All About Apples!

1st graders always study apples in their classrooms as part of their Science unit in September. I like to join in and spend a week doing apple activities in music class. We learn songs like "Apple Tree" and "Way Up High in the Apple Tree". We also learn a xylophone bordun to go along with "Apple Tree" which is a great way to review playing the steady beat at the beginning of the year.

This year I found a pack of bulletin board pictures at Target that included apples, mittens, flowers, and leaves. So far, I have used the mittens to make a treble clef memory game and I used the apples to notate the rhythm of "Apple Tree". I put the students in groups of 2-3 and they had to put their apples in the correct order to form the rhythm for the first 2 measures of the song (I put the rhythm up on the board as well). Once they were finished, they could create their own 2 measure apple rhythm. I think I'll use them later on when we learn So, Mi, and La. The students can place the apples up or down to show the melody. I also plan to use them as beat trackers with my Kindergarteners when we learn "Apple Tree". So many possibilities!!