About this
Daily Classroom Special
A is for Apple was written by Marilyn Chadwick. Marilyn is
involved in a collaboration between the New York City Board of Education
and the United Federation of Teachers.
Phonics
"Apple" just happens to kick off the short
vowel decoding process. Short A is an easy vowel to learn and a much
used one in the English language. Begin by associating the sound with
the letter, using the word "apple." As the children become
familiar with the sound/symbol relationship, add additional words
beginning with "A." If you are working in a school which
only uses the whole language approach, associate the spoken word with
the print, emphasizing the short a sound at the beginning.
Language Arts
Vocabulary and Communication Skills - Describe your
apple. Have the children create a semantic map describing the characteristics
of an apple. Enhance their vocabulary by giving them additional adjectives.
Size - small, medium, large |
Color - red, green, yellow |
|
Texture - smooth, hard, crunchy |
Taste - sweet, sour |
|
Parts - skin, stem, core, seeds, meat |
Pre-Writing
Draw a story with
an apple in it. Have the children share their stories aloud with the
class. Tape record the stories to use as a baseline for future assessment
and evaluation.
Read Aloud
The
Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki
Math
Fractions. The
word "fraction" is a synonym for "a piece." Teach
the concept of one half using paper apples (fold in halves). How many
halves make a whole? Cut an apple in half. Have the children identify
the size by saying one half. Write the symbol for one half on the
board. Teach that the bottom number tells how many pieces the whole
is divided into and the top number identifies the number of pieces.
Have the children write 1/2 on each side of their paper apples. Let
them eat the real apples. If the class seems ready, follow this lesson
up with fourths.
Science
How does heat
change an apple? Brainstorm with the class what they think will happen
when the apple is heated. Lead them to say that the apple is wet and
juicy inside. What happens when water boils? It turns to steam. When
the apple is heated, the water inside the apple turns into steam and
evaporates. The apple loses its turgidity. Make applesauce.
Plant the apple
seeds. Use a sterile, potting soil mix. Plant a lot of seeds. Only
a few will germinate.
Bulletin
Board
Staple a large
tree in the center of the board. Have each child color an apple. Choose
a theme for the tree - numbers, letters, a picture of each child in
the class. Hang the apples on the tree. |
