Grade Level: Kindergarten-2 nd Georgia Performance Standards Addressed: CCGPS.K.CC.5 CCGPS.K.CC.6 CCGPS.1.MD.4 MCC2.MD.10 ELACCKW2, 1W2, 2W2 SKL1, SKL2 S1L1 Materials Needed: Book And The Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson Lettuce Seed Packet Enlarged Seed Packet Image (Included) Seed Catalog Magnifying Glasses Rulers Three Varieties of Lettuce Description Worksheet (Included) Crayons Time Needed: 30 minutes Title: Lettuce Explore Lettuce! Goal: Students are introduced to different types of lettuce and connect their lettuce observations to writing and math. Objectives: Students observe and learn about several varieties of lettuce. Students record observations and use them to write a poem. Students create a line plot to record the results of a class tasting and interpret the data. Lesson Outline: 1.) Read And The Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson to introduce growing a garden and how a garden changes as time passes. 2.) Introduce lettuce by examining seed catalogs and seed packets. 3.) Students explore three varieties of lettuce leaves. 4.) Students record their observations about the leaves and use them to write a poem about lettuce. Younger students can write a poem as a class. 5.) Students taste the lettuces, choose a favorite, and record their opinions of a line plot, then observe the class s favorite kind. Lesson created by: Growing Minds, a program of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) Asheville, NC www.growing-minds.org
Activities: 1.) After reading And The Good Brown Earth, explain how different vegetables grow at different speeds and are ready to harvest at different times of the year. 2.) Introduce Lettuce one of a farmer s favorite vegetable! Explain that lettuce is a fast growing vegetable and for this reason is one of a farmer s favorite vegetable to grow. Ask students to predict how many days it takes to grow lettuce from seed to plant. Ask them where they would look to find the correct information. Show students a seed catalog and seed packet. For kindergarteners, point to the place on the enlarged seed packet where you can find the information. For 1 st and 2 nd graders, give lettuce seed packets to several students and ask them to read to find out how many takes it takes for the lettuce to grow. Were the students predictions correct? 3.) Ask students to wash their hands. Give each student one leaf of each of the three different varieties of lettuce. Ask students to look closely at the three types of lettuce. Give them magnifying glasses to look more closely. Ask them to describe how each lettuce leaf looks and feels. Give older students rulers. How long is each lettuce leaf? Record the data on the observation chart with columns for feel, look, taste, and smell. Can the students write a poem using the words in their observation chart? Read them one of the following poems about cucumbers and carrots. Can they substitute information about lettuce to make a new poem? After they write their poem, show them pictures of different types of greens. Have the students draw a lettuce border around their poem. Cucumbers Green cucumbers growing on the vine Oh so juicy, cool, and fresh We want so much To chomp and munch And hear that nice loud crunch! Carrots Carrots orange, long, and bright Make my snowman s nose tonight Carrots shredded thin and fair Make lovely, layered orange hair Carrots crunchy, cold, and sweet Make my favorite snack to eat
4.) Ask the students to taste each leaf of lettuce. Ask them to choose which type was their favorite. Record the data in a line plot on the board. Describe what the line plot shows with the students which type was the most popular? The least popular? Example: Garden Extension: If you have lettuce growing in a garden bed, take the class out to the garden and tell them you are going to pick a few leaves to observe. Lettuce is a leaf that we eat. Do the students see other leaves that we can eat? Pick a few other types of edible leaves. Do they see leaves we don t eat? Pick a few inedible leaves. Choose a few edible and inedible leaves. Hold them up side by side and ask the class to compare the leaves. How are they similar? How are they different?
Name Date Describe the three kinds of lettuce. Lettuce #1 Feels Looks Sounds Smells Tastes
Name Date Describe the three kinds of lettuce. Lettuce #2 Feels Looks Sounds Smells Tastes
Name Date Describe the three kinds of lettuce. Lettuce #3 Feels Looks Sounds Smells Tastes
Name Date Use your description words to write a poem about lettuce in the box below.