Apple Day

Objective:
The students will make patterns, graphs, and count by 5's. 

Materials

• Large piece of butcher paper marked off in 3 columns to make a graph.

• Cut outs of red, yellow, and green apples (or the students may use red, yellow and green crayons).

• Long strips of paper (about 12" long).

• Counting with Apples Worksheet, if desired.

Procedure

(You may choose to only do parts of this lesson, depending on the age of the students and any time constraints.)

1. Tell the students they are going to do a variety of math activities with apples.  They will graph, pattern, and count by 5's.

2. Graph - Make a whole class graph of the students' favorite types of apples; red, green, or yellow.  Each student can choose an apple cut out, or make their own with their crayons.  Have the students place their apple shape in the correct color column.  Ask the students questions such as; "Which color apple do the most students like?"  "How many more children like red apples than green apples?"  "How many children like red and green apples added together?"

3. Pattern - Give each student a long strip (about 12" long) on which to make apple patterns.  Using their red, yellow, and green crayons (or cut outs, if available), have the students create a pattern of colored apples.  Depending on the age of the students, and how much they have been exposed to the concept of patterning, their patterns may be as simple or as complex as appropriate.

4. Count by 5's - Discuss with the students how many aspects of apples happen in 5's.
   1. There are 5 petals on an apple blossom.
   2. Apple blossoms grow in clusters of 5's.
   3.When an apple is cut in half, there is a 'star' inside with 5 points.  Given these facts, give the students some math problems to compute the answers.  If desired, you may want to use the Counting With Apples Worksheet.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Make apple prints and have the students count the star points by 5's as well as stamp the apples to make a pattern with red, yellow, and green paint.

2. Read the book, "Ten Apples Up on Top" by Theodore LeSieg.  Have the students create math problems equaling ten.  For example, 4 red apples plus 6 green apples = 10 apples.  They can depict their math problems with red, yellow, and green crayons.