Plants Make Good Eating Too

To Know and Learn

The Ricky Raccoon story will teach children about the different parts of plants that we eat. This activity will give children the opportunity to practice mathematic, music and reading readiness skills.

Materials Needed

Ricky Raccoon story on page 6-18
food and story pictures on pages 6-60--6-66
flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard or wall
thumbtacks or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

Color and cut out the food and story pictures on pages 6-60--6-66.

Read Ricky Raccoon on page 6-18 to the children. At each refrain, the children can sing along. Use the food and story pictures to illustrate the plant foods as the story progresses.

After reading the story, ask the children the following questions:

When does Ricky Raccoon visit the farmer's garden?
What does Ricky Raccoon find when he visits the farmer's garden?
What leafy foods does Ricky Raccoon find?
What stem foods does Ricky Raccoon find?
What root foods does Ricky Raccoon find?
What seed foods does Ricky Raccoon find?
What fruit foods* does Ricky Raccoon find?
What flower foods does Ricky Raccoon find?

This lesson contains many concepts. It may be helpful to divide this lesson into six parts (leaf, stem, root, seed, fruit and flower vegetables) and teach each part on a separate day.

The following books can be used with this lesson:

Blue Bug's Vegetable Garden (V. Poulett, Children's Press, Chicago, 1973).

Bring In The Pumpkins (D. lpcar, Scholastic Book Service, New York, 1976)

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name foods that come from plants. Also have them name foods that come from plant leaves, stems, roots, seeds, fruits and flowers.

* Some vegetables (tomato, cucumber, squash, eggplant, pumpkins and green peppers) are called "fruit" vegetables because they contain the seeds of the plant. They are sometimes referred to as "vegetables in fruit clothes" or "vegetables in disguise."

RICKY RACCOON (chorus can be sung to the tune of This is the Way We Wash Our Clothes) Ricky Raccoon loves to visit the farmer's garden. On Mondays he likes munching on the leafy greens that grow there, like lettuce, spinach, cabbage and brussel sprouts. Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden To eat the leafy greens. Ricky Raccoon loves to visit the farmer's garden. On Tuesdays he likes crunching on the vegetables that grow on stems there, like celery, and asparagus. Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden To eat the plant stems. Ricky Raccoon loves to visit the farmer's garden. On Wednesdays he likes chomping on roots that grow under the ground there, like carrots, onions, potatoes, radishes and rutabagas. Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden To pull roots from the ground.

Ricky Raccoon loves to visit the farmer's garden. On Thursdays he likes chewing on the plant seeds that grow there, like beans, peas and corn.
 
 
 

Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden To pluck the seeds that hang there. Ricky Raccoon loves to visit the farmer's garden. On Fridays he likes nibbling the plant fruits that grow there, like cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins and green peppers. Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden To pick the plant fruits. Ricky Raccoon loves to visit the farmer's garden. On Saturdays he likes eating vegetable flowers that grow there, like cauliflower, artichokes, broccoli and squash blossoms. Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden To eat the vegetable flowers. Ricky Raccoon loves to Visit the farmer's garden. But on Sundays he eats all these foods at home., Chorus Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden Ricky Raccoon goes to the garden On sunday he eats at home.  


Broccoli Talks Plants

To Know and Learn

The Broccoli Talks Plants flannel board story will help children learn that plants have edible roots, stems, leaves and flowers.

Materials Needed

Broccoli Talks Plants story on page 6-20

food and story pictures on pages 6-67--6-68
flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard or wall
thumbtacks or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

Color and cut out the food and story pictures on pages 6-67--6-68

Read Broccoli Talks Plants on page 6-20 to the children. Illustrate highlights of Broccoli Talks Plants by thumb tacking or taping the food and story pictures to a flannel board, bulletin board, black board or wall. After the story has been read, ask the children the following questions:

Where did the seed fall?
How did the seed get underground?
Who did the seed see underground?
Why was the seed unhappy?
What was the turnip's secret?

The book, The Carrot Seed (C. Johnson, Scholastic Book Services, New York, 1945), is an inexpensive resource that can also be used to teach sequencing skills. For example, buy two paper back copies, tear out the pages and cover them with clear contact paper. The children can then "read" the pictures and put, the book back into its proper sequence.

Some children may be interested to know that broccoli (like other plants) "eats" water and nutrients from the soil and air. Humans must drink water and eat food.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to identify the different parts of a broccoli plant.
 
 
 

BROCCOLI TALKS PLANTS There was a little seed that fell to the ground. It fell so softly it never made a sound. Into a hole it softly sunk, To finally rest at the bottom with a plunk.
Under the ground, the seed looked for friendship. But all he could find were worms and a turnip.

"Oh, woo," cried the seed from his dark dungeons. "I wish I could grow and be where the sunshine is."

"Surprise!" called the turnip from its cavern in the dark. "I will tell you a secret to make you grow without a spark. Eat plenty of foods, drink water and play, And you'll grow so fast you won't know what to say!" "Yippy-yi-yah," yelled the seed from within his hole. "Watch me grow roots, stems and leaves to roll."

So the seed ate his foods until he grew and grew and grew, He grew so much his roots grew down to Timbuktu.

And then there was his stem, now that was so high, His stem grew so big it reached for the sky.

  And he grew leaves to proudly show Along with tasty flowers, don't you know. "Yippy-yi-yah," cried the seed that grew from the ground, "I grew so much they call me broccoli now!"



Bean Shaker Chant

To Know and Learn

Children will practice identifying beans, peas and dried corn as plant seeds that can be eaten.

Materials Needed

Bean Shaker Chant on page 6-22
dried peas, beans, popcorn and/or pumpkin seeds
empty paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, oatmeal
boxes
or small shoe boxes
aluminum foil
rubber bands

Directions

A. To Make the Shakers

Make shakers to use when reciting the Bean Shaker Chant by:

• putting several dried beans, peas, popcorn kernels and/or pumpkin seeds into a paper roll or box
• covering the ends of the paper roll or box with aluminum foil and secure it with rubber bands

B. To Use the Shakers

Review all the parts of a plant that we can eat. Give examples of foods that grow on each part of the plant. Talk about plant foods such as:

Stem foods: asparagus and celery
Root foods: carrots, potatoes, beets and radishes
Leaf foods: lettuce, spinach and cabbage
Flower foods: broccoli and cauliflower
Fruit foods: tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers
Seed foods: peas, beans and corn

Read Bean Shaker Chant on page 6-22 to the children. Have them repeat each line until they know it well. The shakers can be rattled as the children say the chant.

After they have learned the chant, ask the children the following questions:

Name the foods in the shakers.
'What part of the plant are these foods? (seed)
What color and shape are the seeds?
How do the seeds feel?
Can the seeds be eaten raw?
What are some other plant seeds we eat? (sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, other kinds of beans and peas)

The following books can be used to reinforce the concepts taught in this lesson:

Pumpkin Seeds (S. Yezback, Bobbs-Merrill, New York, 1969).

From Seed To Jack-O-Lan tern (H. L. Johnson, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, New York, 1974).

The Amazing Seeds (J. Hope, Watts, Inc., New York, 1965).

Lentil Soup (J. Lasker, A. Whitman and Company, Chicago, 1977).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name foods that are plant seeds.
 
 
 

BEAN SHAKER CHANT Seeds, seeds, seeds to grow Make me grow so tall Peas, peas, I eat my peas To grow up big and tall Seeds, seeds, seeds to grow Make me grow so tall Beans, beans, I eat my beans To grow up big and tall Seeds, seeds, seeds to grow Make me grow so tall Corn, corn, I eat my corn To grow up big and tall Seeds, seeds, seeds to grow Make me grow so tall Pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seeds, I eat my pumpkin seeds To grow up big and tall Seeds, seeds, seeds to grow Make me grow so tall Peanuts, peanuts, I eat my peanuts To grow up big and tall  
  Sprouting Good Food

To Know and Learn

Children will learn that we can grow and eat plant stems by planting their own bean sprouts and then preparing Egg and Sprout Pockets. They will also practice sequencing, fine motor and reading readiness skills.

Materials Needed

Egg and Sprout Pockets picture recipe on page 6-69
Bean Sprout picture recipe on page 6-70
pita bread
hard cooked eggs
lowfat plain yogurt
bean (alfalfa seed, soy beans, mung beans, lentils, peas, garbanzo beans, wheat, oats and/or barley)
jar
cheese cloth
rubber band
water
paper
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

Review the foods that we eat that are plant stems. Use examples like rhubarb, celery, broccoli stalks and asparagas to describe plant stem foods.

Wash the beans thoroughly and have the children plant bean sprouts using the picture recipe on page 6-70. Be sure to tell the children that the bean sprouts will take 4 days to grow large enough to be eaten. (Only use good quality seeds for sprouting otherwise the seeds may rot rather than sprout. Also, use seeds purchased only at a grocery store. Seeds sold in other stores may be treated with pesticides.)

Children can monitor the growth of the bean sprout by keeping a record of how they grew each day. This can be done by:

• making a chart that is titled "What Happened to My Sprouts Today?"
• making columns for each day, Monday - Friday
• drawing a picture of the bean sprout (or seed) each day

On the last day ask the children to answer the following questions:

How fast did the bean sprouts grow?
Are bean sprouts a plant or an animal?
Can we eat bean sprouts?
What part of the plant was used to grow the sprout?(seed)
What part of the plant did the seed grow into?(stem)

Prepare the Egg and Sprout Pockets from the picture
recipe on page 6-69.

Let the children eat the sandwich and ask them the following questions:

What foods are in the sandwich?
Where did each of the foods originate?
What is the color, shape, feel and smell of the bean sprouts?
How do the bean sprouts sound when chewed?

The sprouts can also be used on tacos, peanut butter sandwiches, crackers or eaten plain.

Sprouts are widely used in the Asian cuisine. This lesson could be expanded by talking about the Asian culture. Refer to the lesson, Wonderful Wontons (1-14), for resources.

The following books can be used to further develop the concepts taught in this lesson:

Who Goes There In My Garden? (E. Collier, Young Scott Books, New York, 1963).

Vegetables From Stem To Leaves (M. E. Selsam, Morrow, New York, 1972).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name the plant foods in the sandwich and describe how to grow bean sprouts.
 

Cuke Canoes

To Know and Learn

Children will learn that some vegetables are the fruit of the plant. They will also practice fine motor, reading readiness and sequencing skills by preparing cucumbers as a snack.

Materials Needed

Cuke Canoes picture recipe on page 6-71
cucumbers
peanut butter or cottage cheese
raisins
knife
cutting board
paper plates
spoons

Directions
Discuss vegetable fruits with children. Talk about vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini, pumpkin and squash.

Have the children prepare Cuke Canoes from the picture recipe on page 6-71. Display the picture recipe and review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• peel the cucumbers
• slice them in half lengthwise (thirds or fourths can also be used)
• scoop out seeds
• fill with peanut butter or cottage cheese
• top with raisins

Let the children eat the Cuke Canoes and ask them to answer the following questions:

What foods are in the Cuke Canoes?
Are these plant foods?
Which part of the plant is each of these foods?

The following book can be used to further develop the concepts taught in this lesson:

The Tomato And Other Fruit Vegetables (M. Selsam, Morrow, New York, 1972).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to identify at least one vegetable fruit.
 
 

Plant Shape Up Cards

To Know and Learn

Children will practice identifying parts of plants that we eat.

Materials Needed

Plant Food Cards on pages 6-72--6-74
heavy paper, cardboard or index cards
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
contact paper (optional)

Directions

A. To Make the Plant Food Cards

Color and cut out the Plant Food Cards on pages 6-72--;6-74.

Cut along the bold lines so that the shape of the card is a triangle, diamond, square, rectangle or circle.

Glue or tape the Plant Food Cards to heavy paper, cardboard or index cards. Trim any excess paper.

Cover with clear contact paper for longer durability.

B. To Use the Plant Food Cards

Review plant parts that we eat and. give examples of vegetables that we eat from each plant part.

Show the children the Plant Food Cards and ask them to pick the foods that come from a plant stem, root, seed, leaf and fruit. Children can also match card shapes until they know on which part of the plant each vegetable grows.

Children can use these cards individually for review.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to find and hold up a card of a vegetable that is a plant stem, root, seed, leaf or fruit.

Am I Plant Or Animal?

To Know and Learn

Children will distinguish between foods of plant and animal origin and things that are not food By playing a card game.

Materials Needed

food picture cards on pages 6-48--6-56
picture cards on pages 6-60--6-67
cardboard, heavy paper or old playing cards
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
clear contact paper (optional)
 

Directions

A. To Make the Food Picture Cards

Use food pictures from other activities or use magazines, newspapers, seed catalogs or grocery store advertisements to locate pictures of food and things that are not food items. Pictures of things that are not food can also be found on pages 6-75--6-76

Color and cut out these pictures and glue or tape them to the cardboard, heavy paper or old playing cards. Trim any excess paper.

Cover cards with clear contact paper to make them more durable.

B. To Use the Food Picture Cards

Review with the children foods that we get from plants and animals. Ask the following:

What animals give us food?
What are some foods that come from animals?
Do plants give us food?
What are some foods that come from plants?

Hold up a picture card and ask the children to identify whether the card is of a food or is not a food. If the picture is of a food item, ask them to identify whether the food is of a plant or animal source. Have them repeat the following:

Foods are great. Foods are great.
Foods are neat. Foods are neat.
(food name) comes from a plant,
(food name) come from an animal,
And it is good to eat.
And it is good to eat.

The children can use the cards individually to sort them into groups of non-food items, animal foods and plant foods. The cards can also be sorted into foods from a chicken, cow, or pig or foods that are plant roots, seeds, fruits, stems, flowers, or leaves.

The following books can be used to further explore the concepts taught in this lesson:

A Tree Is A Plant (C. Bulla, Crowell Company, New York, 1960).

Everybody Has A House And Everybody -Eats (M. Green, Young Scott Books, New York, 1961).

The Flake And His Secret Plan (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, DHHS Pub. No. (CDC)

74-8264, Superintendent of Documents, Washington D. C.)

Is This My Dinner? (I. Black, A. Whitman and Company, Chicago, 1972).

Food For Thought

Hold up a picture of a food or non-food item. Ask the children to clap if the picture is a plant food, stomp their feet if the food comes from an animal or put their their hands on their knees if it is a non-food item.
 

UNIT 6 CONTINUE


Head Start National Library Collection | BMCC Home