Apple Tree in Seasons

Lesson Plan #: AELP-CHL0226

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Laurie E. Cappas
Email: LCAPPAS@aol.com
School/University/Affiliation: St. Joseph's College, Patchogue, NY

Date: October 23, 2002

Grade Level: Kindergarten, 1

Subject(s):

Language Arts/Literature/Children's Literature
Science/Botany

Duration: 45 minutes

Description: After listening to the story, The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree , students will learn what happens to the apple tree during each of the four seasons. Students will make a class list of what has happened in each season, and then they will complete an assignment that requires them to glue and color the correct tree to the correct season (word).

Goals: New York State Learning Standards :

Standard 2 of Arts: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources
(The students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in visual arts by using their glue and crayons in an artistic manner.)
Standard 1 of English Language Arts: Language for Information and Understanding
(Students will listen, speak, and read for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral conversation to gain a better understanding of the seasons.)
Standard 4 of English Language Arts: Language for Social Interaction
(Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.)
Standard 1 of Science: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
(Students will use scientific inquiry as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions about the seasons and how they affect the apple tree.)
Standard 4 of Science: The Living Environment
(The students will understand and apply scientific concepts pertaining to the living environment that refer to the seasons.)
Standard 6 of Science: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
(Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect science and apply the themes to other areas of learning.)
Standard 7 of Science: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
(Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of the seasons to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.)

Objectives:

Students will be able to name the four seasons.
Students will be able to identify characteristics of each season.
Students will be able to elaborate and recall their prior knowledge of the apple tree during each season to complete a worksheet.

Materials:

The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree , by Gail Gibbons
easel
chart paper
marker
pencils
glue
crayons
pictures of apple trees that vary according to each season (to be created by the teacher)
bowls or dishes to hold pictures of the apple trees
apple tree handout (needs to be created by the teacher; or see Internet site below for an alternative)

Procedure:

Introduction:
Show students the front cover of the book, The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree . What do they see on the cover? Ask them what they think the book will be about. Tell them the title of the book and then say with humor, "So this book will be about silly dinosaurs?" Keep an eye out for the children who don't "giggle" at the joke. Then ask him/her what they think the book will be about. Ask students, "What are the four seasons?" Tell the children to pay close attention to the descriptions and the pictures of the apple tree in each season because they will be doing a project related to the book. Begin reading the book. [ Summary of Book: This book is about a boy named Arnold; he has his own apple tree. The tree is his friend. He watches the tree go through each season, and he explains what is happening to the tree during each season. This book is excellent to help teach young readers about the four seasons.]

Instructional Strategies:
After reading the story, ask the children questions such as:

What did the apple tree look like in the spring, winter, summer, and fall?
What was Arnold’s favorite season?
What was your favorite season?

Direct students' attention to the chart on the easel. (The names of the four seasons are written on the chart). Point to each word; ask the students to repeat the words. Start with the first season and ask the students to list characteristics of that season. Write these characteristics under the corresponding season heading. Repeat with the other three seasons. Inform the class that they will be going to their seats to complete an activity on the way an apple tree changes in each season.

Students will need to get their glue and crayons out of their cubbies (or already have them prepared ahead of time.) Have a few children repeat back to you what they will be getting from their cubby. Once students are back in their seats, give directions for the activity. Pass out the teacher-made handout. [ Author's Note: I made a worksheet that was divided into four boxes. Each box had a season written on the top.] Ask students to put their fingers on the word spring , then on the word summer , then on fall , and lastly on the word, winter . Point out that each table has four bowls; each bowl is numbered. There are pictures of trees in each bowl. Students will be taking one picture from each bowl, for a total of four trees. They are going to be "detectives" and glue the correct tree under the correct season. Tell them that they have to color the trees with their crayons before gluing. They will begin by taking a tree from the bowl that has a #1 on it. Then after they color the tree from bowl #1 they are to color the tree from #2, then #3, and then lastly #4.

After the students have colored all their trees, tell them to find the tree that looks like it belongs in the spring box and put their finger on that tree. Ask them why they chose their answer. After all the children have their fingers on the correct tree, tell them to put one dot of glue in the center of the spring box. Emphasize, one dot . Repeat the procedure for each season. If students are having difficulty, remind them of the characteristics listed on the chart paper.

Closure:
Students can share their work after they are finished. Briefly discuss again why each tree was chosen for each season.

Assessment: Collect students' papers to see if they were completed correctly.

Useful Internet Resources:
* Enchanted Learning - An Apple Tree Through the Seasons of the Year (worksheet)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/Seasonsprintout.shtml

* New York State Learning Standards
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/

Special Comments: This lesson could be linked to prior lessons on the letter "A" or a field trip to an apple orchard.