Activity: Don't Forget Your Fruits and Vegetables!

This activity helps to teach and reinforce the parts of a plant (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruit). It also allows students to recognize the parts of a plant that we eat.

Materials:

• A variety of fruits and vegetables to represent parts of the plant*
• Table/Flat surface
• Cloth

Activity:

1. Place all of the fruits and vegetables on the table and tell students to gather around.
   
2. Have students identify the names of the fruits and vegetables and the corresponding part of the plant they represent.
   
3. Tell students they will have to remember the items on the table. Give students a couple of minutes to look at and remember the items.
   
4. Cover the items with a cloth and carefully remove one or several items without the students seeing. Meanwhile, ask the students to explain the functions of the different plant parts or ask what plants need to grow.
   
   

   Seeds: Contain everything the plant needs to grow
   Roots:
   Anchor the plant, provide support, and absorb nutrients and water
   Stems: Carry nutrients from the roots to the leaves
   Leaves: Make food for the plant
   Flowers and Fruit:
   Help the plant reproduce
   

   
   
5. After removing an item, uncover the fruits and vegetables and ask the students what's missing.
   
6. Repeat as many times as desired!

Variation:
Play I Spy with the fruits and vegetables. Using the same idea, place items on the table and first have students identity the name of the fruit/vegetable and the part of the plant. Then students, "I spy with my little eyes....a root that is orange!" [Answer: Carrot]. Have students take turns picking the items.





*Suggested fruits/vegetables, according to plant part

• Seeds:
• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Cashews
• Peas
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
  
• Roots
• Beets
• Carrots
• Horseradish
• Parsnip
• Rutabagas
• Sweet potatoes
• Turnips
• Stems
• Asparagus
• Garlic
• Ginger
• White potatoes
  
• Leaves
• Cabbage
• Collards
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mustard
• Parsley
• Spinach
  
• Flowers
• Broccoli
• Chive blossoms
• Garlic blossoms
• Squash blossoms
  
• Fruits
• Apples
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peppers
• Pumpkins
• String beans
• Tomatoes