Exploring Botany on Your Plate
Author: Sarah Pounders
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Effectiveness Study
After completing the Botany on Your Plate curriculum, students
in grades K-3 were evaluated for specific gains. Here's what researchers
discovered.
- 95% of the student population reported that they seek out and
eat more fruits and vegetables when making choices for their diet.
- Kindergarten students showed strong gains in understanding that
plant sources provide food.
- 89% of kindergartners, 93% of first graders, 90% of second graders
and 100% of third graders participating reported greater preference
for eating fruits and vegetables.
- 85% of the students increased their identification knowledge of
basic plant parts.
- 78% of the students increased their ability to identify plant
functions.
- Parents of participants reported their children demonstrated increased
interest in helping to shop for produce and prepare healthy meals
at home.
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What
better way to learn basic science than to relate it to a familiar, daily
activity,
such as eating? After all, complex concepts like nutrition become palatable and easier to grasp when they’re offered in a hands-on -- and "taste-buds-on" -- inquiry-based context. A tempting
new curriculum,
Botany on Your Plate, uses kids’ natural curiosity to
help them explore these key connections through fun and delicious investigations.
The staff at the University of California
Botanical Garden at Berkeley secured grant funding to create this
multi-lesson, interdisciplinary series.
Developed with the help of teachers, scientists, parent volunteers,
and community
leaders, Botany on Your Plate is a life science unit for
grades K-4 that inspires children to explore the fascinating realm
of edible
plants.
Each lesson begins with opportunities for students to taste different
edible plant parts. This sparks curiosity, interesting questions, and
social dialogue that helps fuel the learning process. Children learn
the nutrient values of various plant parts while savoring their flavors,
aromas, and textures. Following the tasting, additional activities
use an inquiry approach to engage children to act like botanists by
observing and collecting data, discussing findings, and reflecting
on what they learn as they study edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers,
fruits, and seeds. Some activity examples:
- estimating number of seeds in fruit
- predicting the movement of
water through the plant
- comparing structures of different plants
- analyzing food preference
data
- maximizing the impact
and usefulness in the classroom, the
curriculum weaves nutritional health, mathematics, language arts,
and
social studies together with investigative science
Author Kathy Barrett says, “Through the curriculum, children develop
and hone their evidence gathering skills while investigating edible
plants and documenting their observations in journals. And, they’re
challenged to consider alternate explanations and to identify new questions
for study." Working in pairs, the students record and talk about
the plant structures they are dissecting and drawing. They contribute
findings to the group discussion, and reflect individually upon what
they have learned and topics that pique their curiosity.
In addition to providing strong support to major learning goals
outlined in the National Science Education Standards, the highly sensorial
and experiential nature of the lessons engages all learners, enriching
their understanding and thinking across subject areas. For example,
each chapter includes language arts activities. Through the pilot programs,
Kathy reports that, "We’ve found that the rich scientific content
and collaborative social process promotes language acquisition and
development of oral and written communication skills. This is especially
true with English Language Learners."
Teachers who piloted the curriculum are very enthusiastic about Botany
on Your Plate because it satisfies standards and kids
really enjoy it. Katie Johnson, a third
grade
teacher,
says,
"My
students
love
this
exciting curriculum. The lessons use the elements of best practices
in teaching, supporting all students -- including ESL/ELD students,
Gifted students, and students with challenges in learning -- and are
well organized and easy to teach." Joanna Katz, a first grade teacher,
adds, "My kids got so much joy from the hands-on learning and a lot
of language arts mileage from descriptive writing about their observations."
Effectiveness Study
Research shows that repeated exposure to a new food can lead people
to make it a staple in their diet, which is why each investigation
in Botany on Your Plate begins with a plant snack including sensory
comparisons and discussions. One of the overarching goals of the curriculum
is to positively affect the eating behaviors the students by increasing
their consumption of fruits and vegetables.
To determine the impact of the curriculum, students from the UC Berkeley
Graduate School of Education conducted a formal evaluation. The study
focused on changes in science content knowledge and attitudes towards
fruit and vegetables for students in grades K-3. The impressive results
(see sidebar, above)
show that Botany
on Your Plate is not only fun,
it’s
effective. Easy to implement in formal and informal
educational settings, the lessons can also be adapted for younger and
older audiences.
See
a sample lesson here (PDF)
See
table of contents here (PDF)
Order Botany
on Your Plate here
The Garden at the University of California, Berkeley, is a living
museum open to the public featuring one of the most diverse plant
collections
in the United States, and extensive education and outreach programs
serving schools and community groups throughout California and the
nation. Established in 1890, the Garden’s 34 acres contain over 12,000
different kinds of plants and more than 20,000 accessions from all
over the world arranged by region. The mission of the Garden is to
develop and maintain a diverse living collection of plants to support
teaching and worldwide research in plant biology, further the conservation
of plant diversity, and promote public understanding and appreciation
of plants and the natural environment. For more information, visit
their Web site.
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© 2009
National Gardening Association