TITLE: Salad Party
AUTHOR: Beckianne Kilkenny, Cornelius Elem., OR
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 3-4; science, health
OVERVIEW: This is a great activity to help students realize
how important plants are in our diets and in our world. It
improves classifying skills, increases knowledge of plant
parts, provides a cooperative learning experience, and takes
the place of an "all sugar treats" party. It also involves
home and parents in our studies.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this activity is to provide a
positive experience with "vegies" while practicing basic
skills of observation, classification, and cooperation. It
also provides a model for healthy eating.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will recognize which part of a plant a
specific vegetable comes from.
2. Students will be able to sort and classify vegetable
according to various characteristics.
3. Students will investigate vegetables which are new to
them and classify each according to established
guidelines.
4. Students will create a super salad and share in its
consumption.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: plant parts poster, ziploc baggies
(all sizes), marking pen, peelers, knives (dull for kids),
serving containers, serving utensils (preferable tongs),
plates, forks, salt, pepper, herb vinegar
Extensions materials: tempera paint, butcher paper, potting
soil, cups, "Earth Tunes" cassette tape by Mary Miche
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Several days prior to the party the students are given
the task in their learning groups to choose one group
member to bring each type of vegetable. Each student
in the group must bring a different plant part.
Students may choose a vegetable that is a flower (such
as broccoli, cauliflower, or artichoke), a fruit
(tomato, cucumber, peppers, zucchini, peas, etc.), a
leaf (lettuce, cabbage, spinach, greens), a stem
(celery, asparagus, chives, or sprouts), or a root or
bulb (carrot, onion, garlic, jicama, radish, etc.).
Remind the "fruit" bringers that their contributions
should be vegetables that are the fruit of the plant so
bananas, peaches, etc. are not appropriate. I also
encourage them not to spend over one dollar.
2. The day before the party everyone brings their
vegetables. Each student's contribution is put in a
ziploc baggie with their name on it.
3. We start classifying by first having everyone who
brought a bulb or a root bring it to the table in the
front of the room. We discuss characteristics of a
root or bulb, determine if all items truly fit this
category, and divide them into sub-categories putting
the roots in one group and the bulbs in another. On
the board behind the classifying table is a large
diagram of a plant with its parts labeled. Setting
aside the roots and bulbs we do the same activity with
each plant section proceeding upward to stems, leaves,
flowers, and fruits.
4. Next I ask the students to develop a different way to
classify the vegetables. The consult as a group and
decide what new characteristic will be used as a basis
for grouping the "vegies". Groups then share their
system of classification with the class and demonstrate
by regrouping the vegetables. They might chose to
classify by size, color, shape, weight, taste, texture,
peeled or unpeeled, whatever they wish, but they must
agree within their group on the basic rule of their
classification system.
5. The I give each group an unfamiliar "vegie" and ask
them to determine which plant part it is. I have used
artichokes, jicama, mushrooms (not quite fair, but
interesting to discuss!) celeriac, bok choy, raddicio,
sugar peas, leeks, tomatillos, basil, olives, and
dandelion greens.
6. The day of the party we take over the cafeteria right
after morning recess. I have four parents come to help
with salad preparation. Each parent works with one
plant part and the students who brought those e.g.
stems (celery, asparagus, chives, and sprouts). I work
with the other group. We prepare all the vegetables,
i.e. peel and slice and put them in separate serving
dishes with a serving utensil (tongs work best) and set
it up like a great salad bar. Only parent helpers use
sharp knives to slice and die! We don't use dressing
by have salt, pepper, and herbal vinegars available.
Everyone eats! What a treat!
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:
1. Use leftovers and ends to do vegetable prints with
tempera on butcher paper.
2. Learn the song "Dirt Made My Lunch" by Steve Van Zandt
(available on cassette Earthy Tunes by Mary Miche)
3. Use all peelings and organic waste to feed the worm
farm!
4. Save seeds from the fruits and plant them!
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1. Homework - Following the party students have an
assignment to check out their own kitchen and find five
foods not used at the party but which are plants. They
list the foods and identify which part of the plant it
came from.
2. The day after the party we write thank you notes to the
parent helpers. Each note must contain some statement
of one thing each student in the group learned that was
new to them.
3. Evaluation - Using grocery food ads from the newspaper,
students cut and paste ten plant foods and identify
plant part. This works well when done in teams of two.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org