About Blue Apple Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s Inside?
Blue Apple projects come with dozens of online resources—from interactive games and activities to age-appropriate websites and videos. Each project includes access to real-world experts, options to collaborate with another class, and content mini-lessons in Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Social-Emotional Learning. And as a thank you, each project comes with a free set of project supplies so you can get started right away. For more information about what comes with a Blue Apple project, visit the Explore Projects Page.
Blue Apple connects you with industry experts who’d love to share their passion and knowledge with your students. The projects also give students access to authentic audiences (such as publishing their work or presenting to authorities).
Yes. All projects include comprehensive lesson plans that include modifications for primary grade students and/or emerging readers. The final product in each project is influenced by a high level of student choice along the way, so no two final products are ever alike.
Yes. Each project includes connections to the core content areas, as well as social-emotional learning. Content-area mini-lessons help students apply academic knowledge in a real-world context. In addition to mini-lessons, each project includes ideas for multiple content-area connections and a correlation to the corresponding content standards so you can fit the project into the scope and sequence of your core curriculum.
Yes. Each project includes a list of rich, diverse literature that aligns to the project topic. Here’s a sample list of recommended books on the topic of nutrition that comes with the project Food for Thought.
When you purchase a Blue Apple project, you are assigned a Blue Apple coach to help you bring your project to life. Project coaches have searched for additional resources, helped integrate particular content standards, connected teachers with other classrooms doing the same project, and so much more. If you need help, they’re there for you.
Do Kids Really Learn?
100% of Blue Apple teachers report that the projects resulted in increased creative and critical thinking from their students. For more Blue Apple results, check out these Success Stories.
Blue Apple projects are ideal for strengthening students’ critical and creative thinking. They are designed to genuinely engage students so that they persevere in solving problems and develop intrinsic curiosity. From there, the projects are springboards for rigorous content instruction. Once students are engaged with the idea of nutrition, for example, they can then learn any number of math concepts based on a nutritional label. To see suggested connections to academic content for each project, check out the Standards Correlation.
Each project consists of a series of lessons, each with a clear, practical learning target. Projects include a student self-assessment rubric and a teacher rubric aligned to these learning objectives. Each lesson also concludes with a Reflection Form that can be used as a formative assessment. These assessments track student progress through the project itself and do not conflict with any content-area assessments you might use with your curriculum.
Yes. It’s so helpful to see a project in action with real students in a real classroom! Check out the Project Videos page. (Note: these videos were created before the onset of COVID, so please forgive the lack of social distancing.)
About the Benjamins
Blue Apple projects are valued at $125. This includes access to all the online resources as well as a free gift of project supplies for up to 30 students to get started right away.
No. Your purchase gives you lifetime access to the online portal for the project. Online resources are updated annually, so you can be sure your project is up to date each year. Some of the free project supplies are consumable, but most are easy to replenish or not necessary to the project.
We are a non-profit organization and never want price to get in the way of teachers wanting to do the right thing for their students. We hope you don’t have to pay for the project out of your own budget, so first, try asking your administrator. If that is not an option, check out the Funding Page with lots of creative ways to cover the costs, including Blue Apple scholarships.
Yes. Here are the bulk pricing options.
1 $125 each
3-project bundle $100 each
If you are interested in bulk orders for school or district implementation, please contact support@blueappleteacher.org.
When you purchase a Blue Apple project, you have unique login credentials so you can track your class’ progress throughout the project. So although you can certainly share some of the free project supplies with a friend if you’re feeling generous, the online portal is meant for only one classroom teacher.
No. The project supplies are a gift meant to help you get started right away. Many are non-consumable (such as picture books, door posters, microphones, and even Martian soil) that you can use year after year. Other supplies are consumable, but most are easy to replenish.
Nuts and Bolts
Projects consist of 8-9 lessons. Each lesson is roughly an hour of instruction. Don’t have that much time? They include pacing options with suggestions for which parts of the project to omit if you have less time. Some teachers focus on a project and complete it within a week. Others spread it out over a few weeks or months.
Blue Apple projects save you time by serving as a focal point to aggregate your existing curriculum and integrate it into a topic that students will find meaningful and relevant. The projects include ideas for connections to various content-area topics, but whatever it is you’re planning to teach can most likely be integrated right into the project.
Planning a project-based learning unit takes a ton of time. Finding real-world industry experts to talk to your students. Creating interactive activities to engage students in learning. Curating the vast resources on the web to find the ones best suited for student learning and discovery. Teachers don’t have time for that, so that’s where Blue Apple comes in. We do the heavy lifting so you can do what you do best—teach!
It’s totally up to you. If you’re new to project-based learning, we’d recommend starting with just one or two. If you’ve been doing it a while and feel comfortable integrating your content into any project, you can do as many as 10 a year.
Yes. Each Blue Apple project comes with free supplies so you can get started right away.
Yes. Each lesson includes modifications for a fully remote or a blended learning environment. These modifications include digital versions of in-person games, as well as recommendations for which parts of the lesson are better suited for online or in-person learning.
Your purchase gives you lifetime access to the online portal for the project. Online resources are updated annually, so you can be sure your project is up to date each year. Some of the free project supplies are consumable, but most are easy to replenish or not necessary to the project.
Is Blue Apple for Me?
Blue Apple projects are most appropriate for grades K-5, but most Middle School teachers find it pretty easy to adapt them for grades 6-8 as well. To see suggested connections to academic content for grades K-8, check out the Standards Correlation.
Yes. If you’re new to project-based learning, these projects are a great place to start! They’ll provide a roadmap with all the supports needed to get started. The lesson plans are complete, the resources are provided, and all you have to do is add your own personality!
If you’ve had experience with project-based learning, these projects will save you time in planning and preparing project-based learning units. The lesson plans are easy to adapt with lots of options to add your own expertise to the project. We hope no two projects are ever completed in the same way!
Yes. This is one of our favorite requests from Blue Apple teachers! Each project includes ideas for how your students can collaborate with another class doing the same project, and we can put you in touch with another teacher to make it happen.
Blue Apple projects are being used across the United States and even across the world! Here’s a heat map showing Blue Apple teachers.
Each Blue Apple Project Includes:
- Engaging lessons designed to make learning memorable, meaningful, and fun
- Curated online resources to save you time searching for content
- In-person, virtual, and hybrid options for all learning environments
- Cross-curricular mini-lessons in English-Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Social-Emotional Learning
- Videos and contact info provided by real-world experts willing to meet with your students
- Opportunities to collaborate with other classrooms doing the same project
- Free project supplies to get you started right away
