Welcome to fall in ELP!  During the next two weeks, we will be reading Picking Apples and Pumpkins by Amy and Richard Hutchings.  This fall story involves a family that goes out to a farm to pick apples and pumpkins.  While on the farm, they ride the hay wagon, climb trees, use an apple picker, have a picnic, and buy their apples and pumpkins.  At home, they bake an apple pie and carve pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns. 

           This story offers us an opportunity to explore the changes that occur in the fall, such as the changing colors of the leaves, the planting and harvesting of apples and pumpkins, the variety of textures and flavors of foods made from apples and pumpkins, and the equipment on a farm.  We will be acting out a trip to a farm to pick apples and pumpkins and will be making art projects with trees, leaves, acorns, pinecones, sticks, and apples.  We will also be studying weighing, measuring, cooking, and the differences between fruits and vegetables.  We will be graphing our favorite apples, too, and that will give us a chance to try eating different kinds!

           We will also be starting our year-long unit of study about letters.  We’ll start with “A” next week just in time to read our Apples and Pumpkins book!  We are really looking forward to learning about fall, and hope you will love the artwork and stories your children will be bringing home!  What’s next?  Halloween and The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.