Farm-to-Kids Texas Mixed 3-5 Educational Module
This program contains six engaging lessons that use hands-on experience to teach students introductory concepts in biology while promoting healthy, local, seasonal eating. This module builds off of the introductory concepts presented in the Farm-to-Kids Texas K-2 Educational Module, but can also be taught to students who did not participate in the earlier module.
Each lesson covers a new topic in the biological sciences and ends with a recipe that the whole class can prepare and eat together. At the end of this educational module, students should know the life cycle of a plant, what environmental conditions support healthy plant growth, and the unique role that plants fill in the global food chain.
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3rd-5th Grade Lessons Overview
| Lesson | Science | Main Idea | Objectives | Activities | Local Food Focus | Make It | Taste It |
| 1-Plant Life Cycles | 10C | Flowers turn into fruits, which contain seeds. Seeds grow new plants of their same species. | Explore the life cycle of a plant. | Bean life cycle sequence cards | Vegetables for dipping | Bean dip | Bean dip |
| 2- Soil | 7A | Soil characteristics determine what plants can be grown in an area. | SWBAT describe differences in soil texture, color, and the capacity to retain water. SWBAT explore the connection between soil nutrients and plant needs. | Water capacity experiment, soil sample observations | Root vegetables | Peeling and cutting root vegetables | Roasted root vegetables |
| 3- Fresh Food Nutrition | 3B | Eating a variety of naturally colored food helps your body stay healthy. | Analyze nutritional labels for important information. | Nutritional label comparison | Colorful vegetables | Rainbow salad | Rainbow salad |
| 4- Producers | 9A | Producers need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food. | SWBAT draw a diagram of the inputs and products of photosynthesis. | Photosynthesis diagram | Tomatoes | Salsa | Chips and salsa |
| 5- Consumers | 9A | Consumers must eat other organisms for their food. | SWBAT differentiate between producers and consumers. | Producers and consumers card sort | Broccoli, carrots (winter vegetables) | Pasta salad | Pasta salad |
| 6-Seasonality | 8A | An area’s climate determines the food that grows in that area. | Determine which foods grow during fall, winter, spring and summer. | Seasonality wheel | Raw seasonal vegetables | Chopped salad | Chopped salad |
| Extra Lesson #1 Chicken Adaptations | 10A | Chickens have adaptations that help them to survive. | SWBAT explore chicken genetics and describe the life cycle of a chicken. | Chicken breed matching | Eggs | Deviled eggs | Deviled eggs |
| Extra Lesson #2 Bees | 10A | Bees use adaptations such as antennae and pheromones to locate and collect food. | SWBAT identify honeybees and the roles of bees in a hive. SWBAT describe pollination. | Pollination and the Waggle Dance | Honey | Peanut Honey Balls | Local honey and Peanut Honey Balls |