Our nature focus this week: apple trees and apples
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Although we do have two apple trees, they are still very young. I would love to get in to the old orchard where I lived during high school; I remember climbing this one apple tree in particular and sitting in a comfy spot in the tree while eating a just-picked apple from the same tree. Now THAT'S what I call nature study! I had also hoped to venture up to one of the big apple orchards in Ellijay, but rain and scheduling didn't allow for that either. Even so, we still had a good time with our apple study.
To begin, we read in The Handbook of Nature Study about apple trees and apples. It was nice to have had some first-hand knowledge of apple blossoms from our own little trees earlier this year. Kathryn and I both found the grafting process interesting.
Then we studied an apple (our own trees haven't produced any yet), and paid particular attention to the blossom end and the parts we could still identify, like sepals and stamens. Kathryn did a watercolor painting of an apple (art & nature journal in one!), and wrote a bit about it when she was done. 
Meanwhile, I made apple oat muffins, and when it was time to shred the apple, I cut one in half horizontally and we studied it and dissected one of the seeds. Ours had nine seeds.
Although our study didn't really get us outdoors this week, we did have some good outside time: we went on a few walks; Kathryn played outside with Lacy; and one afternoon Kathryn and a neighbor friend had an outdoor tea party for themselves and their dolls.
The best--or at least the tastiest--part of our apple study: apple muffins (and tea)!
.Although we do have two apple trees, they are still very young. I would love to get in to the old orchard where I lived during high school; I remember climbing this one apple tree in particular and sitting in a comfy spot in the tree while eating a just-picked apple from the same tree. Now THAT'S what I call nature study! I had also hoped to venture up to one of the big apple orchards in Ellijay, but rain and scheduling didn't allow for that either. Even so, we still had a good time with our apple study.
To begin, we read in The Handbook of Nature Study about apple trees and apples. It was nice to have had some first-hand knowledge of apple blossoms from our own little trees earlier this year. Kathryn and I both found the grafting process interesting.
Then we studied an apple (our own trees haven't produced any yet), and paid particular attention to the blossom end and the parts we could still identify, like sepals and stamens. Kathryn did a watercolor painting of an apple (art & nature journal in one!), and wrote a bit about it when she was done. Meanwhile, I made apple oat muffins, and when it was time to shred the apple, I cut one in half horizontally and we studied it and dissected one of the seeds. Ours had nine seeds.Although our study didn't really get us outdoors this week, we did have some good outside time: we went on a few walks; Kathryn played outside with Lacy; and one afternoon Kathryn and a neighbor friend had an outdoor tea party for themselves and their dolls.
The best--or at least the tastiest--part of our apple study: apple muffins (and tea)!
