In this blog post: Add instant engagement to your apples unit or apple week in Kindergarten, first, or second grade with these free making applesauce activities! Find an easy crockpot applesauce recipe for the classroom, plus download how to make applesauce worksheets.
It is officially September, which means it is finally time for one of my favorite weeks of the entire year in Kindergarten – Apples Week!
We love learning all about the parts of an apple, the apple life cycle, and how apples get from farm to table in our apple unit. And the best way to wrap it all up? Is by making applesauce in the classroom, of course!
If you’ve been wanting to amp up your apple week in Kindergarten by making applesauce in the classroom, I’ve put together the perfect FREE resource for you.
Keep reading to find the perfect crockpot applesauce recipe and download free how to make applesauce writing and sequencing activities.
Crockpot Applesauce Recipe
I love making applesauce in the crockpot all autumn long, and this crockpot applesauce recipe is easy enough to take to the classroom as well!
Please note: You will want to be mindful of any student allergies and district rules when it comes to food in the classroom.
To make the crockpot applesauce you will need:
- A crockpot
- Metal whisk
- 3 lb bag of apples
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar (optional)
- dash of cinnamon (optional)
Crockpot Applesauce Step-by-Step Directions:
- Peel and core the apples.
- Cut the apples into chunks and add to the crockpot.
- Add 1/2 cup of sugar (optional) and a dash of cinnamon for taste (again, optional).
- Add 1/2 cup of water to the crockpot.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Use a metal whisk to stir and mash the cooked apples into applesauce.
This crockpot applesauce recipe should yield enough for everyone to have a small amount of applesauce, but you can easily double the recipe for more students.
Making applesauce in the classroom is a great addition to a lesson talking about apple products and how they get from farm to table, or to add to your apple investigation day.
💡You can even do a taste test and compare homemade to store-bought applesauce to see which one students prefer!
How to Make Applesauce Activities
In addition to the crockpot applesauce recipe above, I’ve put together an entire Kindergarten and first grade science lesson plan for you!
This lesson plan follows the same formatting as my Kindergarten and First Grade Science Curriculum and can easily be added in to the Apples Unit or combined with another lesson.
During this lesson, you will discuss states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) and how applying heat helps the apples change states.
Optional vocabulary cards are included to help you cover these important science concepts.
There are also a variety of how to make applesauce worksheets included. You can pick and choose the one that would work best for your class.
The first half-page worksheet asks students to illustrate what happened when heat was applied to the apples.
The second half-page worksheet asks students to simply illustrate how to make applesauce and whether they liked the applesauce or not.
For the how to make applesauce sequencing worksheet, students will cut out the pictures and glue them in order to show step-by-step how to make applesauce.
Finally, a how to make applesauce writing worksheet is included for older students who may be ready to write about the process.
Grab the Free how to make applesauce activities here!
Ready to make applesauce in the classroom this year? You can download the lesson plan, applesauce recipe, and worksheets here:
Tip: Make sure to use a personal email address and not a school district email. School districts often block outside downloads and this can cause deliverability issues.
Apples Unit for Kindergarten and First Grade
Are you looking for hands-on and meaningful science lessons for you apple week in Kindergarten or first grade? I’ve got you covered with the Empowering Little Citizens Apples Science Unit.
This apples unit includes 5 days of lesson plans fully planned out for you including whole group lessons, books, student activities, and independent practice worksheets.
Digital teaching slides are also included for every lesson which means you can take a less prep option!
The 5 days of lessons cover:
- The parts of an apple
- The apple life cycle
- The seasons of an apple tree
- Apples from farm to table
- Apple investigation day
Let’s take a closer look at the lessons and activities included.
The Parts of an Apple
In the first lesson, students will learn all about the parts of an apple and work on labeling an apple. You can make this more meaningful by cutting open an apple and letting students see the apple parts!
Students will get to make a fun apple labeling craft. Two options are included for the labels to help you scaffold and differentiate for your students.
The Apple Life Cycle
How does an apple seed grow into an apple? Students will love learning all about the apple life cycle and how apple seeds can grow into apple trees.
Wrap up the day with this adorable and simple apple life cycle craft to show off everything that students have learned! This is also a great way to practice sequencing skills in Kindergarten.
The Seasons of an Apple Tree
Of course, apple trees don’t grow apples all year round. In this lesson, students will learn how weather and the seasons affect an apple tree and cause it to change.
This lesson includes two options for fall and summer.
You can keep it simple with one change during those seasons, or you can go more in-depth and discuss how the tree changes from the beginning of the season to the end of the season.
For example, an apple tree has ripe apples at the beginning of fall, but the leaves change colors and begin to fall at the end.
Apples from farm to table
How do apples get from the apple orchard to the store for us to buy? Students will be fascinated to learn all about how apples grow at the orchard and then get processed at the factory before reaching the store.
This is another great lesson to work on sequencing and retelling – we’re all about hitting multiple skills and subjects at once!
Students will sequence how apples begin at the orchard and get from farm to table.
Apple Investigation Day
Wrap up all of your learning about apples with an apple investigation day! Depending on your grade level and how independent your students are, you can complete these apple exploration activities whole group or let students complete them in table groups.
For the apple investigation day, students will:
- Use their five senses to describe the inside and outside of apples.
- Count apple seeds
- Weight apples
- Measure apples
- Discover whether apples sink or float
Check Out These Images!
Your students will have a BLAST exploring apples like scientists!
You can get all of these lessons, resources, and activities in the Apples Unit on TpT here.
Or you can snag this apple unit right here:
Check Out This Resource From My Shop!
Apple Unit | All About Apples, Life Cycle, Labeling, Orchard to Table
Find more apple FREEBIES here:
🍎Free Apple-Themed Science of Reading Literacy Centers
