AIS students make applesauce for science experiment

Neighbors | Submitted.Austintown Intermediate School third-grade student Dylan Baer peeled an apple during the class' applesauce making science experiment.

Neighbors | Submitted.Austintown Intermediate School third-grade students gathered around as apples were cut for the class' applesauce making science experiment.

Neighbors | Submitted.Austintown Intermediate School third-grade students Helana Komsa and Lucas Guerini were all smiles as they prepared to peel an apple during the applesauce making science experiment.

Neighbors | Submitted.Austintown Intermediate School third-grade student Steven Martinez got some help peeling his apple during the applesauce making science experiment.

Neighbors | Submitted.Austintown Intermediate School third-grade students, from left, Josh Sawyer, Evelyn McLane and Hannah Hurst smelled the progress of the applesauce during their class' science experiment.
By TIM CLEVELAND
Third-grade students in Dana Patrick’s science classes at Austintown Intermediate School got a unique science lesson on Nov. 25 with an experiment to turn apples into applesauce.
The 47 students in the two classes brought in apples that they peeled, cut up and put into a crock pot to demonstrate the process of solid, liquid and gas. The experiment lasted from 9:45 a.m. until 3 p.m.
“This morning was when they kind of did all the work,” Patrick said. “Both this class and the class next door, we put them all together and we had each kid peeling the apples with an apple peeler. That was the first process. Second step cooking in crock pot with sugar and cinnamon added.”
Patrick said the experiment required the students to follow specific steps.
“We’re talking about science, solid, liquid, gas, and we went through the scientific method and the process,’ she said. “We did part of it yesterday with talking about that. We had all of our steps on the board and they followed their procedure. We talked about the different phases it’ll go through and what makes it turn into a liquid.”
The experiment started with each students washing their hands as well as the apples. Each student got a chance to peel and cut the apples, add sugar and cinnamon and stir the mixture every couple of hours. They recorded their finding on recording sheets.
“We did it because it’s around Thanksgiving so we’re going to be getting into our solid, liquid, gas unit coming up,” Patrick said. “We did it for Thanksgiving and we talked about different experiments we could do, and we decided on applesauce.
“This is kind of an introduction to where we’re going with the solid, liquid, gas and for them to see the first stage that this is a solid apple and now it’s going into the liquid form. They can relate it to something they may see at Thanksgiving and make that real-life connection. This is all new to them. For them it was a big thing to cut and pour.”
Patrick said she got a lot of help during the experiment from her co-teacher Samantha Giardina. Patrick said that helped keep the students focused on the task at hand.
“To have all 47, I thought it was going to be harder, but with the help of another teacher it was really nice to see all of them wait their turn and coming over and encouraging the next person to peel the apple. It ended up being more fun and easier,” she said.