree” game paper. Children can play individually or in

pairs. They roll the die, add “apples” (colored pompoms) to the tree and

keep playing. For more information on the game, read this post.

© Preschool Teacher 101 May not be distributed or shared without express written permission Clip Art © Dianne J. Hook DJ Inkers Font © Hello Literacy

Centers

Arts & Crafts Button apple tree – open-ended transient apple tree art Tissue paper apple tree art – explore textures and bleeding tissue paper art Apple print-making – cut apples in half and paint with them

Science Apple observations – Observe the different apple experiments throughout the week and record observations in a science journal Apple life cycle – Print out pictures of the apple life cycle. Children can make observations and order the life cycle.

Pretend Play

Apple stand – Kids pretend to sell apples at a produce stand. They can help write the menus and signs for the stand. Apple pie bakery – Pretend to bake apple pies and other apple products. Then sell them in a store. Apple orchard – Kids pretend to plant apple trees, tend to them, and then pick the apples.

Literacy Apple-themed words – Use apple-themed words as journal prompts. Make apple names – Children use red, yellow, and green dot markers to trace over the letters in their names. Reference this dot names idea for more information. Apple-themed books – Put apple books in the reading center. Be sure to include the apple emergent readers and class apple book the kids made this week.

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Centers

Math Apple pompoms – Place yellow, red, and green pompoms on a bowl or tray. Include prompts for children to sort, pattern, and count the “apples”. Apple numbers – Place printable apple numbers (or homemade numbers) in the math center. Children can place the numbers in numerical order, use them as counting prompts, or add glass gems for one-to-one correspondence.

Sensory Apple play dough invitation – Kids can explore and create with play dough and accessories. Apple cinnamon sensory bin – You can use a variety of materials for this sensory bin – oats and pompoms, “tiny apples”, plastic apples, etc. Apple scented water play – Use cheap apple shampoo or body wash in a sensory tub filled with water.

Building

Apple farm building – Encourage the children to use the materials in your block center to make an apple farm. They could create the farmhouse and barn. Add in some toy tractors, apple-colored pompoms, toy apples, people, etc. to bring more to the concept. “Apple” stacking – Use an extra set of the printable apple numbers. Laminate those numbers and tape them to wooden blocks. Children can stack the blocks in numerical order, experiment to see how high they can stack the blocks, build creations using all the numbers, etc.

Fine Motor Build apples using Legos – Place red, yellow, green, and brown LEGO blocks to the fine motor center. Add pictures of apples and apple trees. Kids can use the LEGO bricks to create their own apples and apple trees. Bobbing for apples – Set this activity up in the sensory table or in a separate fine motor area.

Apple Numbers

© ECEducation101

Print out the apple number cards. Cut them

apart, and laminate the cards for durability.

The apple numbers can be used for a variety of

math activities. Use them as part of your

calendar time, explore numerical order, use along

with apple manipulatives (mini erasers, red

pompoms, etc.) to explore one-to-one

correspondence, or use the cards as number

writing prompts alongside a sensory writing tray.

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4 5 6 From the creators of Fantastic Fun & Learning | Fun-A-Day | Home Preschool 101 | Preschool Teacher 101 Clip art and Font © Dianne J. Hook | D.J. Inkers

For personal or single classroom use only. May not be shared or distributed without express permission.

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10 11 12 From the creators of Fantastic Fun & Learning | Fun-A-Day | Home Preschool 101 | Preschool Teacher 101 Clip art and Font © Dianne J. Hook | D.J. Inkers

For personal or single classroom use only. May not be shared or distributed without express permission.

13 14 15

16 17 18 From the creators of Fantastic Fun & Learning | Fun-A-Day | Home Preschool 101 | Preschool Teacher 101 Clip art and Font © Dianne J. Hook | D.J. Inkers

For personal or single classroom use only. May not be shared or distributed without express permission.

19 20 21

22 23 24 From the creators of Fantastic Fun & Learning | Fun-A-Day | Home Preschool 101 | Preschool Teacher 101 Clip art and Font © Dianne J. Hook | D.J. Inkers

For personal or single classroom use only. May not be shared or distributed without express permission.

25 26 27

28 29 30 From the creators of Fantastic Fun & Learning | Fun-A-Day | Home Preschool 101 | Preschool Teacher 101 Clip art and Font © Dianne J. Hook | D.J. Inkers

For personal or single classroom use only. May not be shared or distributed without express permission.

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From the creators of Fantastic Fun & Learning | Fun-A-Day | Home Preschool 101 | Preschool Teacher 101 Clip art and Font © Dianne J. Hook | D.J. Inkers For personal or single classroom use only. May not be shared or distributed without express permission.

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Counting Apples Book

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Print out the “Counting Apples” emergent reader. Fold the

pages in half, with the print facing out. Arrange the

pages, and staple the book together.

Read the pages with the children. Then go

through each page and add the correct amount

of apples on each page. This can be done with

fingerprints, buttons, small apple manipulatives,

etc. For more information about the book,

refer to this post.

© ECEducation101

Counting Apples

by ________ I see 1 apple.

I see 2 apples.

I see 3 apples.

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I see 4 apples.

I see 5 apples.

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I see apples!

The End

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I See Apples Book

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Print out the “I See Apples” emergent reader. Fold the

pages in half, with the print facing out. Arrange the

pages, and staple the book together.

Read the pages with the children. Then go

through each page and have the children color

each page the appropriate color. Have the kids

underline each color word if desired, too. For

more information, refer to this post.

I see a red apple.

I See Apples!

by

______________

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I see a green apple.

I see a yellow apple.

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I see a white apple.

I see a brown apple.

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Yum!

The End

Apple Letters

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Print out the apple letters you’d like to use.

Cut them apart and laminate them.

The apple letters can be used for a wide

variety of literacy activities. Children can use

the letters to make their names, work on

alphabetical order, match uppercase letters to

lowercase letters, etc. The cards are also

great letter writing prompts to pair with

sensory writing trays.

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A C B

D F E

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G I H

J L K

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M O N

P R Q

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S U T

V X W

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Y a Z

b d c

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e g f

h j i

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k m l

n p o

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q s r

t v u

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w y x

z

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A C B

D F E

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G I H

J L K

© ECEducation101

M O N

P R Q

© ECEducation101

S U T

V X W

© ECEducation101

Y a Z

b d c

© ECEducation101

e g f

h j i

© ECEducation101

k m l

n p o

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q s r

t v u

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w y x

z

© ECEducation101

Print out the cards. Cut them apart and use them to explore the

apple life cycle.

Here are a few suggestions –

• Laminate the cards and retell how apple trees are grown

and produce fruit.

• Work together to write about the life cycle. Use the cards

as illustrations for the writing.

• Print out two versions. Leave one intact.

Cut apart the other one. Children can

match the cards to the intact mat.

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apple seed apple tree flower bud

apple flower apple apple core

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apple seed apple tree flower bud

apple flower apple apple core

Label the Apple

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Print out the labeling sheet you prefer.

Children can color in and handwrite the labels on the black

and white version.

The color version can be laminated, as can the

word cards. Then have children match up

the word cards with the appropriate

areas on the labeling sheet. Velcro

dots can be used if desired.

Parts of

an Apple

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Parts of

an Apple

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stem seeds

flesh skin

stem seeds

flesh skin

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Pattern Cards

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Print out the apple pattern cards. Cut apart.

Laminate them for durability.

Children can use the cards to create a variety of

apple patterns. They can also be used for

sorting.

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© ECEducation101

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Put the Apples on the Tree

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Print out as many copies of the

“Put the apples on the tree” game

paper as you’d like. If you want it

to last, we suggest laminating the

paper. You can mount it on

construction paper if you’d like.

Children can play individually or in

pairs. They roll the die, add

“apples” (colored pompoms) to the

tree and keep playing. For more

information on the game, read this

post.

From the creators of Preschool Teacher 101 | Fun-A-Day | Fantastic Fun and Learning | Home Preschool 101 Font and clip art © Dianne J. Hook D.J. Inkers

Put the Apples on the Tree

We Like Apples Book

© ECEducation101

Open up the document in the latest version of Adobe Acrobat. This will allow

you to edit the following two pages.

For the cover page, highlight “by Miss Mary Catherine’s class”. Change the

authors to whatever works best for you. Print. Laminate.

Move on to the next page. Highlight “Shaunna likes green apples.” Change

that text to your first child’s information. If you’d rather handwrite that

information, simply delete “Shaunna likes green apples.” Print the page.

Continue this process for every child (or adult!) you’d like included in

the book.

Gather all of the printed pages together. Make sure the front

cover is laminated. Laminate a piece of construction paper for

the back cover. Assemble the book using a binding machine, a

hole punch and binder rings, or a hole punch and yarn.

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We Like Apples!

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Weekly Lesson Plans Read Aloud

Whole Group

Literacy

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© Preschool Teacher 101 May not be distributed or shared without express written permission Font © Hello Literacy

Weekly Lesson Plans Read Aloud

Whole Group

Literacy

Math

Science

CENTERS

© Preschool Teacher 101 May not be distributed or shared without express written permission Font © Hello Literacy

Weekly Lesson Plans Read Aloud

Whole Group

Literacy

Math

Science

CENTERS

© Preschool Teacher 101 May not be distributed or shared without express written permission Font © Hello Literacy

Weekly Lesson Plans Read Aloud

Whole Group

Literacy

Math

Science

CENTERS