Middle School Science Lessons

Objectives: to stress the importance of observations

Thinking Question:  If I called you on the phone and said I had a red apple in my hand, what image would enter your head?  Describe your answer.

OR: Have a box in front of the classroom and tell students there is a red apple inside of it. Write down thoughts about the apple and discuss.

Procedure:

1. Reveal each item one at a time.
2. Hold up a real apple (red) in front of the class. Have them list all their observations and thoughts about the apple. For example: color, texture, shape, etc. Accept all answers.
3. Have students close their eyes. When they open their eyes, hold up a red plastic or wooden apple. Have them cross off everything on their list that does not apply to the new apple.
4. Have students close their eyes again. When they open their eyes, hold up a red rubber or foam apple. Repeat.
5. Have students close their eyes again. When they open their eyes, hold up a picture of a red apple. Repeat.
6. Have students close their eyes again. When they open their eyes, hold up a piece of paper with the word “APPLE” written on it in red marker.

Questions for discussion:

1. Were all of my statments true? Was there a red apple in the box?
2. At what point does the apple stop being an apple?
3. Which one is not an apple at all? Discuss why or why not.
4. What does an apple mean to you? Be very specific.
5. Why is it important to be specific when describing something to another person or recording information?

Teacher Notes:

This is a great activity! Approximate time = 20 minutes. Higher order thinking skills such as Evaluation (Blooms) are involved. Great discussions and debates about the apple.

You can do this as a small group activity by giving each group a real apple (Red Delicious works nicely) and let them observe it and write down as many characteristics as they can, i.e. red, white spots, stem, smooth, leaf, bumps, etc.

This is a modified version of the original lesson, which was from a NASA Workshop I attended in 1997-98.

Updated 12/28/25