Unit 11 Instructions

Objective:  Children will learn how to properly harvest, wash and store produce from the garden.

Key Concepts:  Fruit and vegetables from the garden need to be harvested properly, washed to avoid ingesting dirt, and stored properly for eating. It is important to know when to harvest the produce so that we do not pick any fruits or vegetables before they are ready.

Materials Needed

• “Seedling Song” lyrics

• “Bunny Hop” game instructions

• Pictures of fruits and vegetables

• Pictures of matching ripe and unripe fruits and vegetables

• Unit 11 discussion card

• “Matching” game instructions

• Tummy Mindfulness and Experiential Eating protocol

• Fruit, vegetables, and napkins for tasting

• Tummy dolls

• Measuring tape

• “Exercise When We Rhyme” game instructions

NAEYC Recommendations Satisfied

Curriculum 2.A.03, Curriculum 2.A.08, Curriculum 2.A.10, Curriculum 2.A.11, Curriculum 2.A.12,

Curriculum 2.B.05, Curriculum 2.C.03, Curriculum 2.C.04, Curriculum 2.D.02, Curriculum 2.D.03,

Curriculum 2.D.07, Curriculum 2.F.03, Curriculum 2.G.02, Curriculum 2.G.06, Curriculum 2.G.08,

Curriculum 2.K.01, Health Standard 5.A.06

Review [5 minutes—song]

• Song:  The teacher leads the class in the “Seedling Song.” 

Classroom Activity [25 minutes—game, discussion, game]

• Game:  In order to emphasize the concept of harvesting ripe fruits and vegetables, the teacher leads the children in a game of “Bunny Hop.” 

• Discussion 11a:  The teacher leads a discussion about harvesting.

  • • • The teacher starts the unit by telling the children that today they are talking about how to harvest plants and fruit from the garden. 

      • The teacher asks children if they know what it means to harvest before giving them the definition. Harvesting means to pick fruits and vegetables that are ripe.

      • The teacher tells children that fruits and vegetables let us know when they are ready to be harvested by changing color, growing to a certain size, and by the “ripe” smell. 

      • First, the teacher asks the children what veggies/fruits look like when they are ripe. 

      • Then, to illustrate this point, the teacher shows the children pictures of ripe and unripe fruits and vegetables. 

• Game:  The teacher leads the children in a game of “Matching.”  

  • • • Pictures of ripe fruits and vegetables are placed face-up on the ground around the playground. 

      • Pictures of unripe fruits and vegetables are distributed to each child.

      • The teacher tells the children to frog jump to the ripe fruit or vegetable that matches the unripe one they have in their hands.

      • Once all children have found their matching ripe fruits or vegetables, the children exchange cards and find the new ripe fruit or vegetable, while doing a different physical activity.

      • The teacher encourages the children to continue exchanging cards and matching it with the correct ripe fruit or vegetable, changing the physical activity each time (i.e. run while flapping arms like a bird, hop while flapping arms and buzzing like a bee, etc.). 

Mindful Eating [15 minutes—tummy mindfulness, experiential eating]

• Tummy Mindfulness and Experiential Eating Protocol:

• • • Direct children to wash their hands before their taste testing.

    • Food should be served to the children with gloved hands.

    • After washing their hands, the children are presented with fruits and vegetables from the garden (or grocery store if needed) to sample. Images of a body with an empty belly, too full belly, and just right belly are available for the children to compare. The teacher describes the feelings of hunger and fullness to the children to increase their understanding of these concepts . They then discuss how every person eats a different amount of food to get a just right tummy and that it is important to pay attention to your body

    • Lay out or hang up the Tummy Dolls,  images of a body with an empty belly, too full belly, and just right belly

      • • • Before sampling the fruits and vegetables, the teacher asks the children if they are too full, just right, or hungry by asking them to point to the appropriate images.

          • The teacher then calls on a few children and asks them to describe what hunger or fullness feels like. The teacher tells the children to pay attention to if they’re feeling hungry or if they’re feeling full. If they are hungry, the teacher lets the children know that eating more food will give them energy they need for the day. If they are full, then that means their body already has the energy it needs, and they do not need to eat more at that time.

          • After sampling the fruits and vegetables, the teacher asks the children if they are too full, just right, or hungry (point to the images).

• While the children are tasting, encourage positive conversation by making statements and asking questions that prompt the children to identify the color, smell, taste, and texture of the fruit or vegetable they are tasting, the sounds they make when they bite and chew, and what do they feel happening inside their mouths while they are chewing. Avoid statements that are coercive, like “just take a polite taste,” or “everyone has to try it.”

For example:

“What sound was made when you chewed the celery? What do you feel happening inside your mouth while you chew? [That celery was really crunchy and juicy.]” 

“How does the tomato taste?”

“What does the bell pepper smell like?”

“What does the cucumber feel like in your hand? [It’s nice and cool.]” 

“What color are the strawberries that we are tasting?”

Garden Activity [10 minutes—garden maintenance, garden exploration, song]

• Garden Maintenance and Song:  The teacher leads the children outdoors to water the garden. Once finished, the students set their water cans down.  Encourage students to sing the “Seedling Song” while they water.

• Garden Exploration:  Using real fruits and vegetables, the teacher brings the children around the garden and shows the children the fruits and vegetables that are growing in the garden. Children are encouraged to identify the fruit or vegetable, its color, its shape, how it feels (i.e. smooth, fuzzy, etc.), what stage of the life cycle, what it needs to grow, and whether it is ready for harvesting.

  • • • The teacher measures the lima bean so that we can continue to chart its growth. Ask the children if the lima bean has any fruit that will need to be harvested.

Wrap Up/Review [10 minutes—discussion, game]

• Mindfulness Activity: There are three (3) Mindfulness activities available as Bonus Materials; (1) Art Activity, (2) Guided Meditation, and (3) Yoga Activity. You have the option of selecting one of these mindfulness activities to perform along with the Wrap-up and Review of each unit. 

* (See Mindfulness Activities for Objectives, Key Learning Concepts, Materials, and Instructions)  

• Discussion 11b: The teacher reviews the concepts of the unit, prompting children when necessary.

  • The teacher asks the children questions:

    • “What does it mean to harvest?”

    • “How do you know when a [insert fruit/vegetable] is ready to harvest?”

• Game: If time is available, the teacher ends the unit by playing a game of “Exercise When We Rhyme.”