Lesson Two:
Understanding About Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Nuts and BeansObjective:
This lesson combines art and science to help children learn:
1. The difference between fruits, vegetables, beans, grain and nuts.
2. More about how each plant food is unique in it's appearance, form, and qualities.Preparation: Bring to school the following five groups of food:
1. A small variety of nuts in their shells
2. A handful of different colored and varied shaped beans
3. Two or three fruits
4. Two or three vegetables
5. Grain in different stages (e.g.Rice, corn, corn meal, flour, cereal, a slice of bread)
6. Napkins or paper towels
You may want to also provide the children with magnifying glasses.
Note: This lesson can be done in one or two days.Explain to the students that there are many plant foods (foods that grow from the ground). There are so many, in fact; that they have to be split up into five different groups: vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, and nuts.
Now you will clarify the difference between each type of plant food.
Vegetable: The edible part of a plant. Can be eaten cooked or raw and is usually part of the main dish or side dish, (like a salad, baked potato or vegetable stir fry) but not a dessert. Offer examples.
Fruit: The edible part of a plant. The difference from a vegetable is that it contains the seed, pulp and a skin. It's usually sweet and doesn't need to be cooked. Offer examples.
Grain: The seed of a plant that makes flour and cereal. Offer examples.
Bean: The edible seed from a plant that is generally covered by a pod. Offer examples.
Nut: The edible kernal that comes from inside a hard, woody or tough covering. The nut is separate from the covering, and can be easily eaten once the tough woody skin is cracked. Offer examples.
Draw a table (graph) on the board, as follows:
Let each child have a turn naming one of their favorite plant foods. Place their addition in the appropriate column. You may ask them how they know their chosen food is it's specific type: fruit, vegetable, grain, etc. At the end, ask if anyone knows the name of any grains or beans (you may wish to remind them that chocolate is a bean & that there are beans in Mexican food, or that cereal and bread comes from grain), or has any favorite nuts. Teachers may discuss more with the children about: 1) their favorites, 2) the difference between the types, and 3) the importance of having all plant foods in their diets.
Group Activity:
Split the children up into groups of 5 or 6. Children should have their art supplies. Give each group paper, a few magnifying glasses (optional) and one of the food selections. You will want to cut some of the fruit and vegetables in half or in slices (whichever looks more interesting). Have them study their food selection (they can use the magnifying glass). They should then draw and color their interpretation of their food items. Encourage the children to identify the peel, shell or husk, the seed, what is eaten, and what isn't.
Optional: You may have the children write more about their food selection: they could tell you how they eat that food, if they like it, if it's soft, how it grows, or diagram the various parts …whatever information they know and can share.
Individual Activity:
On the back of their sheet or a separate sheet of paper, have the children list their favorite plant foods by category: My favorite fruits are; My favorite vegetables are; My favorite grains are; My favorite beans are; My favorite nuts are.Note: Be sure to display their drawings and lists of favorites in the classroom.
