Chicka Chicka 123

Meet Me at the Top of the Apple Tree!

We climbed out of the coconut tree to end our Chicka Chicka unit in an apple tree instead!  The companion story of Chicka Chicka 123 was a fun way to usher in the season of fall, learn all about the seasonal changes of an apple tree and explore some more number concepts (like counting by 10).  It also gave us a chance to work on number word recognition, especially the words:  one, two and three.

Our centers will filled with all sorts of apple fun.

Counting apples...

Seasons of the apple tree...

Ordering apple numbers by 10...

Apple books to read...



Patterning with apples...

Number word practice...

The Apple Pie Tree at Listening...

 Johnny Appleseed poems and coloring...

And so many yummy apple things at the Snack Table!

Our main science objective was to develop a better understanding of the four seasons.  After reading the great story of The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree, the munchkins each made a poster of the apple tree showing each season.  They enjoyed the special items that made each season different...like the tissue paper blossoms, the shimmering fall leaves and the cotton ball snow!

We made this activity even more fun by creating our recipe of the week based on the same book.  Each munchkins created a cookie and cracker apple tree and then decorated it according to one of the seasons.  They were able to choose from pink sprinkles (blossoms), green skittles (summer apples), red skittles (fall apples), or marshmallows (snowflakes).

The finished recipe was so cute!

Spring

Summer



Fall

Winter

It soon became apparent that nothing in this unit could be accomplished without eating and the munchkins couldn't wait to see what the next treat was going to be!

Our math activities were probably the most popular...

Like finding the pattern on the worm in our apple (gummi worms, of course).

Of course, eating the worm was the best part...

Well...letting it hang out of our mouths was the BEST part.  Actually swallowing it was just a bonus!

And since we were at it, (you know...eating) we decided we'd better eat some apples (since that was our main focus this week, after all).  So we took an afternoon to try three different types of apples and graph our favorites.

There was a Granny Smith, a Red Delicious, and a Golden Delicious.

Sweet...

and sour!

Golden Delicious beat out Red this year.

Smiles munchkins!

No really...SMILE!



Believe it or not, we did really work this week too.  The munchkins learned to read a repetitive text emergent book all on their own.  It helped them gain fluency as readers and reinforced sight words and the number words "one", "two", and "three".  After reading the story, the munchkins wrote their own version...and yes, they did ALL the writing.  Their text used the sight word sentence:

I see one.  I see two.  I see three.

They did a fantastic job!  Many remembered the spaces between their words and to use proper punctuation.

What a great week!

Until next time...

Giggles,

Mrs. D.