Apples have always been popular in the primary classroom, as they are the perfect food for teaching everything from counting to fractions to the science of fruit turning brown. To help you along the way, there are tons of books about apples and even a Teachables activity pack with 50 pages of lessons and activities for grades K to 1.

If you want even more apple fun for your students, look no further than the book and activity suggestions below. These ideas from teacher Brian Smith use A-P-P-L-E-S as inspiration for your next unit on apples. 

A Is for Art

No apple unit is complete without at least one art project, and there are lots to choose from! One of Smith’s favorites is the Apple Mobile featured in Follow-the-Directions Art Activities by Teresa Cornell and Amy Weaver. The book has clear, easy-to-follow directions, and the Apple Mobile is fun to make and a cinch to put together. For more art projects that are perfect for fall, check out the 30+ craft ideas in Quick Crafts: Apples, Pumpkins & Harvest.

P Is for Poetry

Poems about apples frequently incorporate math, science concepts, and sight word practice in fun and silly ways. Check out “The Apple Seed's Wish” for a lovely poem about an apple seed that longs to grow into an apple tree. And for a rhyming and counting book that’s always a classroom favorite, you can’t go wrong with Ten Red Apples. After reading aloud together, have your students illustrate the poem or a scene from their favorite rhyming apple book.

P Is for Products

After your class has gained some background knowledge on apples, challenge them to name different apple-based products. Applesauce, apple juice, and apple pie are just a few they might come up with! Have parent volunteers donate products that the class can sample in individual servings. Collect data as your students vote on their favorites. Remind them that there are no “winners” or “losers” because it’s simply a matter of opinion. (If your students haven’t heard the word “opinion” yet, this is a great time to introduce the term!)

L Is for Linking Subjects

There are many ways to integrate different subjects into your apple unit. Science is an especially fruitful subject, as you can teach about the life cycle of apples (from seed to tree) or conduct an experiment on browning fruit. You can introduce new science vocabulary using the nonfiction books below as your students learn more about apples in the natural world.

E Is for Exploring

By this point in the apple unit, your students will have learned about differences in apples, and now it’s time to introduce the word variety. There are many varieties of apples, and a taste test is the perfect way to discover which ones your students prefer. Bring in a few different varieties of apples and give every student a slice of each to sample and rank. Create a class chart to record the data and determine which variety is the most (or least!) popular.

S Is for Slices

If your students are ready for a math challenge, a great way to explore fractions is with apple slices. Using the book Apple Fractions as a guide, cut up apple slices to introduce the concepts of whole, half, quarter, thirds, and more. What a delicious way to learn math!