Create a variety of math lessons based on your apple theme. For younger children, print out a variety of apples or cut a number of apple pictures out of magazines. Use these manipulatives for simple counting lessons or to teach the children color grouping with yellow, green, and red apples. For older children, slice actual apples into pieces to demonstrate fractions. Extend the fraction lesson by adding and subtracting the apple slices to make whole apples.
Children's literature is an easy way to expand a classroom apple theme. Choose books that are at an appropriate reading level for your classroom and that somehow concern or feature apples. You can read these books aloud during story time or, for older children, encourage them to read books on their own, then write book reviews or make short book presentations to the class.
There are a lot of arts and crafts projects using apples that you can bring to your classroom. Use washable paints and sliced apples to create fruit prints and display these in your classroom. Ask children to decorate their own candy apple using paper, stickers, and other craft embellishments. For younger students, provide a line drawing of an apple or an apple tree that needs to be colored and cut out.
An important part of any thematic unit is the decor of the classroom. This sets the tone for the unit and reminds students of the content they will study during the course of the lessons. Create a class apple tree, and write the names of each student on an apple. Place the class tree on your classroom door so that children will see it when they enter. Make apple name tags to place at each students' desk. If you have various groups in your classroom, color-code the name tags using different colored apples.