Last school year, Spokane Public Library’s monthly Stuck-at-Home STEAM and Homeschool events explored science, technology, engineering, art, and math with kids. This year we’ll have a new name, “After-School STEM,” as well as continuing our Homeschool event series. Spokane Public Library’s STEM librarian will share STEM topics using books, videos, and hands-on learning experiences.
- Apple Science: A Homeschool Event for preschool-5th Graders | Friday, October 8, 10:30am
- Apple Science: An Afterschool STEM Event for K-5th Graders | Tuesday, October 12, 4pm
We’ll start off in October with Apple Science! You may have heard of dissecting a frog, but did you know you can dissect an apple? We will identify the parts of an apple and their functions. Then we’ll experience an apple using all of our senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and – taste!
Each participant will need:
- Two apples (they can be different varieties or the same variety)
- A plate
- A cutting board
- A knife, and an adult or older sibling to help cut the apple
- A piece of paper and a pen or pencil
- Scissors
While we taste our apples, we will try to answer the question, why are some apples different from others? Some are large, some small… some taste sweet, some taste sour… some are green, some yellow, some red, some mixed! We’ll learn about apple varieties and the efforts of the Lost Apple Project to save the apple varieties that were grown right here in Eastern Washington over a hundred years ago.
So pick up a few apples from your backyard tree, your grocery store, or your farmer’s market, and join us on October 8 or 12!
Learn more about apples using these resources.
- Book: Apples
- Book: Golden Delicious: a Cinderella Apple
- Streaming: hoopla has eBooks on apples for various reading levels.
- Video: To learn how apples are harvested, check out this video.
- Video: To learn why apples turn brown after being cut, watch.