TEACHERS DEVISE BUSHEL OF APPLES IDEAS

Teachers from six area schools joined forces to develop a bushel of ideas for teaching reading, math, science, art almost anything using apples.

The resulting packet of apple lessons is being presented Friday at the Midwest Regional International Reading Association conference in Kansas City as an example of teaching using a theme.

The project gave teachers a chance to share ideas.

"One of the exciting things is that so many teachers have been able to get together and share their ideas," said Ann Gifford of Southeast Missouri State University.

Working on the International Reading Association project are teachers from Cape Girardeau, Scott County, Chaffee, Jackson and Delta public schools, and from Southeast Missouri State University.

Often teachers from different school districts have few chances to share instructional tips.

Even at International Reading Association meetings teachers are usually listening to a presentation from someone else, not sharing their own expertise.

Gifford said, "I think this has been a tremendous experience for teachers, and they seem to have enjoyed it."

She said teachers are looking for a new theme for next year.

"Actually its learning across the curriculum," said Mary Wilhite, Cape Girardeau seventh-grade reading teacher.

"We are using a thematic unit approach to teaching," she said. "This includes reading, writing, art, science, music, and it's for all ages."

Each of the dozens of apple-related projects has been classroom tested. In fact, Gifford said, teachers have been anxious to take their new ideas back to their classrooms.

"Every time we get together someone has another new idea using apples," Gifford said.

Shirley Givens, remedial reading teacher at Delta schools, enjoys an art project. Children carve a face into an apple, then let the apple dry, making a doll's face.

"Then we use big books about how to make the apple."

Wilhite said creative writing projects have students rewrite famous apple stories like Johnny Appleseed, or explain apple sayings like, "One bad apple can spoil the bushel."

The math project includes having children estimate how many apples are in a basket and how much the basket of apples weighs. Givens said an additional payoff is that students and teachers can then eat the apples.

"We also have recipes for lots of apple food," Gifford said. The list goes on and on.

In addition to presenting the Apple Talk lessons at the state International Reading Association convention, and this week at the regional convention, members of the group have presented the information at several other gatherings for teachers.

Barb Egbert, remedial reading teacher in Cape Girardeau, said: "Now we have something that is hands-on for the teachers, and they don't have to come up with the ideas themselves."