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Lesson 1:

The World 

of Edible Plants

LESSON OVERVIEW:

In this first lesson, students will discover how foods from the garden fit 

into a healthy diet. Students will explore different types of gardens, and 

form their garden rules and garden teams. They will learn the function of 

different plant parts, and classify plants according to what part is edible. 

Finally, students will be introduced to the MyPlate icon, a reminder to eat 

from the five food groups, and discover how they can eat smart to play 

hard with fruits and vegetables!

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: What is a garden and what types of gardens exist?

 What plants do we eat? Why do we eat some plants and not others?

 What fruits and vegetables can we grow in the garden?

PREPARATION AND ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES: 

• Prepare the following before class:

For observation only: Garden Groceries Bag or covered tray 

containing whole broccoli with stalk, carrot with green leafy top, chickpeas 

in clear plastic bag, whole zucchini, green leaf lettuce, and a celery stalk. 

Provide cut samples that allow students to see both the outside and inside of 

the vegetable. Cut them in half ahead of time. (If you have a large class, you 

may want to provide more samples of each item for students to observe.)

For tasting: Prepare and set up six Plant Part Tasting Stations

with enough samples to allow each child to taste each plant part.

 Note: See p. 4 for information on the safe handling and preparation 

of foods for tasting. Use fresh food samples; do not reuse foods that 

have been touched and handled in the Garden Groceries activity.

• Access to sink with warm, running water and soap

• Images of different types of gardens sourced online to display via a

 projector, or printed out (for example, flower, herb, vegetable, rock, roof,

 container, royal, and water gardens)

• Optional Class Experiment “A Colorful Dissection” (p. 17): Celery

 (stems with leaves), clear vase, food coloring, white flower (carnation)

 with stem, paring knife (for teacher only)

• Optional “Grow Celery From Celery” (p. 18): Celery (base only), small

 dish, water

TEACHING PROCEDURE:

Introduce: Introduce students to the unit Dig In! Explain that the class will 

embark on an exciting journey through the garden where they will explore 

fruits and vegetables by learning how to grow, prepare, and taste them, and 

discover how they can help us grow and stay healthy.

TOTAL TIME REQUIRED: 165 minutes / 3 sessions

Session 1: Getting Started 45 min (Science)

Session 2: Activity I “Deliciously Edible

 Plant Parts” 60 min (Science)

Session 3: Activity II “Fruits and Vegetables 

 on MyPlate” 40 min (Science/Health);

 Reflect 20 min (English Language Arts)

Key Message: 

Know your food. Fruits and 

vegetables are foods from plants that 

help you eat smart and play hard.

Subject Connections:

Science, English Language Arts, Health

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to...

• Identify fruits and vegetables that come

 from different parts of plants (root, stem,

 leaf, flower, fruit, and seed).

• Describe the function of each plant part.

• Explain how foods from plants fit into the

 five food groups.

Supplies:

• Plastic forks or toothpicks, paper plates,

 napkins

• Garden Journals (see p.13)

• Student handouts (pp. 63-65): 

 1. Deliciously Edible Plant Parts

 2. Fruits and Veggies on MyPlate

• Art supplies (for Garden Journals)

• Eat Smart To Play Hard 

 With MyPlate poster

Featured Fruits and Vegetables:

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (seeds) 

Broccoli (flowers) 

Zucchini (fruits) 

Celery (stems) 

Green leaf lettuce (leaves) 

Carrots (roots) 

Provide samples for students to observe 

and taste, either from the garden or 

purchased from a market. Provide water 

(and cups) for students to drink as they 

taste the vegetables.

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LESSON 1 GETTING STARTED (45 minutes, Science)

1. Begin by asking students: What is a garden? What types of gardens do you know

 of, or have you seen? How are gardens used? Invite students to share their 

answers and then show them images of different types of gardens (for 

 example, flower, herb, vegetable, rock, roof, container, royal, formal water- 

 garden). Discuss how gardens are planned spaces for the enjoyment 

 of nature as well as for the purpose of growing specific plants on a 

 comparatively small scale, such as fruits, vegetables, or flowers. 

 Gardens can be small or large, indoors or outdoors, in the ground 

 or in a container, and can incorporate natural or man-made 

 materials (such as planters or fountains) into the design.

2. Ask students if they think farms are the same as gardens. Explain that 

 farms are larger gardens, or agricultural spaces, specifically designed for 

 the purpose of growing or producing food (such as fruits, vegetables, grains, 

 or animals), flowers, fibers (such as cotton or wool), or fuel (such as wood or 

 corn) to sell or to sustain the farmer’s family and livestock. 

Garden Journals: Introduce students to their Garden Journals, a notebook they will use throughout the unit for 

observations, predictions, questions, reflections, and notes. Encourage students to write neatly, as this journal will be 

their personal resource. Help them organize their notes by designating sections for class notes, new vocabulary, and 

personal reflections. Invite students to create their own unique cover designs, make drawings of plants, craft collages, 

and collect recipe clippings, articles, and garden samples.

Garden Orientation: If you already have a school garden, tour it with your students. If not, discuss the different types 

of gardens you can create ( pp. 92-93), explain the advantages and disadvantages of each, and take a tour of the 

school campus to identify possible sites. 

Garden Rules and Safety: Take this opportunity to identify and discuss the important features of the garden (tools 

used, water source, compass orientation, access to sunlight). Explain or establish rules for the garden (for example, 

return tools to the shed when finished using). ( p. 92)

Garden Teams: Divide your class into garden teams (of four to five students), and rotate teams through various garden 

jobs each week so that they all get a chance with every task. ( p. 94) Notice suggestions for garden teams in each 

lesson, whether you already have a garden or are just starting one. 

Tasting Etiquette Guidelines: Explain to students that they will prepare and try different foods throughout the unit. 

As a class, collaborate to create rules for all tasting activities. (For example, if you don’t like something, spit it out 

discreetly into a napkin, don’t make faces, be respectful to others, don’t let your personal preferences influence your 

peers, chew slowly to truly taste the food.) Write these rules on the board and have students copy them into their 

Garden Journals. You may want to create a colorful poster with these guidelines to keep on display at all times. 

Remind students of them before every tasting activity. Point out that sometimes a person does not like a food 

the first time he or she tries it. But, after tasting that same food many times, or perhaps prepared a different way, 

it can become a food that the person loves to eat. 

 STARTERS

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LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Prepare: Bring students into the garden if any of the following items 

are growing and/or ready to harvest. ( p. 104)

For the Garden Groceries activity, provide samples of the following foods 

(for observation only) in a large grocery bag or hidden on a tray: chickpeas/

garbanzo beans (if using canned, rinse and drain) contained in a clear plastic 

baggie, whole broccoli with stalk, whole zucchini, celery stalk with base and 

leaves, green leaf lettuce, and a carrot with green leafy top. Provide the whole 

item, so students can see how it grows. Offer a cut example of each plant part 

so that students can see both the exterior and interior of the fruit or vegetable. 

It is valuable for children to touch and observe actual produce, but if this is not 

possible, you can still perform the activity using images.

For the six Plant Part Tasting activities, provide samples of the following 

foods at different stations (all rinsed and ready-to-eat): canned chickpeas/

garbanzo beans (seed), broccoli florets (flower), zucchini slices (fruit), celery 

sticks (stem), green leaf lettuce (leaf), and carrot sticks (root). Provide each 

student with a paper plate, a plastic fork or toothpick, and a napkin.

Alternate options may be used if the above are not available: sunflower seeds 

(seed), cauliflower (flower), melon (fruit), asparagus (stem), romaine 

lettuce (leaf), and beet* (root). *Beets for tasting should be cooked ahead of 

time, or use canned beets.

Activity I. Deliciously Edible Plant Parts (60 minutes, Science)

 Teacher Tip! Use this activity as an introduction to studying plant cells.

1. Introduce students to fruits and vegetables by playing a guessing game

 called Garden Groceries. Invite volunteers, one at a time, to pick an

 item from the Garden Groceries tray or bag. Ask them to identify the 

 produce for the class to see. 

2. Ask: What are we eating when we eat a fruit or vegetable? List the 

 parts of a plant on the board: seed, flower, fruit, stem, leaf, and root.

Explain that we are not eating an entire plant – we are eating an edible 

 part from a plant. “Edible” means that it is safe for you to eat. 

 Note: It is important to explain that not all plants or plant parts are edible.

 Some plants are poisonous, while others have parts that are edible, as well

 as parts that are not. (For example, rhubarb stems are edible, while the

 leaves are poisonous.)

3. Distribute the handout Deliciously Edible Plant Parts (pp. 63-64)

to each student. Challenge students to identify each fruit or vegetable

 pictured, and then guess the plant part it comes from. Have students 

 share their answers. 

LESSON 1

DIG DEEPER!

• Pair up students to research a plan

part and its function using at least two 

sources, and invite them to report back 

to the class what they learned. Ask them 

questions like: What does the plant part 

do? Which plant parts are involved 

in the following plant processes: 

germination, transpiration, 

photosynthesis, pollination, 

and respiration? 

• Assign each pair a featured fruit or 

vegetable. Have them diagram the 

life cycle of that fruit or vegetable’s 

plant and “life” (i.e., seed, 

germination, root/seedling growth, 

plant development, flowering plant, 

pollination, fruiting plant/seed 

production, and death of plant/

decomposition).

 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. 

14 Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov
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Plant Anatomy and Edible Plant Parts

4. Identify each plant part clearly and show what parts we eat when consuming carrots, salad, broccoli, celery, 

zucchini, or chickpeas. Once students are familiar with, and can correctly identify, each plant part, explain that 

each part is designed to support an important function necessary for the plant to live. Review each plant part 

and its function together using the Plant Anatomy sidebar above. Have students create a three-column chart 

in their Garden Journals, writing each plant part in the left-hand column, explaining its function in the middle, 

and drawing a small diagram of each part on the right. 

5. Have students notice the texture and color of the outside and inside of each plant part sample while discussing

the function of each. (For example, show students the fleshy fruit of a zucchini that surrounds the seeds.) Explain

that a fruit protects and holds the seeds. Do the same type of observation with other plant parts, and ask 

students to discuss their similarities and differences in shape, size, texture, and color, reminding them to take

notes in their Garden Journals.

6. Next, students will taste fruit and vegetable samples from each plant part. Remind students of the Tasting

Etiquette Guidelines. Have students and any adult volunteers wash their hands following the proper 

hand-washing steps (see p. 5). Split students into six groups and direct them to the Plant Part Tasting 

Stations (p.12), where students will observe, study, taste, and take notes on various edible plant parts in their 

Garden Journals. For each fruit or vegetable sample they try, ask them to chew slowly, then write down their 

tasting observations, noting the flavor, texture, and appearance.

7. What other fruits and vegetables can students think of, and what edible plant parts are they? Have students

challenge and quiz one another by reading a function and identifying an edible plant part that matches that

function. Discuss student answers and list them on the board under seed, flower, fruit, stem, leaf, or root. 

(See Plant Part Groceries sidebar on p.16 for more options.)

LESSON 1

A carrot is the root

of the plant. Roots

grow underground, 

provide support for a 

plant by holding it into 

the ground, and collect 

food (water and 

nutrients) from the soil.

Salad comes 

from the leaf of 

the lettuce plant. 

Leaves make 

food for the plant 

from sunlight 

(photosynthesis).

Broccoli is the flower

of the plant. Flowers

attract pollinators (bees, 

butterflies, moths, flies, 

hummingbirds) and 

mature into fruits.

Zucchini is the fruit 

of the plant. Fruits

grow from flowers, 

and protect and 

hold the seeds.

Chickpeas (also known as 

garbanzo beans) are the 

seeds of the plant. Seeds

contain all the information 

needed for plant life. They 

grow into new baby plants 

when conditions are right.

Celery is the stem of the plant. 

Stems provide aboveground 

physical support to the plant, 

and contain the “highways” 

of vessels to move water and 

nutrients through the plant. 

(See Science Extension

sidebar on p.18 for an 

experiment with celery that 

demonstrates how this plant 

part functions.)

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PLANT PART GROCERIES

Introduce students to other edible 

plant parts by showing a variety of 

fruits and vegetables in their full plant 

form. They may recognize them when 

displayed in the produce section of the 

market, but not when part of the plant. 

Show pictures from the Internet or a 

gardening book or visit a garden or 

farmers market to view them firsthand. 

Roots: beet, radish, 

turnip, carrot, parsnip

Stems: rhubarb, 

asparagus, celery

Leaves: spinach, kale, 

arugula, collard greens, 

Brussels sprouts, cabbage

Flowers: artichoke, 

cauliflower, broccoli

Fruits: strawberry, melon, 

pepper, tomato, pumpkin, 

cucumber, winter squash

Seeds: chickpeas (garbanzo 

beans), sunflower seeds, 

pumpkin seeds, corn, 

green peas, black beans

LESSON 1 Activity II. Fruits and Vegetables on MyPlate (40 minutes, Science/Health)

1. Explain that the way we group and organize living things in science is

called classification. To classify is to arrange things in groups according

 to common characteristics. Edible plant parts can be classified in a variety

 of ways. Botanists (plant scientists) and nutritionists (food and health

 experts) classify plant parts differently. Botanists classify edible plant parts

 based on their function and where in the plant they are located. (For

 example, tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell peppers are considered by

 botanists to be fruits because they contain seeds). Nutritionists, however,

 call them vegetables and organize foods (including those that come

 from edible plant parts) into different food groups based on what they

 provide to keep the body healthy, how they taste, and also how they are

normally eaten. (For example, tomatoes are normally eaten as a 

 vegetable, such as in a garden salad or with lettuce and onion on a 

 sandwich.) Tomatoes are also not tart and sweet like cherries and other 

 foods we consider to be fruits. That’s why nutritionists consider tomatoes 

 a vegetable instead of a fruit.

2. Distribute the handout Fruits and Veggies 

on MyPlate (p. 65). Ask: What other plant foods 

can you think of that are classified differently by 

botanists and nutritionists? (For example, 

cucumbers, pumpkins, yellow squash.) Show 

students the MyPlate icon on the Eat Smart To 

Play Hard With MyPlate poster. Ask students

 to identify the different plate segments (i.e., food groups) on the MyPlate

 icon: Fruits, Vegetables, Grain, Protein Foods, and Dairy. Explain

 that most of the foods we eat belong to one of these food groups, and

 edible plants can be found in many of them. It’s important to eat foods

 from all five food groups; that’s how we eat smart to play hard. Ask

 students what food groups they think include edible plant parts. Allow

 students to answer. Explain that the Fruit Group, the Vegetable

 Group, and the Grain Group all include foods that come only from

 plants. Students may not realize that grains also come from plants. 

 Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, or barley is a grain

 food. Tell students that grains, such as wheat, oats, and rice, come from

 the seed part of plants. Ask students if they can name any foods from

 the Grain Group? (For example, bread, cereal, tortillas, and pasta.)

 The remaining two food groups are the Dairy Group and the Protein

 Foods Group. The Protein Foods Group contains some edible plant 

 products like beans, split peas, nuts, and seeds, as well as nonplant (animal)

 foods like seafood, meat, eggs, and poultry. The Dairy Group includes milk

 and milk products.

 Explain that the MyPlate icon reminds us to eat foods from each food

 group. What does the icon tell us about how much of our plate should 

 be fruits and vegetables? (Half of our plate at meals should be fruits and

 vegetables, with a little more coming from the Vegetable Group.)

3. 

16 Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov
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Have students work in pairs to complete the handout, Fruits and 

Veggies on MyPlate. They will analyze a sample school lunch menu

consisting of cheese pizza (with a whole-wheat crust), baked sweet

potato fries, broccoli florets, applesauce, and fat-free milk. Students will

identify the ingredients, what food groups are represented, whether it

comes from a plant, and, if so, what part of the plant. The first food item

(the pizza crust) is provided as an example on the handout.

Go over the student handout activity using the answer key, allowing

students to first share their answers and reasoning. Correctly identify 

the fruits and vegetables featured in the lunch menu.

STUDENT HANDOUT ANSWER KEY: Fruits and Vegetables on MyPlate

 Menu Original Food Does it Come Edible

 Item Ingredient Group From a Plant? Plant Part

WholeWheat

Cheese

Pizza1

a. Crust wheat flour Grain yes seed

b. Tomato

 Sauce2 tomato Vegetable yes fruit

c. Cheese milk Dairy no x

Baked

Sweet sweet potato Vegetable yes root Potato

Fries 

Broccoli

Florets broccoli Vegetable yes flower

Apple Sauce apples Fruit yes fruit

Fat-Free 

Milk (8 oz)3 milk Dairy no x

1

 Pizza is a combination food with three main ingredients: crust, 

 tomato sauce, and cheese (topping). What other combination 

 foods can your students think of? (For example, a sandwich, taco, 

 burrito, mixed salad, or chili.)

2 Remind students that tomatoes are the fruit part of the plant. 

 Nutritionists consider them a vegetable because of the nutrition 

 tomatoes provide and how they are eaten. 

3

 Explain that milk comes from an animal, a cow, and therefore 

 is not a food that comes from a plant. However, cows eat plants,

 which give them energy to make milk.

DIG DEEPER! Optional 

CLASS EXPERIMENT(SCIENCE)

A Colorful Dissection

Time Required: 20 minutes for preparation 

and reflection; 6 hours for observation

This experiment is best done first thing in the morning 

to observe throughout the day. There is a lot going 

on inside a plant, and sometimes the best way to 

understand that is to open up the plant and take a look. 

This experiment will show, both outside and in, how a 

stem works to bring water and nutrients up from the 

plant’s roots, through the stem, and out to the tips of 

its leaves or petals. Ask for students to help you in all 

steps except those marked (T) for teacher only.

You will need:

• Celery, with as many leaves 

 as possible on the tops

• A white flower, such as a carnation, with stem

• 2 tablespoons of food coloring 

 (red or blue work best)

• A clear vase

• A paring knife (T)

Steps:

1. Fill the vase with water and add the food coloring.

2. (T) Cut 1⁄2” off the bottom of the celery stem with 

a knife and do the same to the flower stem. Make 

sure you leave the flower blossom and the celery 

leaves intact.

3. Place the cut end of each stem into the 

colored water.

4. Ask students to hypothesize what will happen.

5. After 6 hours, observe the outside of the plants – 

the celery’s leaves and the petals of the flower. 

Does the colored water appear in the leaves 

and petals?

6. (T) Take the flower and the celery out of the vase, 

use the knife to cut the stem, and look at the 

cross section. Observe the vein-like tubes filled 

with colored liquid. This will be especially 

noticeable with the celery. 

LESSON 1

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4.
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REFLECT (30 minutes, English Language Arts)

1. Have students reflect in their Garden Journals on what they have

 learned. Ask: What was your favorite fruit or vegetable? Were there any

 foods you tried for the first time? What were they? What surprised you

 the most about this lesson?

2. Next, have students imagine what their school garden might be like.

 Review the different types of gardens discussed in the beginning of 

 the lesson. Encourage students to draw or make notes about the 

 characteristics of their imagined garden, such as whether it will be 

 in-ground or in a container, and to list what they would like to grow. 

 Remind students that their Garden Journals are for their personal

 thoughts and reflections (in addition to new vocabulary, notes, 

 and drawings). 

EXTENSIONS

Cafeteria Connection. Arrange a visit to the cafeteria so students can 

meet the Food Service Director and staff, and learn what they do. Have 

students study the lunch menu to discover how many edible plant parts 

are featured in that day’s lunch.

Plant Invasion. Discuss how edible plants could take over their 

after-school snack. Can students think of a tasty snack made out 

of at least three edible plants?

Nature’s Rock Stars. Have students create an original fruit and/or 

vegetable rock star as a fun exercise to demonstrate the edible parts 

of plants. They can either build a new plant person using parts of the 

fruits and vegetables you gathered for them, assembling them with 

toothpicks, or, if not using real fruits or 

vegetables, they could use images to create 

collages or drawings. (For example, their rock 

star could have the body of a carrot, celery 

arms, lettuce clothes, a zucchini slice for 

the face, a broccoli floret for the hair, 

and chickpeas for eyes.) When they 

are done, they should identify the plant 

parts used. 

GROW CELERY 

FROM CELERY! (SCIENCE)

Grow celery using the base of your 

celery stalks. Students will be 

interested in learning that a plant 

part they are accustomed to throwing 

out can be “recycled” into 

a new plant!

Cut off the base of a celery stalk. Let 

students then place the celery base 

upright in a small dish of water. They 

should make notes on how long it takes 

for new leaves to appear in the center 

of the celery base (approximately 

one week). Have students note the 

color of the leaves (yellow) and ask if 

that color surprised them. Were they 

expecting the leaves to be green? 

Once the leaves grow and turn green, 

the celery base is ready to plant in the 

ground or in a pot. The students have 

grown their own celery plant!

LESSON 1

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