DISCUSS:
Where do all these different kinds of apples come from?
In this mini-lesson, students learn about a variety of apples. In the activity, Apple Trapper, students engage in the engineering design process and build an invention that can pick up apples in the classroom. Students explore the properties of paper and think like inventors - building, testing, learning from failure, and trying again and again!
Preview activityApple Orchard (Grades 3-5) printout | Print 15 copies |
Apple Trapper Inspiration (All Grades) worksheet | 8 copies |
Apple Trapper Plan (Grades 3-5) worksheet | 30 copies |
Scissors
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30 pairs |
Scrap Paper (8.5 x 11")
|
300 sheets |
File Folder Labels (Stickers)
Tape also works. We prefer stickers because they are easier to distribute in a classroom.
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Details
210 stickers
|
Red or Green Construction Paper
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30 sheets |
Since this activity is designed to encourage students to collaborate and help each other by sharing ideas, students will work in pairs.
We suggest each student build their own Apple Trapper. Each Apple Trapper requires at least ten pieces of paper to experiment with and to construct their invention. If paper resources are limited, students can work in teams and create a single Apple Trapper together.
Cut the stickers in half so that they are about 1.5 inches in length. Each student building an Apple Trapper will need at least 14 of these half-size stickers (or pieces of tape).
The Apple Trapper Inspiration printouts are for students who are stumped or frustrated by the task of building an Apple Trapper. We suggest letting students try building on their own first. You can provide these printouts to those who may need additional help.
In the Younger Grades version of the activity, we suggest setting up one large "Apple Orchard" where students can gather around and test their inventions. Each student will make an "apple" from colored construction paper so the "Apple Orchard" needs to be large enough to fit all the "apples." A large table would work well.
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