All things APPLES!

This week has been so busy!  It's one of my very favorite weeks of the year because our apple unit is so fun and the kids love it!

Apples and Reading

This week, during read aloud, we read all nonfiction books about apples.  One of the class' favorites is Apples by Gail Gibbons.

As we read, we started discussing parts from our life science unit.  We discussedthe life cycle of an apple tree, the parts of an apple, and ultimately how seeds and plants grow.   So during science time, we labeled the parts of an apple.  This was when we added in some "interactive writing" (where we share the marker for the chart).  We created our "parts of an apple diagram".

Then, to tie in our science/fall "theme" with our reader's workshop lessons, we talked about our schema of apples.

Schema is our thinking strategy that we've been learning about.  I love it when everything just FITS together!  Happy teacher!! :)

Apples and Science

Then, during science time, we looked closely at apples.  We did apple investigations.  We counted our seeds, described the outside, checked them out with our magnifying glasses, felt the inside, and then just tried to see and dig around in the apple to see what parts we could find.  I didn't give them exact directions for this.  I just wanted to see where they would take it.  Most students started using tools like pencils to poke their apples and dig further into the middle.  I didn't stop them.  They were experimenting!  They were using the tools!  Some of our pencils had to be thrown away, but at least they truly explored all parts of the apple and how to get into the middle :).  Sometimes giving them more freedom means a little more mess, but much more learning! :)  Here's a sheet I gave them to guide their apple science thinking.

 I downloaded this from TPT for free HERE -- APPLE INVESTIGATION.  Here's some pics of the kids experimenting during apple science time.

Aurora and London checking out the fleshy inside.

Rainey examining the skin.

Christopher finding the seeds.

 Apple Math

Then, today, we did our apple math stations!  I love apple math!  We did our math stations revolving all things apples today.  Our first station was an apple tasting station with me!  We tasted each kind of apple.  Then graphed our favorites.

Here's what our class graph ended up like. (notice how I added a "mixed" category! lol)

The kids also did their own graph.  The graph paper I gave them looks like this.

This is also from the same TPT store as the apple investigations sheet.  Also, a link is HERE!

Our other math station was weighing the mass of an apple with unifix cubes, and also measuring around the apples with a measuring tapes.

The third station was making 10 apples by seeing how many red and green apples we needed in combinations to make 10.  They colored each apple tree to make 10 apples.

Applesauce fun!

Today, we made our homemade apple sauce in the crockpot!  We started the day by making our famous "Johnny Appleseed" crowns!

I look excited!

We then put all the ingredients in the crockpot.

We measured the water, sugar, and cinnamon.

Then, we let the magic happen and it cooked all day!  It smelled just heavenly!!

The kids really loved tasting the applesauce.  We ate it during our writer's celebration!  It was a great day!

Now, for a class update!

• Lizzie and Rainey got to do a special field trip to Busch Stadium last night!  They had so much fun!
• Aubrey had a great birthday and even had a special birthday dinner with her grandparents.
• Alexi got to visit her sister at Maryville!
• Gianna saw some of her friends at her brother's basketball practice.  She had fun!
• Mrs. Trauterman saw Finn riding his electric scooter by her house!  

That's all for now!

PEACE

~ Shelly