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Apples
Free Activities &
Information - Be sure to click on and print the free worksheets.
The History of the Apple in the U.S.
The Pilgrims discovered crabapples had preceded them to America, but the
fruit was not very edible. The Massachusetts Bay Colony requested seeds
and cuttings from England, which were brought over on later voyages of
the Mayflower. Other Europeans brought apple stock to Virginia and the
Southwest, and a Massachusetts man, John Chapman, became famous for
planting trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois (his name became
"Johnny Appleseed"). Seeds from an apple given to a London sea captain in
1820 are sometimes said to be the origin of the State of Washington apple
crop (now the largest in the U.S.). As the country was settled, nearly
every farm grew some apples. (www.vermontapples.org)
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
(www. vegparadise.com)
Easy on the digestion, apples contain malic and tartaric acids that
inhibit fermentation in the intestines. Their high fiber content adds bulk
that aids the digestive process, making elimination natural and
comfortable. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that encourages the
growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
Apples contain flavonoids, antioxidants that improve immune function and
prevent heart disease and some cancers.
Because of their high water content, apples are cooling and moistening and
aid in reducing fever. Simply grate them and serve them to feverish
patients. Steamed apples sweetened with honey are beneficial for a dry
cough and may help to remove mucous from the lungs.
Today medical practitioners are beginning to recognize that the apple's
abundant quantity of pectin is an aid in reducing high cholesterol as well
as blood sugar, a wonder food for people with coronary artery disease and
diabetes.
If these aren't enough reasons to "eat an apple a day," there's more.
Eating raw apples gives the gums a healthy massage and cleans the teeth.
Apples are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C. A medium
apple, approximately 5 ounces, has only 81 calories and a whopping 3.7
grams of fiber from pectin, a soluble fiber. A medium apple supplies 159
mg of potassium, 3.9 mcg of folic acid, 7.9 mg of vitamin C, and 9.6 mg of
calcium.
Apple Sauce
We enjoy making applesauce as a class. Simply ask each child to bring in
one apple. Peel and core the apples. Then allow each child to chop the
apple using a plastic knife. Place the small apple pieces in an electric
skillet with water and bring to a boil. You may need to add more water as
the cooking process continues. Stir occasionally and add sugar and
cinnamon to taste. Once the apples have heated through and softened you
may serve the apple sauce “chunky style” or you may mash or blend the
apples to make a fine sauce.
Apple Prints
Cut several apples in half and allow the children to dip the flat side
of the cut apples in red, yellow or green paint. Press the apple, painted
side down, on paper to make an apple print. You may extend the process
by first having the children color a tree or basket on construction paper
and then printing the apples on the tree or in the basket.
Apple Pattern Crowns
Cut yellow, red, and green apples using a die cut machine. Give each
child a sentence strip or 3” x 18” strip of construction paper. Have the
children glue the apples on the strip to form a pattern...red apple, green
apple, red apple, green apple and so on. Staple the ends of the patterned
strip to make a crown. Allow the children to wear their apple crowns.
Apple Seasons
Read a book such as: “The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” or “Apples, Apples, Apples” and then have the students color the seasonal apple tree
pictures using color crayons, pencils or markers. Next have each student
write or cut and paste the correct season above each tree. The patterns
for this activity are provided.
Apple Write About It
Create a torn paper apple, mount the apple on a poster board and print or
computer generate the words "Write About It" on the top of the poster.
Laminate the poster if you want to reuse it year after year. Then affix a ribbon to the bottom of the
apple poster by taping it to the back. Place Velcro dots on the ribbon about 4 to 5 inches apart. Write
apple themed vocabulary words on sentence strips and place a Velcro dot on
the back of these sentence strips. Attach the words to the ribbon and hang
the apple write about it in the classroom. Children are able to use this
as a word wall and take down the words they need for writing as they need
them and then place them back on the ribbon.
A is
for Apple
This
is an easy and fun apple to make with students. Simply use red
construction paper for the apple, white for the inner apples, brown for
the stem and green for the leaf. Use a black ink pen to draw in the seeds
and end by having the students print a capital and lowercase "Aa" or the
word "apple" inside the apple below the seeds.
Apples, Apples, Apples
Cut a large apple out of card stock
without the leaves or stem. Place this pattern on a 12" x 18" piece of
white construction paper and hold in place with a small tape loop. Use
red, green, and yellow crayon to draw short crayon strokes that begin on
the card stock and extend off the card stock onto the white paper. Do this
all
 the way around each apple. Remove the card stock pattern from the paper
and you are left with an apple print. Next, cut leaves and stems from
construction paper and glue them in place on your apple print. |
