Elementary Science K/3

Created: 2007 05 14 | Percent completed:

Materials
Chart paper, markers

Procedure
Tell the children that eating good food helps bodies stay healthy. Good foods keep bodies growing and working. Make a web by writing "Foods We Like to Eat" in the middle and adding the children's favorite foods around the phrase.

Make a large chart on a piece of paper, showing four equal sections. Label the four columns of the chart with the words breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, and dairy products. Discuss with the children the four categories.

Have the children cut pictures of food (including bread, cereal, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, milk, cheese) from magazines. As you collect the pictures, have children identify the foods in the pictures. Then, redistribute the pictures, one to each child. Place the chart on the floor and invite children one at a time to place the picture on the chart under the appropriate label.

Encourage them to tell why they placed the pictures where they did. Explain to the children that it is good to eat foods from the different food groups every day.

Materials
Ingredients for simple snacks - carrots, cucumbers, apples, etc.

Procedure
As you prepare a snack of vegetables and fruits, talk about the foods you are using--appearance, texture, and odor. You might mention the food group to which each belongs and talk about how the foods' appearance changes as you prepare them. Cut off the edible parts to use for the snack and save the inedible parts (end of carrot or cucumber, apple core, etc.) to use for printing in the art activity that follows.

Materials
Tempera paint, Sponges, Pie plates, Vegetable and fruit parts

Procedure
Use the inedible fruit and vegetable parts for printing. Press an inedible plant part, such as an apple core or a corn husk, into a tempera paint-soaked sponge in a pie pan and stamp the vegetable or fruit onto paper.

Books
Carrick, Donald. Milk. New York: Greenwillow, 1985.

Caseley, Judith. Grandpa's Garden Lunch. New York: Greenwillow, 1990.

dePaola, Tomie. Pancakes for Breakfast. San Diego: HBJ, 1978.

Ehlert, Lois. Growing Vegetable Soup. San Diego: HBJ, 1987.

Gross, Ruth Belov. What's On My Plate? New York: Macmillan, 1990.

Hoban, Russell. Bread and Jam for Frances. New York: Harper, 1964.

Novak, Matt. Mr. Floop's Lunch. New York: Lothrop, 1989.