Apples A Peel To Me

Olga Moreno                    Horace Greeley School
                               832 W Sheridan Rd
                               Chicago IL 60613
                               (312)534-5800

Objectives:

For kindergarten and first grade. 
    1) Students will learn about two different types of graphs: 
       a) Real Graphs: using manipulatives and real objects to make a graph.    
       b) Representational Graphs: using pictures of real objects to make a 
          graph. 
    2) Students will learn about the different varieties of apples.
    3) Students will learn to gather, record and interpret data.

Materials:
    
    1) Apples, red, yellow and green ones, different amounts of each color.
    2) Red, yellow and green crayons for each child, scissors for each child.
    3) One copy of the student apple graph sheet for each child.
    4) One copy of the apple pictures for each student.
    5) Knives, napkins and paper plates.

Strategy:

     The classroom teacher will prepare the classroom graphs in advance.  Use 
one graph with the real apples and another graph with the student's preference 
picture after tasting the apples.  This graph will give information about the
children's favorite apple choices.                    
     Activity One: Children will guess how many apples there are in the bowl. 
After they guess the students and teacher will count the apples as the teacher 
removes them from the bowl or bag.  Then the students are asked to sort the 
apples by color and place them on the floor graph.  (discuss graph)
     Activity Two: The students are given individual graphs and asked to color 
in the boxes to match the floor graph.  The classroom teacher can remove the 
apples one by one from the graph as the children are instructed to color in the 
boxes as she removes the apples.  (discuss individual graphs)
     Activity Three: The students will taste the three different varieties of 
apples and asked to pick the apple they like best.  Students are given the apple 
pictures and they will color the picture to correspond to their apple 
preference.  They will write their name on the picture, cut it out and place it 
on the representational graph.  (discuss the graph)

Key Questions:

      What words can we think of to describe apples?  As a topic opener children
can close their eyes and pretend they have an apple in their hands and think 
about a word to describe their apple. 
     What is different about these apples?  What is the same?
     What can we learn from our graphs?
     What did we learn from our graphs?
     What information is not given in our graphs?
     What other things can we do with apples?

Performance Assessment:

    Evaluate concepts mastered by class discussion and participation.
    Individual evaluation of children's work.

References:
     Aims Education Foundation, copyright 1988 
    (Student pages from Fall into Math and Science)