Apples - non-fiction, fluency, writing, interactive journal printables


When you think of fall, what comes to your mind?  Apples is a symbol of fall to me. Have you ever been to an apple orchard?  It is a great field trip to take if there is one near your school.

John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, was born on September 26th.  Many teachers like to plan apple themed lessons around his birthday.  The nice thing about apples is almost all of your students have eaten an apple so your students have prior experience.  You can easily incorporate apple eating experiences into your lessons because apple allergies are rare and apples are healthy so parents won't be upset.


I just revised my Apple Facts Sentence Shuffle Center.  If you previously purchased this, you may go to "my purchases" to download the revised version for free.

You can see the new version in the picture above.  

Students shuffle the cards and sort them into piles.  They will sort by color in the colored version of the game and sort by pattern of the frame around the phrases in the black and white version.  If you want to make this center colorful but don't want to spend extra money on ink, copy it on colored paper or card stock.  Students will put the cards on the sorting sheet.  There is a colorful sorting sheet and black & white sorting sheet.  


Students will practice making sentence that are real and nonsense.  This is also a great center to reinforce sentence formation because students quickly figure out that the card with the capital letter is always first and the card that ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark is the last card.  Not only are they strengthening their fluency skills, but they working on writing skills, too.  Add a few tools like the ones in the picture to make it fun.  I found the finger lights at Michaels.  Students put a green puff ball next to the letter at the beginning of the sentence after checking to make sure it begins with a capital letter.  Then they put a red puff ball on the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence.  



There is a black and white version of the word cards that are used to make sentences.  You can print a set of these for your students.  Let them use a BINGO dauber to stamp the beginning letter with green and the ending punctuation mark with red.  Students can put the cards into 3 piles and then make sentences.  


I like to use these type of envelopes for homework like this.  They fit easily into pocket folders and binders.  I don't laminate them.  I'm not sure if it is the bright colors, the different style of envelope, or what it is about this type of envelope, but when I send homework in these I have a higher percentage of my students do it and return it.  They are a little pricey but I am able to use the same envelopes year after to year.


After students finish making and reading sentences at the Sentence Shuffle Center, they will complete a writing extension.  There are 3 assignments to choose from so you can differentiate the center.


There is also an apple facts mini-book included.  To save time, let your students make the mini-book during center time.  It is an easy center to set up.  All you need are book printables, crayons, scissors, pencil, and stapler.  I like to use the small stapler like the one in the picture because it is easier for students to use.  Sometimes you can get these for a dollar at the Back to School sales.


There are also 3 printables that you can use with your interactive journal notebooks.  The beginning, middle, end can be used with any book about apples.  You can also set this up as a book center.  There is an apple fact printable.  Perfect extension after you do a fact vs. opinion mini-lesson.  Apples are useful is a great way to wrap up your apple unit.  Hopefully, after studying apples, your students will have a variety of uses to include.


Click HERE if you'd like to read more about this.


Looking for some new apples books?  Click on the books below for more information.























































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1 comment

Mrs. Yazzie's Classroom News said...

I love teaching the many themes in Fall, especially Apples. I enjoyed seeing your collection of books. You have a few titles I don't. I'll have to check them out along with your updated Apple pack.