ALL ABOUT PLANTS
INDOORS
GRADES 2-4
FALL, WINTER, SPRING
ACTIVITY
Stem, Root, Leaf, or Fruit?
DESCRIPTION
OBJECTIVE
TEACHER
BACKGROUND
MATERIALS
PREPARATION
CLASS
DISCUSSION
THE GROWING CLASSROOM
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Students classify foods they eat according to plant parts, and make a vegetable and dip snack.
To identify and classify the parts of food we eat.
“Vegetable” and “fruit” are culinary terms used to describe different types of food from plants. Essentially, fruits are the sweeter of the two. But “fruit” also happens to be a botanical term referring to one
of the six plant parts. Botanically speaking, the fruit is the part of the plant that carries the seeds. A
vegetable can be any part of a plant. For example, there are root vegetables (beets) and leaf vegetables
(lettuce). And there are fruit vegetables, which are from the fruiting body of the plant. Examples
include tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants.
science journals
sample of fresh spices from list of answers at end of activity
produce for snack (1 item from each plant part category — for example: carrots, celery,
spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds)
dip for snack (cottage cheese, hummus, etc.)
cutting board and knives
Make up a picture chart of foods and spices that will be available in the classroom for this
activity (see the Food Categories chart on the next page).
Plants have many different parts, and each part has an important job. The first part grows under the
ground, holds the plant in place, and soaks up the water. Does anyone know what we call this plant
part? (the root) Can anyone think of a root that we eat? (carrots, beets, radishes, etc.) The next part
is like the elevator of the plant. It brings the water up from the roots, and it pulls the sugar down
from the leaves. What’s this part called? (the stem) Has anyone here ever eaten a stem? What kinds?
(Celery, broccoli stems, even sugar comes from sugar cane, which is a stem!) The next part of the plant
is the solar panel of the plant. It gathers up sunlight and uses that energy from the sun to make food
for the plant, and oxygen for us to breathe. What’s that part called? (leaves) What are some leaves
that we eat? (lettuce, kale, chard, mint, etc.) The next plant part uses beautiful colors, sweet smells,
and delicious nectar to attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other animals to come and visit.
It does all this so that the animals will transfer pollen among plants to make new plants. What do
we call this colorful, beautiful part of the plant? (flower) Have you ever eaten a flower? (cauliflower,
broccoli florets, artichokes, etc.) The last two parts of the plant go together. One is the part of the
plant that holds a little baby plant inside. What’s that called? (seed) And the other is like a suitcase
for the seed, the part that wraps around the seed, and often tastes sweet. What’s that called? (the
fruit) What fruits do you eat? (apples, oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) What seeds do you eat?
(sunflower seeds, corn, beans, etc.)
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ALL ABOUT PLANTS
ACTION
STEM, ROOT, LEAF, OR FRUIT?
1. Group students in pairs and have them refer to the picture chart of foods and spices.
2. Have students make six category headings in their science journals: root, stem, leaf, flower,
fruit, and seed.
3. Tell them to write each food in one of the categories, according to what part of the plant we
eat. For example, a walnut is a seed, a tomato is a fruit, and so on.
4. To introduce students to the wonderful world of spices, have them use their senses to
explore the samples you have collected.
5. Challenge students to try classifying the spices according to plant parts. This tends to be a little
more difficult for students, so if they cannot put the spices in categories, guide them through.
6. Now have students enjoy their new knowledge. Have them cut up produce and make a dip
using the cottage cheese or hummus. See Tips for Cooking with Kids on page 472 for suggestions on safely involving kids in food preparation. They may want to experiment with
adding a small amount of spices to the dip. Be sure that they name the part of the plant
they are eating.
WRAP UP
DIGGING
DEEPER
What is your favorite vegetable? Which part of that plant is it? What is your favorite root,
stem, leaf, flower, fruit, and seed?
1. Have students describe their last meal in terms of plant parts. For example, a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich would be ground-up seeds (peanut butter) and crushed fruit
(jelly) on ground-up and baked seeds (bread).
2. Sing Roots, Stems, Leaves (found at the beginning of this section)
3. Have students design a meal composed only of one category. How would they enjoy such a meal?
4. Have students plant a garden bed according to the plant parts they eat, with a section for
each category.
FOOD CATEGORIES
ROOT
LEAF
carrot
basil
radish
parsley
beet
spinach
ginger
lettuce
kiwi
bean
mint
chile
almond
sage
STEM
FLOWER
FRUIT
SEED
asparagus
broccoli
tomato
pepper
kohlrabi
nasturtium
eggplant
dill
lemongrass
cauliflower
apple
chocolate
rice
wheat
mustard
162
THE GROWING CLASSROOM
From Life Lab’s The Garden Classroom
For more award-winning, garden-based lessons visit: www.lifelab.org/curriculum.
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