Science Lesson Plan: Edible Plants and Where They Come From

This lesson plan is on edible plants and the many parts of the plant we can get them from. Students will learn that we can eat the roots, stems, fruits, seeds, leaves, and even flowers of different plants. It is intended for first grade but can be adapted to be taught to a kindergarten or 2nd grade class.

Grade: 1

Pre-Requisite knowledge: Students will already have basic knowledge of what a plant is and the names of different plant parts.

Objective: Students will learn about different types of edible plants and which parts of plants are eaten.

Standards: NYC Science Standard S2 Life Science Concepts

Rationale: This lesson is part of the New York City K-8 Science Scope and Sequence as well as the New York State Standards.

Procedure:

Initiating Activity

Pass out several types of edible parts of plants to children. Also pass out handout 1. You will need an assortment of edibles from all parts of the plant. Have things like sunflower and pumpkin seeds, carrots and radishes, apples and tomatoes, lettuce and spinach leaves, and celery and asparagus. Ask the students to think about from which part of the plant these foods come from, and write the name of the plant under the corresponding column in the chart.

Lesson Development:

Start a discussion about the different type of plant parts we can eat. Put up a chart on the board with the words: Fruit, Leaves, Seeds, Stem, and Roots. Ask kids to gather in the meeting area. Bring out a sunflower and show them the seeds and where you can get them from. Next take out a tomato plant (if you can't get this, get a bunch of tomatoes on the vine from a supermarket or vegetable store). Show kids how fruit grows on a plant. Next show kids a head of lettuce, and explain how we can eat leaves of certain plants. Next show the class a carrot (try to get one that still has leaves on top or at least some green part). Show them which part of the carrot grows underground. Next show students a stalk of celery and show them how it is the stem that we eat. Tell kids that you can even eat the flowers of some plants, like chamomile which is used in teas, lavender flowers, and squash or pumpkin blossoms. Remind children that it is important to never eat any part of a wild plant, even if they think it looks like food, without the permission of an adult.

Coached practice:

Have students plan a meal that includes foods from at least three different edible plant parts.

Conclusion:

Ask kids what their favorite plant food is, and then ask which part of the plant it comes from. Ask students why they think not all plants are edible.

Timetable:

This lesson will take one class period.

Homework Assignment

Go home and look around the kitchen and write down the names of at least 10 foods that are plants or come from plants (ex. cereal from corn.) Next to the name of the food, write what part of the plant it comes from.

Assessment

Pass out a handout with a picture of a plant on it. Ask students to label each part of the plant and to write on example of an edible part in each area.

Extension

MATH: Go around the class and have each student state his or her favorite food that comes from a plant. Then ask who can name what part of a plant it comes from. Make a bar graph to show where students' favorite plant foods come from.

Art: Have kids bring in old magazines. Divide a piece of construction paper into 5 parts, one for each edible part of a plant, and make a collage of different edible plant parts. Paste each part under the appropriate part of the plant. Each table can do their own collage, or, if you don't have enough magazines, the whole class can work on one big collage.

Materials and Equipment

Various edible seeds, fruits, root vegetables, stem vegetables.

Sunflower

Tomato plant or tomatoes on a vine

Carrot

Head of lettuce

Celery stalk