(http://esseacourses.strategies.org)
Crops Investigation #7
Goal:
Students will become familiar with fruits and vegetables.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- differentiate fruits from vegetables
Standards Met:
Overview:
Students will examine an assortment of fruits and
vegetables and determine which is, botanically speaking, a fruit and which is a
vegetable.
Materials:
- assorted fruits and vegetables (1 set for the entire class)
- (alternatively, use 1 or 2 examples each of fruits and vegetables and
supplement with photos)
Resources:
Actions:
Prior to the lesson:
- Students have studied the major organs of a flowering plant: root, stem,
leaf, flower, fruit.
- Students have studied the parts of the flower and sexual reproduction in
flowering plants.
During the lesson:
- Pose the question, "What is the
difference between a fruit and a vegetable?"
- In their science notebooks, the students should prepare a data
table with three columns: "food name", "fruit",
"vegetable." The students should examine an assortment of fruits and
vegetables. They should list the food's name in the table and put a
check in the appropriate column for that food item based on the students'
prior knowledge. Be sure to include some challenging food
items like corn, dry grains, or nuts.
- After the students have made all of their observations, discuss
with the class what makes a fruit a fruit and what makes a vegetable a
vegetable. Once the correct definitions have been established, discuss
each food item. Students should correct their tables if they were
incorrect.
- Finally, have the students return to some or all of the fruits to
try to identify the remaining floral organs that are still attached to the
fruit. They may be able to see the stigma and style, anthers, and/or
stamen.
Extensions:
- Students could play the game on the resource site.
- Have students prepare a list of additional food items and identify them
as a fruit or a vegetable.
- For the vegetables, the students could add a column to their table
listing the part of the plant (root, stem, or leaf) that is being eaten.
Assessment:
Students have completed a task in their science notebook. Students
could be given a quiz with some additional fruits and vegetables.
Reflection:
Please write a reflection after you teach this lesson to help us make improvements. Reflections should be e-mailed to j.okeefe@moreheadstate.edu and c.wymer@moreheadstate.edu. If you also complete student reflections, please include these as well.