“Fruits and Veggies are Yummy and Very Good for You!
”
Lesson Plan for 2nd – 4th Grades
Developed by Nicholas Darby
University of Alabama School of Medicine
Lesson Summary and Goals
This lesson plan was created by a medical student at the University of Alabama School of
Medicine. He was tasked by the School of Medicine to identify the chief health or healthcare
concern in the Lauderdale/Colbert County, Alabama area and to develop a service project
targeting that concern. Over twenty interviews with local officials and residents were
conducted to assess the health of the community and to identify the greatest healthcare
concern in the area. The chief concern identified was obesity due to poor nutrition and poor
health education. The complete results of this study are on file at the College of Community
Health Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL and are available upon request.
This lesson plan is a ~0.75 hour lesson on nutrition for 2nd through 4th grade students, which
may be presented by a teacher or healthcare professional. This lesson plan is a revised
version of the lesson after a trial with 3rd grade students at a local elementary school and
receiving feedback from an elementary school educator with over 35 years of experience.
The lesson is a “Show, Taste, and Tell” about vegetables, berries, and fruits that students
may eat (e.g. apples, oranges) and produce that may be more unusual to them (e.g. kiwi,
peaches). A double-sided 1 page handout is given to the students in hopes that they will
share it with their parents. Two primary goals exist for this lesson as a community service
project:
• To demonstrate to elementary students the variety of produce and its palatability to
encourage them to choose to ask for a “yummy” fruit instead of a pack of candy the
next time that the family is in the grocery store
• To foster nutrition education of adults through information found on the
student/parent handout and through discussion with their children
1
“Fruits and Veggies are Yummy and Very Good for You!”
Lesson Plan for 2nd – 4th Grades
Developed by Nicholas Darby
University of Alabama School of Medicine
Required Produce for the Lesson
Quantity listed for 20 students.
Vegetable Observe Taste Fruit Observe Taste Berry Observe Taste
Cucumbers 1 2 Pineapple 1 1 Strawberries 0 20
Garlic 1 0 Mango 1 3 Blackberries 0 20
Onion 1 0 Cantaloupe 0 1 Raspberries 0 20
Kale 1 0 Plums 1 3 Blueberries 0 40
Broccoli 1 0 Avocado 1 2
Baby Carrot 1 20 Bosc Pears 1 4
Peaches 1 4
Oranges 0 3
Kiwi 1 5
Red Delicious Apple 0 3
Tomato 1 0
Grape Tomato 0 20
Black Figs 1 20
Notes Regarding Produce
• Taste and appearance are important in this lesson as an aim of the lesson is to create a
positive image of fruit and vegetables for the children.
• Fruits and vegetables for taste should be washed and then prepared as soon to the
presentation as possible in the following ways:
o Cucumber: Cut into discs
o Baby Carrot: Whole
o Pineapple: Flesh extracted and cored to create ring to be cut in half (semi-circle)
o Mango: Peeled, flesh cut from pit and then into cubes
o Cantaloupe: Flesh, void of seeds, cut into cubes
o Plum: Pit removed and fruit divided into even wedges
o Avocado: Pit removed and fruit divided into even wedges
o Bosc Pear: Cored and cut into slices
o Peach: Peeled, pit removed, and fruit divided into even wedges
o Orange: Fruit divided into even wedges
o Kiwi: Peeled, fruit cut into even fourths
o Apple: Cored and cut into slices
o Cherry Tomato: Whole
• Above quantity numbers are an estimate. Exact count may vary due to produce size.
2
“Fruits and Veggies are Yummy and Very Good for You!”
Lesson Plan for 2nd – 4th Grades
Developed by Nicholas Darby
University of Alabama School of Medicine
Other Required Materials
• Student Handout
o Front: Worksheet (Produce information and coloring sheet)
o Back: Letter to parents
• Survey: Evaluation of presenter’s performance (if different from class teacher)
• Decorative basket to place observed produce
• Plastic containers to hold soft produce for taste
• Plastic containers or bags to hold firm produce for taste
• Paper or Styrofoam plates to place fruit and vegetable samples
• Napkins
• Sanitary wipes to clean tables
Lesson Plan
Time
Open the lesson by introducing presenter’s field of study and asking students how
0-2 many would like to enter that field. Helper to pass out prepared plates of samples,
minutes but presenter makes clear that no samples should be eaten unless explicit
permission is granted.
2-4 minutes Introduce the idea of how "yummy" many different fruits and vegetables are.
Pick up one vegetable at a time to talk about each for 1 minute each. Pay special
attention to the visual and tactile appearance of each vegetable and cover
4-12
information on handout sheet. When observing the cucumbers and carrots, allow
minutes
students to taste their sample. The tomatoes may be covered during this time or
during the fruit time.
12-14 Pass observation vegetables around to touch and answer any questions that
minutes students may have.
Teach a "big, long word" to the students: antioxidants. Tell students that
14-17 antioxidants protect against disease/illness. Teach that berries are like "big pills"
minutes of antioxidants, and hold up each berry and encourage students to try that berry on
their plate at this time.
Pick up one fruit at a time to talk about each for 1 minute each. Pay special
attention to the visual and tactile appearance of each fruit and cover information
17-30
on handout sheet. When discussing each fruit, encourage students to taste that
minutes
fruit's sample. Also when discussing each fruit, pass that observation fruit around
to touch. The tomatoes may be covered during this time or during vegetable time.
3
“Fruits and Veggies are Yummy and Very Good for You!”
Lesson Plan for 2nd – 4th Grades
Developed by Nicholas Darby
University of Alabama School of Medicine
Helper collects plates, distributes napkins, and distributes sanitary toilettes.
30- 33
Helper distributes crayons and handouts. Presenter answers any questions that
minutes
students may have.
Going down the worksheet, ask students what color each particular produce item
33 -43 was and ask them to color in the small picture with that color. When done, use
minutes one student's sheet as an example to demonstrate that they create a "rainbow of
colors" or a "crayon box of colors."
Close the lesson by describing to students the importance of consuming this
"rainbow (or crayon box) of colors" of fresh produce. However, focus this time to
43 - 45 encourage students to ask their parent to purchase the fruit that they found
minutes "yummiest" during the day's activity the next time that they are at the grocery
store, instead of asking for a pack of candy. Also encourage students to show
their parents their great work on their handout.
Total time of lesson plan is 45 minutes.
Presenter’s Appearance (if presenter is a health professional)
• Presenter should wear professional attire that is bright and colorful.
• If presenter has any occupational attire (e.g. lab coat), presenter should wear that attire as
well. Students find this exciting, and it should be incorporated into lesson’s introduction.
Notes Regarding Classroom Management and Learning
• Presenter should communicate with classroom’s regular teacher in advance to ensure that
teacher will be in classroom. The presenter should not be expected to control the class.
The classroom teacher should handle any disruptions or other problems.
• A second individual should accompany the presenter as a “helper.” This helper should
pass out and collect items as appropriate.
• The students are given the opportunity to learn several ways. Tactile, listening, tasting,
visual, and verbal interaction are all present in the lesson plan and should be
demonstrated by the presenter.
Assessment
Student assessment is completed by coloring activity of student worksheet (See
above).
Brief evaluation of presenter to be completed by class’s overseeing teacher with
“Teacher Survey.”
4
Fruits and Veggies are Yummy and Very Good for You !!!
Tomato: One of its ingredients (lycopene) protects skin from sun damage.
Dark leafy greens (like Kale): These are one of the healthiest on this list. So many vitamins!
Garlic and Onion: Can be natural antibiotics and are good for the heart.
Broccoli: Helps the body get rid of poisons.
Carrot: Packed with Vitamin A to help make strong eyes.
Cucumber: Its Vitamin K helps bleeding from a scrape to stop.
Berries: Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Grapes have a lot of antioxidants!
Pineapple: One of its ingredients (bromelain) fights inflammation to help joint pain.
Apple: Good for overall health; An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
Cantaloupe: A fruit high in Vitamin A for strong eyes. The other melons are very healthy too.
Plum: Helps going to the bathroom and is high in antioxidants.
Avocado: Its healthy fats help make blood vessels and the heart healthy.
Pear: Similar to apples in being good for overall health.
Mango: One of many fruits that may protect against cancer.
Peach: Has a good balance of a lot of different nutrients and antioxidants.
Orange: Citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C to make healthy skin and bones.
Kiwi: Very high in lots of vitamins and minerals. By weight, it has almost twice as much Vitamin
C as oranges, and almost as much potassium as bananas!
Figs: High in different minerals, like potassium (good for kidneys and heart) and calcium (builds
strong bones).
Dear Parent,
Your child learned the importance of eating fruits and vegetables every day from today’s
lesson, Fruits and Veggies are Yummy and Very Good for You! While studying to be a medical
doctor, a young man conducted an extensive survey of his hometown and found that people’s
greatest health concern for the area is obesity due to poor nutrition. He developed today’s lesson
in response to this finding. I had the opportunity to guide your child through this lesson today.
We learned about a variety of fruits and vegetables today. Your child sampled all of the
fruits on the other side of this page as well as many of the vegetables. One of the goals of this
lesson was to demonstrate the variety of produce and to show your child that this variety tastes
good! I suggested that they get a “yummy” fruit instead of a pack of candy the next time that the
family is in the grocery store. I realize that fruits and vegetables can be expensive. One great
way to enjoy produce is to purchase it when it is in season. Although a fruit or veggie may not
be particularly cheap while it is in season, it will be cheaper! The list below might help you to
know the seasons of the fruits and vegetables that your child learned about today. You can also
save money by growing produce as a family and maybe even selling it yourself!
Year-Round Fall Winter Spring Summer
Apple Broccoli Plum Broccoli Cucumber
Carrot Plum Kale Mango Berries
Onion Grapes Kiwi Orange Cantaloupe
Avocado Pear Orange Pineapple Melons
Pineapple Pear Strawberries Peach
Tomato
Fig
The health benefits found on the other side of this paper is what your child studied today.
I highly encourage you to review this worksheet as you may even learn something yourself!
Making sure that your child enjoys different types of fruits and vegetables is vital to building
strong bodies. Remember, your child looks to you as a role model, so it is important for you to
eat these healthy foods for your own health as well!
Thank you,
___*Name*______
Teacher Survey
“Fruits and Vegetables are Yummy and Very Good for You”
1. Overall teaching effectiveness (1: Needing the most improvement; 9: Absolutely excellent)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2. Organization and preparedness of presenter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
3. Clarity and age-appropriateness of the lesson for students
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4. Interactive and engaging with students
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
5. Presenter control of the classroom
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
6. Quality and usefulness of the information presented
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7. Teaching an understanding of important facts with a strong emphasis on concepts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8. What improvements can be made to the presentation of this lesson?
9. What did the presenter do well while conducting the activity?
10. What could the presenter have done better while conducting the activity?
11. Please share any other comments that you may have regarding any component of the activity.
