Fruit or Vegetable?
Lisa R. Bobich
This lesson focuses on building understanding of scientific classification and plant structures.
Keywords: Plant anatomy, Fruits, Vegetables
Grade Level: 6-7
Duration: 1-2 class periods: 10 minutes determine students’ background knowledge; 25 minutes to draw and label fruits and vegetables (depending on number of specimens); (optional: 25 minutes to allow students to dissect specimens); 20 minutes for discussion and wrap-up
Standards:
Builds on Fundamental Concept: Form & Function
NATIONAL SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry
· Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
· Understandings about scientific inquiry
Content Standard C: Life Science
· Structure and Function in Living Systems
o Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms. Groups of specialized cells cooperate to form a tissue, such as a muscle. Different tissues are in turn grouped together to form larger functional units, called organs. Each type of cell, tissue, and organ has a distinct structure and set of functions that serve the organism as a whole.
· Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms
o Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.
o Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.
· Regulation and Behavior
o An organism's behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species' evolutionary history.
ARIZONA STATE STANDARDS
Strand 1: Inquiry Process
· Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
o PO 5. Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions, and ideas using tools such as written and/or computer logs.
Strand 2: History and Nature of Science
· Concept 2: Nature of Scientific Knowledge
o PO 1. Apply the following scientific processes to other problem solving or decision making situations: observing, questioning, communicating, comparing, measuring, classifying, predicting, organizing data, inferring, generating hypotheses, identifying variables
o PO 2. Describe how scientific knowledge is subject to change as new information and/or technology challenges prevailing theories.
Strand 4: Life Science
· Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems
o PO 6.Relate the following structures of living organisms to their functions:
Plants
Transpiration – stomata, roots, xylem, phloem
Absorption – roots, xylem, phloem
Response to stimulus – roots, xylem, phloem
Purpose: In this lesson, students will reinforce their knowledge of parts of a plant and use this knowledge to determine the scientific classification of fruit or vegetable.
Overview: Students will observe, draw and label parts of the plant for a whole and halved specimen of various fruits and vegetables. A discussion will then take place on what makes something a fruit or a vegetable.
Materials:
1. Printer paper
2. Two each (unless part can be broken off) of various fruits and vegetables; should include at least one from each category (roots, stem, leaves, fleshy fruit, dry fruit; examples: potatoes, radishes, ginger; celery; basil, broccoli; pepper, apple, orange, cucumber; peanut, beans)
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Name main parts of plants
2. Define difference between fruits and vegetables
Procedures:
PREPARATION
§ Buy fruits and vegetables
§ Cut one of each in half to show inside (optional: have students do dissection; may need many more specimens)
§ Label name of fruit/vegetable
§ Arrange around the room in stations
OPENING LESSON (Day 1: 10 minutes)
§ Individual Task: Ask students to list the main parts of a plant and how these are related to fruits and vegetables: how are fruits and vegetables similar and/or different? Give examples of fruits and vegetables.
§ Teacher led discussion: What are the main parts of a plant?
DEVELOPING LESSON/ACTIVITY (Day 1/Day 2: 25 – 50 minutes)
§ Explain to students that their task is to determine how to classify if something is a fruit or a vegetable
§ Ask them to draw the fruit/vegetable at each station (both parts, whole and halved) and label the parts of the plant (optional: have students dissect fruits/vegetables)
§ Assign them, as groups or individuals, to a station
§ Rotate approximately every 2 minutes until everyone has been at each station
CONCLUDING THE LESSON (Day 1/Day2: 20 minutes)
§ Class Discussion
o List all fruits and vegetables and prompt for parts of plants they labeled on their pictures.
o Vote on if it is a fruit or vegetable. If there is more than one answer, put both (to be decided on later)
o Ask students to find patterns between what plant parts are found in a fruit and/or vegetable. Highlight these similarities in the list on the board. If needed, have them list more fruits/vegetables.
o If not mentioned, bring up flower remnants on bottom of apple and that these plants have flowers before the fruit appears
§ Have students write down their conclusion (how to define a fruit vs. a vegetable)
§ Ask students to name another fruit that is commonly thought of as a vegetable
Assessments:
§ Individual
o Labeled pictures of fruits and vegetables
o Definition of fruit vs. vegetable
§ Group
o Example of other fruits that are thought of as vegetables
Extension Activity (Sexual Reproduction, 1-2 additional day(s)):
§ Materials
o Specimens from flowering plants with large pistal and stamen
§ Task
o Ask how plants reproduce
o Give each student/group a flower and microscope
o Have them draw and label all parts of the plant
§ Discussion
o Describe different parts of plant and hypothesize about their function
o Why are plants organized this way? (increased genetic variation)
o Lead towards realization that fruits come from plant ovaries
§ Assessment
o Have students draw life of a fruit starting from planted seeds
Supplemental Information (for teacher beforehand, students afterwards, if desired)
Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire: a plant’s eye view of the world. New York: Random House, 2001.