- ethnic vegetables (see Chicks and Salsa and The Ugly Vegetables)
- leaf vegetables (such as lettuce, bok choy, and spinach with roots attached)
- root vegetables (such as carrots and radishes with leaves attached, if possible)
- leaf
- plant
- root
- seeds
- stem
- vegetable
MA Standards
Language/L.PK.MA.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, listening to books read aloud, activities, and play.
Head Start Outcomes
Logic and Reasoning/Reasoning and Problem Solving: Classifies, compares, and contrasts objects, events, and experiences.
Science Knowledge/Scientific Skills and Method: Observes and discusses common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects.
Science Knowledge/Scientific Skills and Method: Collects, describes, and records information through discussions, drawings, maps, and charts.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 2: Participate actively in discussions, listen to the ideas of others, and ask and answer relevant questions.
Science and Technology/Inquiry Skills 4: Record observations and share ideas through simple forms of representation such as drawings.
Explore Together (indoors): Exploring Vegetables
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: Many foods that animals, including humans, eat come from plants; We eat certain leaves, roots, fruits, and seeds; Plants exhibit diversity and variation
ELA Focus Skills: Listening and Speaking, Vocabulary
Safety Tips:
- Remind children to wash their hands before and after the activity.
- Children’s dietary needs have to be taken into account before introducing them to any food items.
Display a variety of fresh root and leaf vegetables for children. Tell children they are going to explore the plants. Before children explore, discuss what they know about the plants. Ask,
- Can you tell me the name of these plants?
- Have you eaten any of these vegetables before? Can you describe what it tastes like?
- Which of these vegetables are the roots of a plant? Which are the leaves of a plant? Which are the stems? Which are the seeds? How do you know?
Review with children how animals, including people, eat many different parts of plants. Say, Some of the food we eat comes from different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves, seeds, and stems.
Ask children what things they would like to explore about the plants on display. Make a list as children respond. For example,
- How are the vegetables similar or different to the plants children are growing?
- What do the roots look like? Are they like the roots in any of the plants children are growing?
- Are the leaves the same or different from some of the plants children are growing or have observed outdoors?
Let children freely explore the plants on display and compare them to the plants they are growing. You may want to suggest that they sort the plants into categories. Encourage children to ask questions and share ideas as they explore. Help children document the activity by taking photos.
When time is done for free exploration, gather children and have them choose one of the vegetables. Ask children to record something they learned about the vegetable by drawing a picture of it.
Reflect and Share
Discuss comparisons children made during their explorations. Have children share their drawing with the group and encourage them to use descriptive words to describe the vegetable and what they learned about it. Share any photographs or videos taken during children’s explorations to aid them in sharing their findings.
Educator Tip: If you have vegetables that are unfamiliar to most of your group, but familiar to one child of a different culture, ask that child to describe the vegetable for the group. (Help the child use sensory descriptive language—taste, smell, texture, etc.) Allow all children to taste any unfamiliar vegetables.