The scent of fresh apples filled the Kindergarten kitchen in Mrs. Lakeisha Bearer’s classroom as students peeled, cut, and prepared apples to make their own applesauce. But before the young chefs gathered around the stove, they spent the week exploring apples from the outside in, discovering the science, language, and variety behind one of fall’s most popular fruits.

For Kindergarten teachers Mrs. Bearer and Mrs. Jenna Menz, Apple Week offered an opportunity to turn an engaging seasonal theme into a multifaceted learning experience. Through observation, measurement, counting, defining descriptive vocabulary words, taste testing, and cooking, students discovered that learning can extend well beyond a traditional classroom lesson.

Experiences like these reflect Valley School’s commitment to providing a rich, hands-on education for every student. They also demonstrate how support for the Valley Fund helps make distinctive educational opportunities possible, providing resources that allow teachers to bring lessons to life in creative and memorable ways.

Apple Week began with an “apple investigation,” during which students examined the fruit closely to identify its different parts. They learned to distinguish the stem, leaf, and skin on the outside from the seeds, flesh, and core on the inside.

The investigation also introduced opportunities to practice early mathematics and scientific observation. Teachers measured the different parts of the apples and helped students count the seeds found inside each fruit. Rather than simply learning vocabulary from a book, children could see, touch, measure, and investigate the real thing.

Mrs. Menz’s class made a particularly memorable discovery when examining an apple cut through its center. Students learned that an apple typically has five seed pockets arranged in a star-like pattern. Often, those pockets contain five seeds or fewer in total. Their apple, however, had a surprise in store: several pockets contained two seeds, bringing the total to nine. The students were enthusiastic to share this finding with their families that evening.

That unexpected discovery gave students a chance to observe how nature does not always follow the patterns they anticipate. It also demonstrated the excitement that can emerge when children are encouraged to ask questions, investigate, and draw their own conclusions.

The students extended their exploration through a Scholastic Let's Find Out My Weekly Reader about apples, where they learned about the Hidden Rose apple, a variety known for its distinctive pink flesh.

The following week, as the classes moved on to pumpkins, Mrs. Menz’s students immediately connected their new lesson to what they had already learned. During their pumpkin investigation, they remembered that apples have flesh and recognized that pumpkins do, too.

These connections are an important part of Valley School’s carefully scaffolded curriculum. Each lesson builds upon previous learning, strengthening students’ understanding of concepts over time. As they encounter new ideas, students are encouraged to recall earlier experiences, recognize similarities, and communicate their observations with growing confidence.

Apple Week also offered a delicious opportunity to connect science with language arts.

Mrs. Bearer and Mrs. Menz introduced students to a variety of apples, including but not limited to Cortland, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Zestar. As the children sampled each variety, their teachers and classroom aides encouraged them to describe what they noticed, drawing on the descriptive language they have been developing in English language arts (ELA) class.

Students considered how apples differed in color, texture, sweetness, and tartness. They also learned that different varieties serve different purposes in the kitchen. Some are especially well-suited for baking pies, while others work well in applesauce or fresh salads, like those served in the school Dining Room and featured on its salad bar.

The taste test encouraged students to approach unfamiliar foods with an open mind. The educators reminded them that disliking one variety does not mean they will dislike them all, and that trying something new can lead to an unexpected favorite.

One student's reaction to a Zestar apple captured the spirit of the activity perfectly. After tasting the crisp, juicy fruit, known for its balance of sweet and tart flavors and a hint of brown sugar, the student enthusiastically declared, “It tastes like Christmas in my mouth!”

Moments like this bring language learning to life. Students were not simply memorizing adjectives; they were using words to express their own experiences, share their opinions, and communicate with their classmates.