Apple Tree

Rhythm & Melody Activities

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Grades K-3 1 Rhythm Worksheet
Reading, Writing, and 2 Melodic Worksheets
Performing Rhythms Orff Arrangement
and Melodies. Game

Enjoy these activities

with grades K-3. Skills
include singing, playing
instruments, reading
and writing notation,
and a game.

Apple tree, apple tree, will your apple fall on me?

I won’t cry, I won’t shout, if your apple knocks me out.
C Lynnda N. Fuller 2016
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 Apple Tree Contents
Apple Tree Orff Arrangement …………………………....3
Apple Tree Rhythm……………………………………………4
Apple Tree So-Mi Melody Writing…………………….…5
Apple Tree So-La-Mi Melody Writing…..……………...6
Apple Tree Teaching Suggestions & Keys……… …….7
Apple Tree Game………………………………………………..9
Credits……………………………………………………………10

© Lynnda N. 2016 The contents of this file are for single classroom use
only. Purchaser does not have permission to share files. Reproduction of
this material is permissible Fuller for single classroom use only. For use
by multiple teachers, please add the appropriate number of additional
licenses.
All rights reserved by author.

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Arr.

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Name_______________________
_____
Apple Tree
Write the rhythm of “Apple Tree” on the beat lines.
You will use and .

Ap ple tree Ap ple tree

Will your ap ple fall on me?

Draw your own

apple tree here.

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Name_______________________
_____
So – Mi
Apple Tree Melody
Write an s under each so and an m under each mi.

Ap – ple tree, Ap – ple tree,

How many apples are

on this tree?

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Name__________________
__________
So-La-Mi
Apple Tree Melody
Write an s under each so, an m under each mi, and an l under each la.

s s

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 Apple Tree Teacher Guide

This song can be used in several ways and for a variety of grades.
Some suggestions are listed here in order from easy to more challenging.

Work With Rhythm

1. Teacher sings the song while patting the beat.

2. Teacher repeats singing and patting the beat while students join in, as they are able.
3. Students sing the song while marching in place.
4. Students sing the song and clap the rhythm (the way the words go).
5. Students march on the beat, sing the song, and clap the “way the words go” all at
the same time.
6. The beat could be played on drums while the rhythm is played on sticks. Students
could choose which instruments to use on the beat and rhythm.
7. The class derives the rhythm of the first 4 beats of the song on the board (or via
another medium that allows each person in the class to see what is done).
 Teacher draws 4 horizontal beat lines on the board.
 Class claps the rhythm of the first 4 beats of the song while saying the
song.
 Teacher points to the first beat line while the class claps and says “apple.”
 Teacher asks, “How many times did we clap on this beat? Show me by holding
up the right number of fingers.”
 Teacher calls upon a student who is holding up 2 fingers to come to the
board and write a ti-ti on the first beat line.
 This process continues for all 4 beats.
8. After the class can successfully do step 7, pass out the “Apple Tree Rhythm” paper
and pencils.
9. Class claps and says the song.
10. Students write the correct rhythm symbols on the beat lines. This may be done
individually to serve as an assessment, or with a partner as a practice activity. If
this is a first rhythm writing activity, the students might do their own papers as the
project is done on the projected example Fand do it on their own a different day.

Work With Pitch and Melody

1. Students sing the song and show the melody on the body scale (Have students
touch their waists for mi, shoulders for so, and head for la).
2. Students derive the melody of the first 4 beats of the song.
 Teacher draws 3 lines on the board (or uses technology to project a 3 line
staff that can show writing).
 Class sings the first 4 beats of the song “Apple tree, Apple tree” while
showing the contour of the melody on the body scale (so-so-mi, so-so-mi).
 Teachers indicates where so will be on the staff (2nd space for this
worksheet) .
 Students sing the first two pitches and show them on the body scale.

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  Teacher asks, “What did you sing?”
 Student answers, “We sang so twice.”
 Student notates the two so’s on the board. This may be done by drawing the
notes or by using magnetic manipulatives.
 The process continues for the rest of the beats.
3. After the students can successfully derive the melody of the first 4 beats of
the song, teacher passes out “So-Mi Apple Tree” worksheet and pencils.
4. Students do the worksheet on their own or in pairs.
5. The same process is used for the “So-La-Mi Apple Tree Melody” worksheet.

Playing Instruments

1. Kindergarten and first grade students should be able to play the beat and/or rhythm on
un-pitched percussion while singing the song.
2. First and second graders should be able to play the bass xylophone part.
3. Second and third graders could add the alto xylophone part.
4. A serious Orff teacher would find that his/her students could add all of the suggested
parts.
5. Recorders could play the vocal line.
Apple Tree Key

So – Mi
Apple Tree Melody Key

Ap – ple tree, Ap – ple tree,

s s m s s m

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 So-La-Mi
Apple Tree Key

Ap – ple tree, Ap – ple tree,

s s m s s m

Will your ap-ple fall on me?

s s l l s s m

Apple Tree Singing Game

1. Students form a circle (standing or sitting)

2. While singing the song students pass an apple (paper cut out,
plastic, or cloth, or??) around the circle.
3. The apple changes hands on each beat.
4. The student who receives the apple on the last word of the song
(“out”) is out.
5. The game continues until there is only one student remaining who
is the winner. When playing with a full class circle, I usually stop
the game before there is a final winner as students’ attention
tends to wander after a while.
6. I have the students who are out walk on the beat around the
outside of the circle.
7.While they walk, the leader (the most recently out child) chooses a
rhythmic hand motion to add to the walk. This becomes a type of follow the
leader which reinforces the steady beat and keeps the students actively
engaged with the game even when they are “out.”

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 Thank you for purchasing “Apple Tree”. “Apple Tree” is a children’s song
that I learned at a Kodály workshop presented by Dr. Susan Brumfield. I
hope you and your students enjoy the activities. I have endeavored to create
a high quality product that will be useful for students in several grades. If
you find errors or problems, please email your concerns to me at:
lynnda.n.fuller@gmail.com so I can fix them and get a corrected copy back
to you.
The activities in this packet being with simple beat keeping to reading
and writing rhythms, composing melodies. and performing on
instruments thus allowing the teacher to use both Kodály and Orff
pedagogies.
Credit for the clip art in “Apple Tree” belongs to Whimsy Clips
(www.whimsyclips.com) and Kara Markoya
(https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ms-Kara).
Be sure to check back in my Teacher Pay Teachers Store: Dr Fuller
Music Magic Be sure to check back in my Teacher Pay Teachers Store: Dr
Fuller Music Magic (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Dr-Fuller-Music-
Magic) to see new products.
Happy teaching!!
Lynnda N. Fuller Ph.D.

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