Here’s an activity page for elementary students about apples. To the left is a sample showing a charming version created by an imaginative child in the third grade. A small page of this kind (combining respectful, attentively drawn images of the subject as well as more abstract text) can be a very useful complement to natural history studies. In this case, it could amplify and reinforce general biological principles that are relevant to a classroom investigation of apples, an apple tasting, a field trip to a local orchard, or, best of all, harvest day for the apple trees in your school’s own permaculture garden / orchard.
You’ll notice that this particular page includes information about the basics of photosynthesis, pollination, and dispersal. It mentions several of the species (including us humans) who are associated in significant ways with these important trees. This is done to encourage youngsters to become ever more aware of the contexts and relationships which shape the lives of all beings.
By taking turns reading this activity page aloud before or after one of the experiences described above, youngsters can strengthen their acquaintance with the verbal formulation of several key science concepts. By pursuing the option to color the structures of the plant or by drawing their own versions of the apple tree and deer, they can explore their color aesthetics, challenge their fine motor skills, and engage the visual parts of their minds with this topic. Bringing the activity page home at the day’s conclusion will enable them to share what they’re learning with their families, and hopefully, spark conversations – or perhaps even the baking of a pie!
Here’s the link to the pdf so that you can print out copies for your youngsters: Apple Page EB 2018