Each month the Cambridge in Motion team sends a flyer with fun facts and a family newsletter to celebrate the Mass Farm to School partnership. We hope your family enjoys the fun and learning opportunities within! This month we are learning about apples! Enjoy the fun resources, recipes, lessons and activities that keep your family exploring and thriving! Follow us on twitter @CambMotion Fun Apple Facts! _____________________________________________ Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit! Apples can range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit! The science of apple growing is called pomology! Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans! Most apple blossoms (the flowers on apple trees) are pink when they open but gradually fade to white! It takes the energy gathered from 50 leaves to produce one apple! In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth!

Videos & Family Learning!

(1) How Do Apples Grow? Watch this fun and informative 5-minute video from True Food TV on how apples grow! (2) Sugar in Fruit: Learn all about how fruits are healthy for our bodies and why naturally-occurring sugars aren't something to worry about! (3) Read Along: How Do Apples Grow? written by Betsy Maestro Watch this video read-along and learn all about apples and where they come from!

For At-Home or Classroom Learning!

(1) Science with Apples: Why Do Apples Turn Brown? Learn about enzymes in this hands-on science experiment with apples and bananas. You likely have everything you need at home to try this fun activity! (2) A is for Apples: Check out these 4 activities for grades K-2 and use your 5 senses to learn about the parts of an apple, read a book together, make apple sauce and much more!

Does An Apple A Day Keep the Doctor Away?

Apples are rich in quercetin and pectin, both of which are credited for supplying apples with their health benefits. Quercetin is a flavonoid, a type of naturally-occurring plant chemical that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that may help prevent constipation and have a modest effect on lowering LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). Pectin is also fermented by beneficial bacteria in the colon, which produces short chain fatty acids that may play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases, including certain cancers and bowel disorders.

Delicious Recipes! Try this Honey Apple Dip with apple slices and crackers! Try this Apple Peanut Butter Overnight Oat recipe for breakfast this week! Try these Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples for a yummy side the whole family will love! Try this Apple Mint Granita recipe for dessert. It tastes like a slushy and so easy to make! Try this Avocado Apple Smoothie for the creamiest breakfast you've ever enjoyed! Try these Baked Apples with Cinnmon Oat Topping for a sweet treat tonight! Children's Book Spotlight The Apple Tree— A Modern Day Cherokee Story Written by Sandy Tharpe-Thee Illustrated by Marlena Campbell Hodson For grades K-3 "A Cherokee boy plants an apple seed, already seeing the apple tree it is meant to be. But the little apple tree is not so sure. Young and impatient, it begins to doubt its calling after apples fail to appear that first fall. How can the boy convince the tree to give the seasons the time to work their magic? The story is told in English with Cherokee translation, and includes a Cherokee syllabary."

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