Apple Math-Sizing
Apples are a wonderful tool to help children learn about seriation, height, and weight!
Seriation:
Put apples in size order from biggest to smallest and smallest to biggest! This can be an independent task or a fun group task to allow for discussion and peer review. Discuss with children the difference between widest and tallest in terms of what they consider to determine the ‘biggest’ apple.
Height:
Apple Stacking:
to Determine Height
Use a ruler (we always recommend stick rulers!) and measure how tall of an apple tower you can create.
We challenge you to beat our record of 5 apples stacked with a height of 15 in. or 38 cm.
Send us a picture of your winning apple stack to be featured on our Facebook and maybe win a prize!
How many APPLES tall are you?
Measuring in height in apples-
Have a child lay down and measure how many apples tall they are (children really enjoy learning how big and tall they are)
OR
Let the child choose objects to measure by placing them on the ground
For older children encourage them to use math to predict how many apples tall they are.
For example-
If a child doesn’t know their height- they can learn it through apples by measuring 1 apple and determining how many in./cm. tall it is, they can determine how tall they are by multiplying the amount of apples by the height of 1 apple
If a child does know their height- have them predict how many apples tall they are by first finding 1 apples height and dividing their height by this measurement
Weight:
By making a balance beam and using tangible materials like apples and rocks children can really understand and FEEL what weight is!
Learning Weight through Apples!
Build a simple balance beam
(could be small like seen in our pictures or large enough for children to stand on!)
Apple Balance Beam Challenges:
How many pebbles does your apple weigh? (our apple weighed 21 pebbles)
Can you find a rock that weighs the exact same as your apple? (it took us 24 tries!)
Do you have two apples that weigh the same? (we did!)
Download our PDF to help your child experiment with apple and weight and record as they go!
Materials Needed:
Lever-long flat stick/ruler
Fulcrum/wedge- triangular rock
Object holder- lids with tape
Apples
Rocks
