Harvest Season

We are well into our harvest season and the children have been exploring the natural world to find the Fibonacci sequence of numbers.  

Last week, we cut apples into halves horizontally to reveal the sequential number 5 of the Fibonacci number pattern. The children observed, while labeling the parts of the apple, that if the apple is cut horizontally, between the stem and blossom end, only then can one see the center pattern in the apple that creates a 5-pointed star. The children discovered that it did not matter what kind of apple we cut, the star was always at the core, provided we didn’t cut the apple vertically, from stem to blossom end. Many children discovered there were lots of seeds in the seed compartments, but the 5-pointed star was always present.

The children listed all the many ways to enjoy apples, including applesauce. They took turns coring, spiraling, and peeling the apples and we boiled the apples until they became sauce.

 After a unanimous vote, we added cinnamon and indulged.

Marble painting was a fun way to incorporate primary and secondary colors while discussing pigments. Reds and yellows and greens were most often found in the apples. When the children described our apples, they noticed they are not just red, but red, yellow, green, and even pink. One child observed, "the fleshy parts are always the same color." 

And...  Mr. Alligator says, don't forget to dress for the weather!