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Cidering Lesson Plan

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Please note, this lesson plan was created by FieldTripDirectory.com as a general guide and is not specific to any particular venue listed on our site.

The cider press was a common household appliance, similar to the way a toaster or blender are today. Cider was even a common form of payment for work at one point in time. Farm workers could make 4 pints of cider a day. It was also used to pay rent and taxes.

Take your students on a behind the scenes look at a favorite fall treat. Tour a local orchard or cider mill and make your own cider right in your classroom!

Before You Go

– Research the services your local orchards and cider mills can provide.

– Be well aware of any allergies within your classroom.

– Introduce your students to the process of cidering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5GxjifztU

– In the video, you will see the apples sorted, mashed, and pressed into juice. Without adding anything else, the 100% pure apple juice is bottled and sold.

Fun Facts

  1. An apple is considered nature’s toothbrush.
  1. The third longest living president believed cider made people healthier. President John Adams drank a jug of cider every morning, and he lived until he was 90 years old.
  1. A baptism often included cider in the 14th century, because many thought it was cleaner than water.
  1. The healthiest part of an apple is the skin.
  1. The longest apple peel measured at 172 feet and 4 inches long.
  1. The average American consumes 44.3 pounds of apples a year.
  1. A gallon of apple cider requires 36 apples.

Content

Knowledge

  • Steps in a process
  • Origin of day-to-day food
  • Connections with local growers or farmers
  • Parts and functions of a plant
  • Life cycle of a plant
  • Nutrition
  • Vocabulary
    • Cider: (noun) A drink made by crushing fruit, usually apples
    • Apple: (noun) A fruit from a small tree; a part of the rose family
    • Pomology: (noun) The science of growing apples
    • Plant: (noun) A living thing that transforms sunlight into food- tree, shrub, grass, moss, algae
      • Fruit: (noun) A part of a plant that protects the seeds- apple, pear, orange
      • Flower: (noun) A part of a plant that attracts pollinators and produces seeds
      • Seed: (noun) A part of a plant that will someday grow into a new plant
      • Leaf: (noun) A part of a plant that takes in sunlight and converts air and water into food
      • Stem: (noun) A part of a plant that transports water and nutrients to other parts and supports the structure
      • Root: (noun) A part of a plant that absorbs water and nutrients from the soil

Skills

  • Classroom community building
  • Listening skills
  • Verbal communication
  • Vocabulary development
  • Data interpretation
  • Information analysis
  • Critical thinking/problem solving
  • Writing
  • Math computation and operations
  • Measurement
  • Follow Up
    • Write about experiences on the trip and share.
    • Taste test different variations of apples and journal.
    • Try this recipe in your classroom.
      • Ingredients:
        • 3 pounds of apples
        • 1 orange
        • Spices such as cinnamon sticks, clove, and nutmeg
        • Sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, and sugar
      • Steps:
        • Cook on high (3-4 hours) or low (6 hours)
        • An hour before the timer runs out, use a wooden spoon or potato masher to crush the fruit
        • Continue to simmer the mixture for the final hour