Use the apple tree, and The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons to teach seasonal changes.
- To introduce the students to the idea that apples grow on trees and that these apple trees change as the seasons change.
- To provide a creative art experience for the students.
- To practice listening to and then following directions.
- Book – The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree
- 18′X24″ light blue construction paper for each student
- pencils with eraser
- green, orange, red, and white tempera paint
- Read the book “The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” aloud to the class.
- Stop periodically to ask questions such as:
What part of the spring tree becomes the apples in summer?
What happens to the apple tree in the fall?
What does the tree look like in winter?
- Show the students various types of apples. Ask where did these apples come from?
Did they all come from the same tree? Why not?
Do any of you have apple trees in your yard?
What kind of apples grow on them?
What other fruits grow on trees?
- Have the children go back to their desks and show them the art project “The Seasons of _________ Apple Tree.”
- Explain that they are going to show the different way an apple tree looks in different seasons.
- Tell them they will need a black crayon and a glue stick. Give them each a sheet of light blue 18 X 24 paper and demonstrate how to fold into 4 equal parts vertically.
- Show them the board where the title is written and allow them time to copy the title onto their papers and then label each section with a different season.
- They will then glue the bare tree cut-out onto the winter section and the tree trunks onto the other three sections.
- As the children finish this step, call them to the center where they will use an apple cut in half and green paint to print the tops of the trees. They then go to the second center to use eraser ends of pencils to put white snow on the winter tree and white blossoms on the spring tree. They use red for the apples of the summer tree and orange for the leaves of the fall tree.
The children love this activity and it really looks great too!
By: Laura Heitman, 1st grade teacher
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