Fun with fruits and vegetables

The activities will help the student identify, describe, and classify fruits and vegetables and learn how each grows.

A lesson plan for grade K Healthful Living, Mathematics, and Science

By Suzie Overholt

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• identify the names of commonly known fruits and vegetables.
• classify the foods by the categories fruits and vegetables.
• state which fruits and vegetables grow on a tree, on a vine, or in the ground.
• describe each fruit and vegetable by its physical attributes.

Teacher planning

Time required

45 minutes

Materials/resources

• Picture cards of fruits and vegetables
• Teacher-made fruit and vegetable game board (Super Duper Company has a pre-made fruit and vegetable game board in its Say and Do Vocabulary Games)
• Play plastic fruits and vegetables marked with red and green stickers
• Coloring sheets of a variety of fruits and vegetables
• Mural paper
• Magazines/picture books
• Scissors, glue, tape
• Real fruits and vegetables
• One red box labeled fruits and one green box labeled vegetables

Pre-activities

Brainstorm the names of fruits and vegetables with the class and write these names on the board.

Activities

1. Present to the students a variety of actual or pictured fruits and vegetables.
2. Ask the class the name of each food, discuss the physical attributes of each (color, shape, texture, taste, etc.), and discuss how each food grows (on a tree, on a vine, and in the ground).
3. Next, divide the class into centers to learn more about fruits and vegetables.

Center one

In a small group of four to five students, the students will use a teacher-made game board with pictured items of fruits and vegetables. With adult supervision the students will spin a spinner and move the appropriate places on the game board. When each child lands on a specific fruit or vegetable, the student must name the item, tell how it grows, and name at least one physical attribute. If they can correctly name the items above they remain on their square, if not they go back one space. Play continues until someone reaches the end of the game at the “City Market.”

Center two

The teacher attaches a long piece of mural paper to a wall. A large tree, a vine, and a garden scene are already pictured (drawn by teacher) on the paper. Students will select one to two fruits and vegetables, color the fruit its natural color and then select where it should grow. The student will attach his or her food to the tree, vine, or garden scene. After the entire class has been through this center, the class will discuss which foods are appropriately placed and which are not. Corrections will be made and mural displayed for future reference.

Center three

Students will be divided into several pairs. Each group will be given a red box marked fruits and a green box marked vegetables. Each pair of students will be given pre-marked play plastic fruits and vegetables. The fruit will have a small red dot or sticker on it and the vegetables will have a small green dot or sticker. Students will place the foods into the correct boxes. After the children place all foods into the two boxes then they go back and look at the dots on each fruit and vegetable and self-correct if they made any errors.

Center four

The teacher will have samples of many different fruits and vegetables. Each child will be encouraged to taste each and discuss with an adult (teacher, assistant, volunteer etc.) how each item tastes (sour, sweet), smells, looks like, its texture (soft, hard, crunchy), etc.

Assessment

Determine if the students can:

• identify at least eighty percent of the fruits and vegetables discussed.
• classify the fruits and vegetables into the appropriate category.
• describe the foods presented with at least two physical attributes.