Kindergarten Apple Lesson Plans for the Week: Learn about Johnny Appleseed, Apple Math Activites, Circle Time & More

Monday

For today’s lesson plan, you will be introducing the apple theme to your class. Today, you will need the following items to prepare for class:

• An assortment of apples, cut, washed and ready for the children to taste
• 1 whole apple and a sharp knife (keep this out of reach of your children)
• Yellow, red and green felt apples and felt board
• Johnny Appleseed by, Steven Kellog
• United States map

Circle Time

Introduce the different apples. Allow children to taste the different varieties of apples and record their descriptions.

Read the book, Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg. Discuss John Chapman. John wanted to take apple seeds to the west where there were no apple trees. He went east with a bag of apple seeds, a cooking pot which he wore on his head and a bag of books. He became Johnny Appleseed. His birthday is on September 26th. Find the date on the calendar.

Use a large U.S. map to plot John Chapman’s route from Massachusetts, westward. Put apple stickers on the map to mark the states mentioned in the book.

Art

Using yellow, red and green construction paper, allow children to trace large apple stencils and apple cookie cutters. Instruct the children to cut out their apples and allow them to hang them in a specific location on the wall.

This activity will help in their fine motor skills as well as their scissor skills.

Math Skills

Flannel Board Apples

Using 10 or more felt apples, place them randomly onto the flannel board.

Instruct the children to count the apples aloud.

Place felt numerals onto the board.

Point to a number and request a few children to come up and “pick” that number of apples.

Language Skills

Introduce the children to the parts of an apple.

Either on the board or on large pieces of paper, write the words “stem”, “skin”, “seeds”.

Cut an apple in half to expose the inside. Point out the stem, skin and seeds.

Ask children thought provoking questions such as…

Which part attached the apple to the tree?

Can you eat the skin?

What fruits do you have to peel before eating?

If you plant these seeds today, will an apple tree grow overnight?

Movement

Sing this song and use the movement to act out:

(To the tune of Do You Know The Muffin Man?)

Oh, do you know the apple man?

Apple man, apple man (tilt head from shoulder to shoulder)

Do you know the apple man

Who picks the apples for me? (reach up and pick apples)

Oh, do you know the apple man?

Apple man, apple man (tilt head from shoulder to shoulder)

Do you know the apple man

Who cooks applesauce for me? (pretend to stir a spoon)

Tuesday

This lesson is a continuation of the harvest theme of “apples”. Each day, review what has been learned in previous days, repetition is the best way for children to learn.

To prepare for today’s lesson plan, you will need…

• the US map from previous lesson.
• Johnny Appleseed by, Steven Kellogg (re-read story if time allows)
• Large apple cut outs for art project
• 6 inch piece of yarn for each child
• Washable paint in red, yellow and green
• Small disposable container for paint (3 for each child if you are wanting them to use all three colors for string art)
• Brown construction paper (to cut out at least 20 apple-seeds)
• Dice
• “A” word pictures adhered to apple cutouts

Circle Time Discussion

Continue discussion of Johnny Appleseed.

Discuss the way America looked back then, there weren’t cars and streets to walk upon.

Johnny Appleseed probably faced a lot of wilderness on his journey.

Stimulate creative thinking and problem solving skills. For example:

Johnny Appleseed took only a walking stick, a bag of books and a sack of apple-seeds on his journey.

What would you take if you went on a long journey?

Use the children’s answers to develop a language chart.

Art

Apple String Art- an activity to develop fine motor skills

Cut out large apple, whether from a reproducible page or a die cut.

Provide red, yellow and green paint for each child.

Instruct the children to dip a piece of yarn into the paint and paint the apple cut-out with the piece of yarn.

You can either provide each child with all three colors or allow them to choose which color they would like for their apple.

Math

Appleseed Count

Cut out tear drop shapes using brown construction paper (at least 20).

Provide dice for the children.

Children take turns to roll the dice and count the correct number of apple-seeds.

Language

Adhere “A” word pictures on the apple cut outs.

Play the game of “I Spy” using the pictures on the apples.

Write out the word for each picture. Instruct one child at a time to count the “a’s” found in each word.

Have the students create a list of words that begin with “A”. They can draw pictures, write words, or both (using alphabet books as a guide).

Teaching Ideas & Suggested Reading

Using a tape recorder or video camera, record each child re-telling the story of Johnny Appleseed, putting themself into the story. Play the recoding back in circle time later during the week.

Recommended Books:

Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer

Wednesday

We are continuing the discussion of Johnny Appleseed and his trek out west, planting appleseeds. Be sure to begin the day’s lesson by reviewing everything learned about Johnny Appleseed so far. To be completely prepared for this lesson you will need:

• Apple cut outs with a lower case and capital letter printed on each. (The apples should be laminated as you will instruct the children to trace the letters with an erasable marker.)
• Recorded Johnny Appleseed stories (recorded in previous lesson)
• Large apple cut outs- (one for each child) punch out holes along the edges of the apple. Provide shoe strings or long pieces of yarn (at least 18 inches) for the children to lace
• Playdough and cookie cutters
• Brown construction paper- cut out large seeds from paper. Write an encouraging message on each seed. The seeds will be delivered to other classes as you take a Johnny Appleseed trek.
• 1 plastic apple
• Energetic children’s music

Circle Time

Review all facts learned about Johnny Appleseed.

Play a few recordings of the children’s stories recorded previously (take no more than 5 minutes for this activity) Save the rest for later in the day.

Review the apple description words. Allow children to find “a’s” in the list of words.

Art

Provide each child with a paper plate.

Provide each child with their choice of red, yellow or green washable paint.

Instruct children to paint the paper plate, covering every inch of white.

Before paint dries, assist each child by sprinkling the wet paint with glitter.

Attach a small brown rectangle to the top for a stem and allow to dry completely.

Math

Make a math center game to teach counting, numerals, and number words:

Draw a tree’s leaves and tree trunk.

On the top of the tree (the tree leaves) draw five red apples.

On the trunk of the tree write the number word. For example, write the number word, five.

On the back, of the tree trunk, for a self correcting game, print the correct numeral. For example, print the numeral 5.

Do this for numbers 1-20.

Language

Play Hot Apple Game

The children should sit in a circle.

Play energetic children’s music and instruct the children to quickly pass the plastic apple to the person sitting next to them. Randomly, stop the music. The person holding the apple must say an a word that starts with an “a”.

To help the children think of “a” words, hold up the apples with the “a” word pictures from the previous day’s lesson.

Activity

Just as Johnny Appleseed went west to plant apple trees, you and your class will take a walk to others classrooms handing the teachers the appleseed messages.

Prior to taking the walk, read each appleseed’s message to the children. Place the appleseeds into a paper bag and hand them out to the classrooms along the way.

Discuss with your class the importance of giving a friend a note of encouragement such as “Have a great day!”, “Hope you are having an awesome day!” or simply “Thanks for being a great friend”.

Ask children to describe their feelings when someone does something kind for them.

Thursday

This is the fourth installment in a series of apple lesson plans designed for kindergarten. In this lesson plan, your class will discuss the differences in apple varieties, participate in a class vote as well as an art project, math, and language skill activities.

In this fourth installment of the apple lesson plans for kindergarten, you will need to do a few things prior to the start of class in order to present the lesson to its fullest.

Collect apples of different varieties as well as pictures of the apples. You may take photos yourself using a digital camera and computer printer.

Before class, create a chart using a piece of poster board. Make a grid containing a variety of apple names that you have in the collection.

For today’s art project, you will need:

• Wax paper
• Liquid glue
• Disposable foam paint brushes
• Red, yellow and green tissue paper

For the math activity you will need:

• Poster board
• Green, red and brown construction paper
• Storage container
• Small basket

For the language activity you will need:

• A felt tree
• Felt apples
• Felt worm
• Flannel board

Circle Time

Discuss the different names, sizes and colors of the apples.

Make a chart of all apple names, then take a vote to find out student’s apple preference.

Art

Stained Glass Apples

On wax paper, brush a liberal amount of liquid glue.

Instruct the children to tear the colored tissue into small pieces.

Cover the glue with red, green and yellow tissue paper pieces.

All to dry overnight.

Peel off wax paper.

Glue an apple outline over the tissue paper.

Trim around the apple outline.

Hang in a window for the sunlight to shine through.

Math

Fallen Apples

This activity helps to identify likeness and differences of objects.

Make three apple trees from poster-board.

Cut out apple shapes from the red, green and yellow construction paper.

Draw a different design, number or shape on each apple.

Make a matching set of apples to go with each tree.

Mix up the apples together in a small basket.

Children will sort the apples in the basket by placing them on the tree with the matching apple on it.

Language Skills

Apple and Worm

This activity demonstrates knowledge of the concept of following directions.

Place the felt tree on the flannel board. Ask the children to demonstrate knowledge of positional words by placing the worm and/or the apple in, out, left, right, off, on, front, back, side, top, bottom, over, under, behind the apple tree.

Suggested Reading

Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo. LeSeig

Who Stole The Apples? by S. Heuck

Friday

This will be the final installment of the week of apples. In this lesson, you will be reviewing everything learned about apples in previous lessons. While you will be using some repeat items, there are a few things needed to be collected before the start of class.

You will need:

• Red craft pompoms (found in the arts and craft aisle of any hobby store)
• Collect a few water bottles. Cut the bottoms off, only leaving about one-fourth of the plastic bottle. This will be used for a “scoop” during a circle time game. The children will hold the scoop by the neck of the bottle. Be sure to keep the lids on the water bottles.
• Prior to class, cut out small tear drop shapes from brown construction paper. These will be used as apple seeds. You will need a lot for the art project.
• Red, yellow and green small apple cut outs
• Card-stock cut in half (you will need two halves for each child)

Circle Time

Review, Johnny Appleseed information.

Review, apple names, sizes and colors.

Play a game: Catch the Apple

This activity develops eye-hand coordination.

One child will have a small amount of red craft pompoms and will be paired with a child holding a “scoop” made from a water bottle.

Instruct the children holding the pompoms to throw them to the children holding the scoops. After all of the pompoms have been thrown, children should switch jobs.

Art

Apple Seed Names

On red, green or yellow construction paper, write each child’s name in large letters.

Allow children to outline the letters of their name with liquid glue. Cover the glue by using the apple seeds cut out from brown construction paper.

Math

Play dice counting game used in previous lessons from this week.

Language

Applesauce Bingo

This activity will help to identify likeness and differences of objects and pictures. It will also help students to practice communication skills by using simple sentences about objects and illustrations.

Cut card-stock in half, lengthwise.

Draw faces on the apple cut out. No two apples of the same face and color should be on the same game board.

Adhere three apples to each game board. Again, remember to not adhere the same face or color on the same board.

Make a matching card for each of the apples used. This will be what you will use to call the shapes and faces.

Give each child two game boards.

Provide each child with small construction paper squares to cover each apple face.

You (the caller) will then pick up one card and describe the apple face. (for example: one yellow apple with a winking eye)

The first child to cover all three apple faces will call out “Applesauce!” and win the game.

You’re Done!

I hope you and your classroom have as much fun with these lessons as I did! If you ideas for more apple crafts and activities share them in the comments.