Ten Red Apples

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins is a fun, simple countdown book. Bright illustrations and repetitive rhyme make this book engaging.

At the beginning of the story the tree has ten apples, but animals arrive and eat them one by one.  The horse is first: Ten red apples hanging on the tree./ Yippee, fiddle-dee-fee!/ Horse came and ate one,/ chomp, chomp, chomp./ Neigh, neigh, fiddle-dee-fee./ "Horse!" cried the farmer./ "Save some for me!" 

Finally there's only one remaining apple. But the farmer's wife has been planning to make a pie. 

I often stop reading the book at this point and ask for predictions about how the story will end. There are always lots of entertaining ideas. Sometimes I read the end (The farmer spots another tree with ten apples), but sometimes I give them this sheet to complete first.

If you'd like a copy click here.  (There's a second page with plain lines)

There are oodles of possibilities for activities to go with this book. I find that having a picture book read to them is a real treat for older students, and this one is good for them to use as a template for writing their own countdown booklets. Change the farmer to a soccer player, change the apples to soccer balls.........let their imaginations run!  If you use this idea and have a younger "buddy class" these booklets are great for sharing with their little buddies. I have also done them as a joint project with older and younger buddies.

This book is available from Amazon here.  There is a good "peek inside'. 

I also found this video on  YouTube

Amazingly I think that I am actually going to be able to imbed it into my blog!!!

I'm linking up with at The Reading Tutor OG for Mentor Monday today. Click here  to find more good book ideas to use with your class. This week it's all about apples!

Fortunately

Mentor Monday-Using Mentor Texts for Writing Ideas

Link here
I am excited to join this linky party sponsored by The Reading Tutor - OG. I use mentor texts in my classroom often because they are so helpful in spurring kids's imaginations and for giving them a platform to launch their writing from.

The kids in my second grade class LOVE this book by Remy Charlip. It is hilarious to read and a great text to use to inspire some fun writing projects.

 After we read the story together I start us off with something like, "There was a boy/girl named _____________.  Unfortunately he/she was lonely because he/she didn't have any brothers or sisters. Fortunately he/she got a new pet."  There are always a few eager beavers who are chomping at the bit to add the "unfortunate" next event, such as "it was a tiger". We go through a few of these then I have them continue on with their shoulder buddies. They are pretty excited to get to the writing, especially the boys, who delight in coming up with all manner of gruesome happenings.

I love to set this up as a whole class project in a shared writing book.  I put enough papers in a duotang so everyone has a page then they can get it during Daily Five and read over what has already been done and add their own twist. Because this is a very short piece of writing when it is done this way even reluctant writers are willing to contribute and the resulting book is in high demand as a choice during Read to Self. 

The Reading Tutor - OG