Unit 8 Instructions

Objective:  Children will be able to describe the importance of consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables for their growth and development. 

Key Concepts:  Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables provides many of the essential nutrients for healthy growth and development in children. Similar to children, there are a variety of nutrients provided by the soil, sunshine, and water that plants need in order to grow and develop. 

Materials Needed

• “Slug or Hopper” game instructions 

• Pictures of “too full, just right, and hungry” meals

• Unit 8 discussion card

• “Awesome Appetites” game instructions

• Small pictures of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy

• Picture of empty body

• Tummy Mindfulness and Experiential Eating protocol           

• Fruit, vegetables, and napkins for tasting

• Tummy dolls

• Watering cans

• “Seedling Song” lyrics

• “Follow the Leader” game instructions

• “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” song lyrics 

• Measuring tape

Diet or Physical Activity Guideline or Recommendation

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (USDA): https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2020-01/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

Vegetable Health Benefits and Nutrients (USDA MyPlate):

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/vegetables

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 [10 minutes—game]

• Game:  In order to review concepts of hunger and fullness, the teacher leads the children in a game of “Slug or Hopper.”  

Classroom Activity [15 minutes—discussion, game]

• Discussion 8a:  The teacher starts this unit by telling the children that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables are important for making our bodies grow strong.  The children are asked to name some fruits and vegetables. 

• Game:  In order to further emphasize this concept, the children participate in the “Awesome Appetites” game. 

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 [20 minutes—garden maintenance, song, garden exploration, game]

• 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 what nutrients the lima bean needs.

• Game:  In order to emphasize the importance of fruits and vegetables for growing healthy and strong, the teacher leads the students in a game of “Follow the Leader.”  

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

• 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)  

• Song: In order to emphasize the importance of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables to have a strong body, the teacher asks the children to stand in a circle and leads them in the “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” song.

• Discussion 8b: The teacher reviews the concepts of the unit by asking the children questions:

  • “Where do plants get nutrients from?”

  • “Where do you get nutrients from?”