Fruits & Vegetables Unit
The Fruits & Vegetables Unit provides a great opportunity for early learners. In this unit, kids are introduced to new vocabulary and experiences. For a lot of us, food is a comfort. Food can be exciting and intriguing. This unit explores the vast variety of different types of produce that God created. Enjoy! *Be sure to check out our other Elementary Science Units here!
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Grow a Fruit & Vegetable Garden
The whole Fruits & Vegetables Unit started because of our garden. After months of working on this annual project, our harvest has been steadily coming in. We have the usual squash, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers along with others like pumpkin, grapes, and eggplant. Since covering our blueberry bushes with netting, we have seen a nice output this year of the juicy berry too. Yummy!
Every year, the kids learn a lot. We have been discussing the difference between what is a fruit and what is a vegetable. From a culinary perspective, many vegetables we eat are actually fruits. For instance, the tomato and the zucchini are considered vegetables, but botanically they are fruit.
Start your Fruits & Vegetables Unit with books...
The best way to bring a unit together is to blend in as many books related to your topic. Here are some that we used throughout. A lot of times I will choose a colorful yet science inspired book that is kid-friendly to read during snack time so that all of the kids can benefit. Other times, story time only includes the younger three. Bring a unit to life with literature! Try Little Pea, From Seed to Plant, or There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog.
Fruits & Vegetables Worksheet Pack
This packet features 2 Big vs. Small, 2 Counting to 9, and 2 Beginning Letter Sounds worksheets. Use one or all of them to practice basic preschool and kindergarten skills. If you like this pack, you will find lots more of them on our Kindergarten page.
Fruit and Veggie Sampler
Fruits and Vegetables are eaten at our table everyday. However, we have a tendency to eat the same types of foods rather than try new cuisines. In this unit, I found that the best way to teach my kids about the myriad of different types of fruits and vegetables is to have them experience them firsthand.
During our Fruit and Vegetables Unit, I made a point to buy produce that is out of our norm. It gave the kids the opportunity to taste foods that were foreign to them. The taste, texture, color, and size of the seed were all interesting topics. Discussing whether the produce was botanically a fruit or vegetable was also part of the experience.
We also bought fruit and veggies that I usually don’t buy because of the expense. So, this was a splurge monetarily. I knew it would be. In all honesty, there was this weird-looking fruit with spikes on it. It didn’t make it through check-out when I realized this relatively small piece of fruit cost $6. We told it, “Good-bye,” and moved on.
We had fun tasting our various fruits and veggies though. The plantains were toasty and sweet after being grilled. On the other hand, the parsnips were not my favorite… the taste reminded me of a carrot, but had a slight fibrous texture that was like a mango. No more parsnips, please. Have fun and try some new foods this week!
May I Have Some Vegetables? Slideshow
This emergent reader features the high frequency words: may, I, some, and have. Perfect for young readers. Repetitive sentences make for easy learning of sight words. Check out our other preschool slideshows here.
Would You Like Some Fruit? Slideshow
“Would you like some fruit?” is an emergent reader great to use with early learners. The slideshow reviews high frequency words: would, you , like, a, and some. Be sure to check out our other Preschool Slideshows here.
Fruits & Vegetables Counting to 12 Slideshow
This slideshow has 10 counting questions allowing your child to practice their counting skills up to 12. The wording of the slides also reiterate high frequency words: how, many, are, there. Be sure to check out our other preschool slideshows here.
Fruits & Vegetables Emergent Reader
This reader is an effective way to practice reading readiness and colors. For those younger learners that enjoy coloring, this is a great activity. My soon to be kindergarten student was thrilled to complete “her” book. She was even more excited to “read” it to her Dad when he got home.
This emergent reader is repetitive, which is perfect for eager learners. It allows them to “read” the book from memory and visual context clues. It is 9 pages long… just right. Check out our large collection of other emergent readers here.
Vegetables &Fruit Crafts
DLTK provides a number of vegetable and fruit craft people that are fun for the younger kids. Today we made Mr. Tomato and Mrs. Carrot. We were able to review the letters T and C with their sounds. It also provided a chance to talk about how carrots are roots and how tomatoes are fruit botanically.
What's the Difference Between Fruits & Vegetables
“What’s the Difference Between Fruits & Vegetables” video has tons of great information! Jessie, the presenter, does an excellent job at explaining how and why produce is either a fruit or a vegetable. Enjoy!
Check out these other FREE resources...
