Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Family Field Trip Angle :: Visit an Apple Orchard



Find a place close to you by going to www.pickyourown.org
One place you might choose is Kelley Orchards.


The Green Angle :: Composting Apples




K-3: Put your peeling and apple tidbits into a dish and observe what happens.
homeguides.sfgate.com/fruit-good-compost-78472.html

4-5: Try to make a bottle composter.
teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/gary/plants/activities/articles/composting.html

The Research Angle :: Apple Facts



If you are extremely trivia minded or want to learn more about apples, here is a website that might be right up your tree.
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfm


The Parent Angle :: Apples Galore!


Ever wonder what your student scientist is doing in science class each week?
Here is your chance to find out and do some adventures in learning the scientific method together. Mainly, I want your family to have FUN!

Just what is scientific method...mmmm...science buddies can help us.
The Scientific Method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations, answer questions, and search for cause and effect relationships in nature. Where to begin?



Fresh fruit and vegetables are abundant in the fall, so grab a couple of apples and get ready for a favorite activity for all ages. This activity is perfect to practice observation, so I am giving you some examples of how to use the five senses and lots of adjectives.

How does the apple feel? perhaps smooth; taste-sweet;  smell-fresh; look-round; sound-crisp
Ask a question about something you would like to know, such as, How big around is the fresh apple(that's the circumference) and will it get smaller as it dries?

Now you are ready to go to the website to find out your necessary materials and step-by-step instructions. Yes, cooking for some of us is a daily science experiment-don't be afraid!
www.marthastewart.com/268080/shrunken-apple-heads






The Kid Angle :: Shrunken Apple Head



Hey everybody, welcome back to school! Some experiments are meant to be done by everyone, and I don't have room for 700 shrunken heads. So let's get going on this really easy activity.
Don't forget to have your parent(s) help you and to make some observations and questions.
Then use some yarn, string, or ribbon to measure around your apple in centimeters.
Metric practice can be found at  Soft School