Key Message:

Explore the world of possibilities 

in the garden and on your plate. 

Subject Connections:

English Language Arts, Math, Science, 

Social Studies

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to...

• Explain how an environment influences 

the type of fruits and vegetables that are 

grown and eaten in a region/culture.

• List ways fruits and vegetables grown 

in the school garden are prepared and

eaten in different regions of the United 

States and the world.

• Describe various units of measurement 

used to communicate quantities in a

recipe (such as serving sizes and 

ingredient amounts).

• Identify vegetables that are part of the 

Beans and Peas Vegetable Subgroup.

• Identify three ways chickpeas (garbanzo

beans) can be eaten as part of a meal.

Supplies:

• Plastic gloves, apron, bowl, spoon, napkin 

(per student)

• Access to sink with warm, running water

and soap

• Cookbooks, recipes (featuring a variety 

of cultures, global recipes)

• Art supplies, paper/poster board

• World map, atlas

• Garden Journals

• Student handouts (pp. 80-81):

1. Tasty Chickpeas

2. Garden Pen Pals

• Dig In! poster – Race Car

• Optional: Computer access, Internet

Featured Fruits and Vegetables:

Chickpea (Garbanzo bean) 

Provide enough dry samples for students 

to observe.

Lesson 6:

The Global 

Garden

TOTAL TIME REQUIRED: 140 minutes / 3 sessions

Session 1: Getting Started 10 min;

 Activity I “Fruits and Vegetables Around

 the World” 40 min (Social Studies/Health)

Session 2: Activity II “Global Recipes” 

 20 min (English Language Arts/Health);

 Activity III “Tasty Chickpeas” 40 min (Health)

Session 3: Activity IV “Garden Pen Pals” 

 20 min (English Language Arts);

 Reflect 10 min

LESSON OVERVIEW:

In this lesson, students will explore culinary traditions and how fruits and 

vegetables are grown and cooked around the world and throughout the 

United States. They will learn about global gardening and how other 

languages have contributed to our culinary vocabulary.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: What fruits and vegetables are grown near me? 

 What are some of the different fruits and vegetables grown around the world?

 How can I eat a fruit or vegetable in different ways?

ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES:

Potato masher or mortar and pestle (or blender/food processor), colander, large bowl, 

large spoon for stirring, tablespoon for serving, measuring cup and spoons, can opener

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR HUMMUS RECIPE:

 Recipe on p. 80 serves 8; adjust as needed: cans of chickpeas (rinsed and

 drained), water, garlic cloves, olive oil or other vegetable oil, lemon juice, salt

 and pepper, whole-wheat pita breads (cut into triangles), a variety of rinsed and

 raw vegetables cut into sticks (for example, zucchini, cucumber, carrots). 

 Optional: paprika, tahini*

 *Allergy Alert! Tahini contains sesame seeds. As noted on p. 2, ask 

parents to provide information about any food allergies before any class 

food preparation activities. You may wish to provide parents with a copy 

of the recipe ahead of time. 

TEACHING PROCEDURE:

GETTING STARTED (10 minutes)

1. Begin by telling students they will explore what influences their food

 choices. Ask them to reflect on the following questions in their Garden

 Journals. How do I decide what to eat? Do I stick to the same foods?

 How often do I try new foods? What fruits and vegetables do I eat most

 often? What is the most interesting new food I’ve ever tried?

2. Invite students to share their responses and guide a discussion by asking if

 students decide what to eat based upon: how they know a food will taste,

 what is available at home or school, a commercial they liked about the food,

 its attractive packaging, because their friends are eating it, or something else.

 Ask students to think about what other influences may affect their choices.

3. Ask if students ever tried something new and discovered that they liked it.

 Invite volunteers to share their stories.

Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 41
LEARNING ACTIVITIES 

Activity I. Fruits and Vegetables Around the World (40 minutes, Social Studies*/Health)

*See sidebars on this page and next for additional Social Studies connections.

1. Divide the class into teams of three and assign each group to a different geographical 

area. Have each team choose a specific fruit or vegetable to investigate from the list 

below. Encourage each team to choose one that is not so familiar. GLOBAL FOOD STORIES

(SOCIAL STUDIES/ENGLISH 

LANGUAGE ARTS)

Have students research different 

food stories from their region. (For 

example, students can use a search 

engine to find “food news in India” 

or “children and food in Virginia.”) 

Encourage students to read a few 

of the articles presented to learn 

if anything interesting is happening 

in their chosen region involving fruits 

and vegetables. They may be surprised 

at how often the world thinks about the 

simple foods they eat every day.

EXPLORE CULINARY 

TRADITIONS

(SOCIAL STUDIES)

Culinary traditions, like ingredients 

and flavors, vary around the country 

and the world. Some European countries 

traditionally serve their salad after the 

meal instead of before like in most 

American restaurants. Some cultures 

serve sorbet between courses to 

cleanse the palate. Other cultures have 

their meals extend for a very long time, 

rather than eat “fast food.” Culinary 

utensils also vary. Some cultures eat 

with their hands or chopsticks, or use 

plates made of large leaves. Have 

students further explore their 

assigned geographical regions 

to find out more.

LESSON 6

Note: This is not a complete list.

U.S., Northeast

Fruits: Wild blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, apple

Vegetables: Beans (for example, navy bean), kale, pumpkin, broccoli

U.S., Southeast

Fruits: Peach, orange

Vegetables: Dark-green vegetables (for example, collard, turnip, or mustard greens), 

 beans (for example, black-eyed pea, pinto bean, butter bean, sweet potato)

U.S., Midwest

Fruits: Apple, cranberry

Vegetables: Corn, soybean

U.S., Northwest

Fruits: Apple, grape

Vegetables: Black bean, soybean, pea, potato, turnip

U.S., Southwest

Fruits: Citrus, grape

Vegetables: Spinach, artichoke, leaf lettuce, cauliflower, pea,

 squash, green pepper, tomato, onion

MEXICO

Fruits: Pineapple, papaya, guava, prickly pear, pitahaya fruit, melon

Vegetables: Beans (for example, pinto bean or black bean), pepper, 

 tomato, plantain, avocado, jicama

CHINA/JAPAN

Fruits: Citrus fruit, litchi, peach, persimmon, Asian pear

Vegetables: Beans (for example, soybean), dark-green vegetables 

 (for example, bok choy), mushroom, yam, taro, pea, bamboo, 

 giant radish (daikon)

INDIA

Fruits: Mango, banana, Indian gooseberry, citrus fruit, coconut, papaya, starfruit

Vegetables: Beans (for example, lentil, chickpea, black-eyed pea), carrot,

 cauliflower, green bean, green pepper, okra, gourd, taro, potato, cabbage

MIDDLE EAST/ NORTH AFRICA

Fruits: Pomegranate, fig, walnut, quince, date, cherry, apricot, grape

Vegetables: Eggplant, chickpea, asparagus, okra, leek, moulikhiyya

CENTRAL/SOUTH EUROPE (FRANCE, ITALY)

Fruits: Apple, cherry, peach, nectarine, pear, rhubarb, plum, grape, 

 orange, tangerine, strawberry, apricot, melon, persimmon

Vegetables: Tomato, beans (for example, chickpea, fava bean, cannellini bean,

 lentil), dark-green vegetables (for example, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli),

 endive, carrot, beet, turnip, radish, cucumber, asparagus, zucchini

Sources: P. Kittler and K. Sucher, Food and Culture, 5th edition, Bellmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 

2008; Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (http://www.fao.org); U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/cropmajor.html); 

 USDA (http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov)

DIG DEEPER! 

Have students map and chart what foods 

are grown in which U.S. and global region. 

As a further extension, have students check 

and identify which items can be found in 

local markets. Repeat the mapping activity 

in Lesson 2 (p. 21) to calculate the distances 

of their favorite fruits and vegetables.

42 Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov
43

2. Ask each group to explore the reason for using specific ingredients. For LESSON 6

example, why are some ingredients used in certain geographic areas or 

cultures? Why do many Asian dishes incorporate rice or soybeans? Why 

do recipes from Central American countries include beans, corn, and 

cilantro? Why do Mediterranean dishes use olives, grapes, and tomatoes? 

(These foods grow abundantly in those regions.) Allow students to share 

their answers. Explain that spices and herbs can vary by country (for 

example, cumin, garlic, mint, basil, and cilantro) and can be a tasty way 

to add flavor to food without using as much salt.

 Teacher Tip! Connect this activity to the topic of ancient civilizations. 

 See Lesson 4 (p. 33) for more ways to tie the garden to this topic.

3. Explain that long before our world was as connected as it is today, before 

airplanes could transport foods across continents quickly, people ate only 

what could be grown in their region. Today, we can try ingredients from all 

over the world because these foods can reach us before they spoil. But 

various cultures and regions still prepare traditional foods because they are 

familiar, delicious, and an important part of their culture.

4. Ask students to also consider why some recipes are traditionally associated 

with certain seasons. For example, in the United States, why are peaches 

used in summer recipes? Why are sweet potatoes and cranberries often 

featured in the fall, or at holidays like Thanksgiving? Why do some towns 

have strawberry festivals in the spring? (In the U.S., those are the times 

when these fruits and vegetables are usually in season, which means they 

are more plentiful, cost less, and taste the best.)

5. Have students research their fruit or vegetable using encyclopedias, 

cookbooks, and other library or online reference tools. What interesting facts 

can they find out about their assigned food? How does it grow and how 

is it prepared in their assigned geographic region? For example, falafel is 

a Middle Eastern specialty in which ground chickpeas are combined with 

spices, shaped into balls or patties, and then fried.

6. Students will next create an international “passport” for their fruit or 

vegetable. They should include a photo or drawing of the food, where it is 

grown, where it travels (export/import), and additional fun facts. Encourage 

them to think creatively about what can be learned of the region in which 

their food is found. The origin of fruits and vegetables offers fascinating 

research!

Activity II. Global Recipes (20 minutes, English Language Arts/Health)

Prepare: Provide students with access to international and regional 

cookbooks, recipes (featuring chickpeas/garbanzo beans), and/or access 

to the Internet. Have enough dry chickpeas for each student to observe.

1. Ask students: Have you ever eaten a chickpea, or a food made 

from chickpeas? In what form? What plant part are they? (Seed) What 

vegetable subgroup do they belong to? (Beans and Peas) Explain that they 

may also be called “garbanzo beans.”

LOCAL NATIVES

(SOCIAL STUDIES)

Have Garden Teams

explore and research what grows in 

and around your region. What is a 

local native fruit or vegetable? Find out 

by visiting or talking to a farmer. Is one 

of the Three Sisters (corn, squash, 

and pole beans – which are native to 

America) growing at a farm near 

you? (See Lesson 5 for more on 

companion planting.) 

KITCHEN CHIT-CHAT

(ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS)

Al dente, croques monsieur, 

jambalaya, fondue, mince, 

julienne, sauté, blanche, flambé!

Students may come across unfamiliar 

culinary terms as they browse through 

recipes. Compile a list of new vocabulary 

words (foods, ingredients, equipment, 

techniques) and then divide them among 

students to research.

What they discover may surprise them! 

Take the meaning and origin of the word 

“sauté” for example. Did you know it is 

French for “jump?” Quite different 

from a Southeast Asian “satay.”

Have students create trivia 

questions based on what they learned 

and use their newfound culinary 

vocabulary to challenge another class.

Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 43
2. Distribute the handout Tasty Chickpeas (p. 80). Pass around dry chickpea 

 samples so that each student gets one to touch and observe. Explain that

 chickpeas are harvested from the seedpod of a chickpea plant. Show them

 an example of a chickpea plant in the garden (if growing) or on the handout.

3. Explain that the chickpea is a small, round bean

 with a mild, nutty flavor. They are the seed of the

 plant and grow inside a pod usually 1 inch long

 and 1 inch wide (similar to the size of a quarter).

 They are grown throughout the Middle East, 

 India, Turkey, Africa, and the United States. The

 bushy plant with feathery leaves grows to about

18 inches tall and has either white or violet-

 colored flowers depending on the variety. The

 chickpea itself can vary in color from dark green to a light brown

 when harvested. When harvested from the garden, chickpeas are first dried,

 then the outer thin shell is peeled off. You can buy them at the grocery store

 dried or canned. Before cooking, dried beans are soaked in water to soften 

 the beans and reduce cooking time. One way is to soak the beans overnight.

 The beans are then drained, rinsed, and cooked in fresh water. Canned beans

 have already been soaked and cooked. They are often drained and rinsed

 before using them in a recipe.

4. Explain that there are lots of tasty ways chickpeas are prepared and eaten

 around the globe. Have students search online for recipes that contain 

 chickpeas. For instance, try the Recipe Finder at http://recipefinder.nal.

 usda.gov/ or the Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook at http://www.

 teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/recipes_for_healthy_kids.html.

 Note: If your class is not able to search for recipes, you may complete steps

 5-7 using the Happy Hummus Recipe on the student handout.

5. Ask students to identify the key elements required in a recipe (name 

 of recipe, amounts of ingredients, preparation time, equipment, cooking

 instructions, and number of servings). List these on the board. Discuss the

 purpose of this information. What happens if something is missing? 

 (For example, without proper measurements for each ingredient, the dish

 may not taste the same each time.) What other features make a recipe 

 seem enticing? (Color photographs? Illustrations? Simplicity?) Add these 

 to the list on the board.

6. Next, each group will decide on one chickpea recipe to examine. First, 

 have students study the ingredients. Ask: What other fruits or vegetables 

 are featured? Does the recipe include spices? Are there any ingredients 

 you don’t recognize? Can the ingredients be found in the school garden 

 or local market? 

7. As a final journey in their culinary explorations, have students share and

 present their chickpea recipes in a visual display with a world map. Hang 

 this in the cafeteria or school hallway to share the international adventures

 with the rest of the school.

GARDENS AROUND 

THE WORLD (SOCIAL STUDIES)

In Africa, gardeners struggle with 

long periods of drought. Some 

farmers use a Keyhole Garden to 

solve this problem. They plant their 

vegetables in a raised bed the shape 

of a keyhole (a long column with a 

circle at one end). There is a heap of 

compost in the center of the circle. 

The farmer waters the compost with 

recycled water which filters through 

the compost. The water moves down 

the keyhole, bringing both water 

and nutrients to the fruits and 

vegetables planted along the way.

In New York City, the tops of the 

skyscrapers are sprouting rooftop 

gardens! These gardens offer 

more than delicious local fruits and 

vegetables; the plants absorb rainwater, 

which solves the problem of too much 

water flowing into the city’s sewers at 

one time. The plants also help insulate 

the buildings from extreme heat or cold.

In Southeast Asia, rice paddies can 

be built into steep hillsides as terraces 

and can be planted next to marshes 

or rivers. When the paddies are flooded, 

the rice can grow easily but weeds are 

discouraged. The water buffalo is well 

suited to working in wetlands and 

is used frequently in paddy fields.

In Mexico, chinampas, or 

“floating gardens,” were built by 

ancient Aztec Indians in shallow 

lake beds. The gardens were layered 

with mud and decaying vegetation 

until the garden rose above the level 

of the lake. The gardens were in small 

rectangles separated by channels just 

wide enough for a canoe to pass. 

These “islands” had very high crop 

yields with up to seven crops a year.

LESSON 6

44 Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov
45

Activity III. Tasty Chickpeas (40 minutes, Health)

 *Allergy Alert! Tahini (sesame seed paste) may be a food allergen for 

some children. If needed, you may omit tahini as an ingredient. 

See p. 2 for more information about food allergies.

Prepare: If you have a school garden and are growing chickpeas, try this hummus 

recipe with chickpeas harvested from your garden. ( p. 104) If not, you may use 

dry (and prepared) or canned (rinsed and drained) chickpeas. See the recipe on 

the student handout (p. 80) for all ingredients and equipment needed. Set up a 

prep station for a group of four to six students with all of the supplies required, 

including bowls of chickpeas. Each group should prepare its own recipe. Provide 

plastic gloves, a plate or bowl, spoon, and napkin for each student. Also 

prepare additional foods to eat with the hummus (such as sticks of zucchini, 

bell peppers, carrots, or cucumbers; whole-wheat pita bread). You can also 

customize hummus by adding red bell peppers, zucchini, or herbs from the garden.

1. Explain to students that in this activity, they will learn about chickpeas and prepare a recipe for hummus provided on the student handout Tasty Chickpeas.

2. Before students begin the food preparation, have them wash their hands, 

reminding them of the proper procedure (see sidebar). Next, divide the class

 into groups of four to six students. Have students read through the instructions 

and check that they have all the ingredients to make the recipe at their food 

preparation stations. Go over any questions. Note: You may choose to 

demonstrate and ask for student volunteers to help you instead of having 

students work at different stations. 

3. Give students 20 minutes to prepare their recipes. They should put on 

disposable plastic gloves before they handle any food. When the recipe is 

complete, serve in a bowl garnished with paprika. Explain that this is the 

traditional garnish for the Middle Eastern dish. Give each student a plate and 

invite each student to dig in and taste the hummus with different veggie slices 

and pita bread. Ask them to share what they think about the flavor, texture, and 

combinations. What are some ways they can eat chickpeas at home?

4. Have students clean up their stations following proper procedures (see p. 4). 

Cover and refrigerate any leftover hummus, and use within 1 to 2 days.

Activity IV. Garden Pen Pals (20 minutes, English Language Arts)

1. To complete their culinary exploration, distribute the handout Garden Pen Pals

(p. 81) to each student. Explain that they will write to a student in another part of 

the country or the world in an effort to discover new foods and traditions.

2. Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition Web site 

to find other Team Nutrition schools in other areas: http://teamnutrition.

usda.gov/database.html. Connect by emailing, writing letters, or using 

online video-chat software to allow your students to connect with their pen 

pals face to face.

REFLECT (10 minutes)

1. Have students reflect in their Garden Journals on the following questions: 

What did I learn in this lesson? What makes me more willing to try a new food? 

What keeps me from trying something new? What can I do to make fruits and 

vegetables more interesting?

LESSON 6

 EXTENSIONS

Global Garden Cookbook

Compile your students’ recipes into a class 

cookbook featuring global (and regional) fruits 

and veggies, or chickpeas, prepared in 

different culinary and cultural ways. Include 

fun facts students found on each fruit or 

vegetable, their illustrations or images 

(“passports”), a glossary of new vocabulary 

words, and their reflections. Print copies 

of the cookbook for each student to bring 

home to their families, or include it alongside 

fruits and vegetables at a “Garden Sale” 

(if your school and local health department 

policies allow). Use the proceeds to help 

maintain your school garden! 

World Fruit and Veggie Day

Work with your school district’s Food 

Service Director to plan school lunch 

menus with an international or regional 

theme. Share what your students 

found in their research on ways other 

countries might prepare chickpeas, 

and other fruits and vegetables.

 IMPORTANT FOOD 

 SAFETY STEPS! 

Please see p. 4 for a reproducible 

handout to post in a visible location in 

your classroom. It is important that you 

follow these steps to keep yourself, 

your students, and any parents or 

volunteers safe and healthy. 

Hand Washing:

All persons participating in the food 

preparation activity (teachers, students,

volunteers, parents) should wash hands

before and after preparing, handling, or

sampling foods. 

Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 45