TCNJ Lesson Plan

Nutrition: Can we eat all parts of a plant?

1. Topic of the Lesson and Grade Level: Nutrition: Fourth Grade
2. Lesson Essential Question(s):
1. How do plants benefit humans?
2. What are vitamins and minerals?
3. Can we eat all parts of a plant?
4. What are plants we should not eat?
3. Standards:
2.1.4.B.1 Explain how healthy eating provides energy, helps to maintain healthy weight,
lowers risk of disease, and keeps body systems functioning effectively.
4. A. Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives

Assessments

Students will be able to identify how plants

benefit humans.

Students will learn about the benefits of

plants through a riddle worksheet

Students will understand the parts of a

plant we can eat, specifically the fact that
all parts of plants are edible in some way.

Students will learn about the types of fruits

and vegetables humans should eat on a
daily basis

Students will be able to identify the types

of plants we can and cannot eat.

Students will fill out a worksheet using

vegetables and some fruits, placing them in
a plant diagram, which indicates the parts
of the plant that they are able to eat

5. Materials:
Riddle worksheet
Plant diagram worksheet for parts of the plant we can eat
Vegetables
6. Pre-lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge: Students will be knowledgeable about
nutrition and the parts of a plant we can eat. They will know the names of the fruits and
vegetables that will be discussed, but may not realize where those specific fruits or vegetables
come from in terms of the parts of a plant.
7. Lesson Beginning: The lesson will begin with the riddle worksheet about the types of plants
that have benefits for humans. The students will be given clues that will help them determine

which fruit or vegetable it is, and the end of the worksheet will have a mystery word relating to
plants and vegetables that they will be able to figure out through the other riddle answers.
8. Instructional Plan:

The teacher will hand out the riddle worksheets as a Do Now.

Students will complete the worksheet, but will most likely not be able to get most of the
riddles.
The teacher and students will go over the riddle worksheet, which will be utilized to have
a longer discussion about each fruit and vegetable and what benefit they have to humans.
Students will complete a worksheet on the parts of a plant they can eat. The students will
have a fruit or vegetable from every part of the plant, such as the root, stem, etc.
Students will turn and talk with a partner about where they placed each vegetable in the
worksheet. Students will determine if they had the same ideas or different ideas in terms
of placement.
The class will come back together and discuss the sections of the plants and the
vegetables that belonged in each box.
The students can continue eating the vegetables and clean up their materials.

o Differentiation: Students will have many opportunities to try different activities in order
to understand the information, such as the riddle worksheet, or the worksheet indicating
the parts of the plant that humans can eat. The discussion for specific fruits and
vegetables will be simple and easy for the students to absorb, as the teacher will be
discussing everyday fruits and vegetables that the students are familiar with.
o Questions: Where do fruits and vegetables come from when they are in the ground? How
is grass beneficial? What benefits come from specific fruits and vegetables?
o Classroom Management: Ms. Nizri and Mrs. Czajkowski utilize the class, class, class
management technique and the students respond, yes, yes, yes. This quiets the class and
allows for the teacher to explain the next step for them to complete easily and with
silence. There is also a clip chart that is used to manage individual student behavior and
as the students act throughout the lesson they will either stay at the same part of the chart,
or move up or down.
o Transitions: Each activity lends itself to the next, making the lesson run smoothly and
efficiently. Students will have ample time for each activity. Students have been practicing
turning and talking for many weeks and they are aware of how to appropriately discuss.
This lesson was conducted at the end of the day, so after students had enough time to
enjoy snacks and work on the activities, they will be told to clean up and pack up
according to their team number.
9. Closure: Students will clean up materials and any leftover food and pack up their
backpacks. Students will be called by their team numbers to pack up for dismissal.