On Labor Day weekend, Hendersonville held the NC Apple Festival. To continue celebrating the apple industry in our county, we participated in Apple STEM Camp at Dana last week.
Our experience with Apple STEM Camp started out with a visit from local apple farmer, Jerred Nix. He spoke to all of the third graders about the process of growing apples, the work that goes into it, and the challenges in apple production. He brought fresh-picked gala apples and blackberries for sampling.
Following Mr. Nix's visit, students got to experience many of the different aspects of the apple industry in Hendersonville. Students were given many opportunities to discover the importance and significance of the apple industry to our community and the local economy. Here are a few of the experiences that students got to have:
- Choose an apple production challenge (apple disease, insects, bears/deer, bruising, labor, etc.) and use the Engineering Design Process to develop a solution to the problem.
- Use non-fiction features to help you gain an understanding of the history of Hendersonville by reading and discussing old Hendersonville Times News newspapers.
- Use a compass rose and a map to determine the location of Hendersonville and places around it.
- Use apple recipes to enhance your understanding of measuring/doubling in math.
- Determine facts about Hendersonville's apple industry through non-fiction reading.
We learned so much about the significance of apples in our county. Our appreciation for the local apple growers is immeasurable.
