Our focus for the first two weeks has been the start of Fall and studying apples. We explored seven varieties: Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Sugar Bee, and Sweetie. Using our senses, we observed their color, size, and smell differences. We noticed almost all red apples blended with some yellow color, except Red Delicious. Among those apples, Fuji seems to have the most fragrant aroma. We also tasted each kind and discovered that Sugar Bee and Sweetie were just as sweet as their names suggest. Fuji was crunchy and tasted sweet as usual. Unsurprisingly, Granny Smith is the only one tasted tart and we had one child claimed it yummy! We used oil pastels to outline the shape of apples and then gave them dimension with watercolors. We also learned about the apple’s life cycle and its different parts (Stem, leaf, skin, flesh, cord, and seed).

We celebrated Rosh Hashanah -“head of the year”, to mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year, discussing that it is a time for reflection of the past year, prayer, and asking for forgiveness. We described the blowing of the Shofar (a rams horn) marking the calling together for a sacred meeting and ate apples with honey and learned the greeting used -“Shanah Tovah” – which means “a sweet new year”.

In connection to Fall the children learned about another tradition that takes place in Switzerland around this time of year called the “Alpabzug”: the beautiful alpine ritual of bringing the dairy cows down from the higher elevations to winter in the valley. Each cow is graced with a beautiful headdress made of flowers and greenery and large cow bell. The parade strolls down the mountain with the owners of the cows leading the way.

We also conducted a science experiment to see if an apple floats or sinks in water. First, we made predictions, and then we observed the results. Half of the class predicted that an apple would float. Regardless of size or variety, all the apples floated. We then introduced the concept of density, which determines whether objects float or sink. Like lemons and oranges, the flesh of apples is less dense, which we examined using our fingernails, helping to explain why apples float.  We finally made apple rose puff pastries to conclude our apple study. They are not only pretty but also delicious 🙂!

Inside and Outside Time

Birthday Circle

We celebrated Zinnia’s 4th birthday.

Art with Julianne

Apple drawings with chalk. Please check the document from Julianne.