Kindergarten Apple Lesson #5 – Unit Time (approximately 45 minutes)

This is our life needs lesson (and our yummiest lesson).

SOL K.6 The student will investigate and understand basic needs and life

processes of plants and animals. Key concepts include

a)living things change as they grow, and they need food, water, and air to survive;

b)plants and animals live and die (go through a life cycle); and

c)offspring of plants and animals are similar but not identical to their parents and to one another.

Student Objective for this lesson: to list the things a growing plant needs to survive.

Materials:Book – The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

Real plant

Poster board squares (for our class big book)

Sentence strips with true and false apple facts (list of

statements under Activity)

KWL chart from lesson 1

Location: on the rug in whole group then dismissed to tables to work in small groups

Teacher Notes: since we do apples early in the year…I will pre-make the sentences for the class big book. Also, the cover of the book and the back will have to be worked on the following day.

If time runs out, we may have to revisit our KWL chart later in the day.

Also – at the beginning of the day (usually while students are working on morning work – have your pre-cut apples ready for the crock pot.) Add apples, sugar, and a little water and cook on high for about 3 hours – having the students occasionally stir. Cooking needs to begin in the morning to ensure eating by afternoon.

Activity:

  • Students will be on the rug for reading the book –The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
  • Show class the real potted plant and review the needs of plants.
  • Play ‘True or False’ – have sentence strips with things that are true and some with things that are false. Explain that we are going to work together to make a big class book about apples to share with the next door Pre-K class. We need to decide which sentences to include in our book – so I will read a sentence strip and students will decide if it’s true (to be put in our book) or false (left out of book). What things are and what things aren’t – D. Mulligan
  • Apples can be red, green, and yellow.
  • Apples can be orange.
  • Seeds are on the outside of the apple.
  • Seeds are on the inside of the apple.
  • Apples grow in orchards.
  • Apples grow in the ocean.
  • Apple trees need sun, water, and soil.
  • Apple trees need hamburgers.
  • A blossom becomes and apple.
  • Apples grow on the trunk of the tree.
  • Apples make yummy foods!
  • Hotdogs are made from apples!
  • Once we’ve decided which sentences are true, divide the class into groups (6 groups). Explain that to make the book, we’re going to have to glue the strip on bottom (or top) of the poster board page then add our illustration (define) to match the words. Working together – J. Strebe and creating class book while working together – K. Custis
  • Collect finished pages and have students return to the rug.

Product – J. Almarode

Closure:

  • Review the KWL chart by reading what we had and adding what we have now (hopefully) learned :o) Product – J. Almarode
  • Enjoy applesauce!

Assessment: Students will demonstrate understanding of the apple tree life cycle by participating in class discussion and by working together to complete these pages of our class book.