Lesson # 12: Greens

Last week, students sampled and learned about root, bulb, stem, and leaf vegetables. During this week of Food is Elementary (week 12), students focused on leafy green vegetables. This lesson emphasized the high vitamin content of leafy green vegetables such as mustard, dandelion, and spinach greens, particularly when compared to iceberg lettuce.

The greens lesson began with a review of the food pyramid, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and the parts of vegetables that can be eaten (root, bulb, stem, and leaf). The students learned a dance that reinforced the names and general shapes of different vegetables (if you would like your child to demonstrate for you, it begins by squatting down on the floor while saying "I'm a seed..I'm a seed...". Ask them and I'll bet they will remember the rest!). Next, Lois Ehlert's beautifully illustrated book Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z was read to the students; to their surprise, they discovered a fruit or vegetable that they have tried during their Food is Elementary classes for nearly every letter of the alphabet!

Students broke into groups and began tasting a variety of greens. From baby spinach to dandelion and mustard greens, our students sampled like champs! As different greens were sampled, Food Educators reviewed the names of the greens, and reminded students that they were tasting in order to experience the different flavors of each green. Students noticed that baby spinach has a very delicate, mild flavor, while mustard greens can be quite spicy!

Finally, students participated in a graphing activity designed to illustrate that dark, leafy greens are extremely nutritious and contain many more vitamins than lighter salad greens, such as iceberg lettuce.