Apple Farmer Annie Learning Ideas

The fall book Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington is the delightful story of Annie, a young woman who owns an apple farm and sells her products at the farmer’s market in the city. The book has bright, colorful illustrations that appeal to younger children as well as simple text making it an ideal read aloud.

The story teaches children what an apple farmer does and some of the ways apples can be used, all in the context of the charming illustrations. It is a fun starting point for creative writing, art projects, and field trips for kindergarten and first grade children.

Apple Farmer Annie Synopsis

Annie is an apple farmer with a large orchard of various kinds of apples. Each fall she picks her apples, sorts them, and then uses them for various purposes. She makes cider, applesauce, muffins, cakes and pies with her apples. She saves the most beautiful apples to sell.

Annie loads her apples and apple products into her truck and drives to the nearby city’s farmer’s market. She sets up her stand and is busy all day long selling her apples and the other things she made. At the end of the day, she packs up and goes home. Annie is very tired at the end of day when she gets home and puts on her pajamas, but she is happy because she enjoys having her own apple farm.

After the story, there are three recipes for Applesauce, Apple Muffins, and Applesauce Cake with Butter Frosting.

Apple Farm or Orchard KWL

The best way to learn about apples is to visit an apple orchard. Before going, read aloud Apple Farmer Annie as well as Apple Cider-Making Days to acquaint children with the workings of an apple farm and/or cider mill.

A field trip also lends itself well to a KWL exercise using my cute Apples KWL charts.

Apple Taste Testing

If there isn’t an apple farm nearby for a field trip, it is still possible to give children a small taste of the farm. Purchase a variety of apples for a tasting party. Make a few different dips to go with them and enjoy trying apples of different colors, textures, and tastes.

Apple Farmer Annie Writing Prompts

Children can write stories about Annie using these writing prompts.

• Annie’s Applesauce Accident
• Too Many Apples for Annie
• Annie’s Apple Pie Contest
• The Mystery of Annie’s Disappearing Apples

Colorful Graphic Apple Art Project

Apple Farmer Annie is illustrated in a bright graphic style. Provide children with die cuts of apples, trees, pies, trucks, and other items from the story. Have them make a picture about Annie using both the die cuts (glued on) as well as their own hand-drawn illustrations.

Children may either dictate a sentence about the picture for the teacher to write on the picture or write it themselves.

Apple Fun Fact Cards

Apple Fun Fact Cards are a fun extension for any study of apples. Your children will learn amazing facts about apples.

Apple Unit with Craftivity

If you would like an all-in-one apples unit, please check out my Apples Unit. It is full of reading, writing, math, vocabulary, science, and more. I’ve included colorful photos, dozens of print-and-go activities, and a cute apple life cycle craft.