This week we are learning about fruits. During spring, garden starts to bloom, vegetables and fruits are growing rapidly. My daughter, Audrey likes to eat colorful fruits and vegetables and she’s pretty much familiar with the name of the foods she have on her plate. In this unit, the child will learn the different kinds of fruits as well as the part of the apple fruit.
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Montessori Inspired Fruit Activities for Preschooler
Materials
I gather all learning materials for our fruits unit such as books to read, object cards, miniature fruits and vegetables too, real fruit to cut, moveable letters and fruit puzzle with part labels and other learning materials related to this unit study. Once I gathered all my resources, I then divide my presentation into three parts. You can always add more presentations into your unit per day so you can have five presentations in a week or simplify into three presentations just like I did here. Its up to you how you make your presentation a fun way to learn and explore!
Language
Pericarp, Exocarp, Mesocarp, Endocarp, Seed
Point of Interest
- Each fruit looks different and has a different name.
- Each part of the fruit looks different and has a different name.
Direct Aim
- Development of an appreciation for plants.
- Development of knowledge of the parts of the fruit.
Indirect Aim
- Different names of the fruit.
- Different names of the parts of the fruit.
Presentation 1
Presenting a picture card or page of the book with similar object. Matching the picture card to an object or fruit using the three period lesson.
Example:
Period 1: “This is a strawberry”
Period 2: “Can you show me/give me the strawberry”
Period 3: “What is this?”
Presentation 2 (Language extensions)
Word creation using Montessori Movable Alphabets. My little learner is just three year old to create a word by herself. To help her understand the concept, I show her a picture card of fruit and vegetables. Then I ask her what letters she sees in this card. With this, it’s easier for her to pick the letters from the box and arrange it in order.
Presentation 3 (Practical Life extensions)
Prepare a fresh fruit and cut it into half. Show the fruit puzzle and identify the parts with the labels.
Tip: You can teach all five parts of the fruit in a day or you can present only one part for each day until Friday. I present this using moveable letters, they will remember the words better!
Exocarp– the outer layer of the pericarp.
Mesocarp– the middle layer of the pericarp.
Endocarp– the innermost layer of the pericarp that surrounds the seed.
Pericarp– the part of a fruit formed from the wall of the ripened ovary.
Seed– an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering.
Practical Life Extension
I like to share some ideas about the different kinds of extensions you can apply with this Fruits and Vegetables unit of study. Here are some examples of extensions you can do as a Practical Life activities at home or school.
- In a week rotate the snack to include different types of fruit or vegetables. Example: apple slices, oranges, fresh snap peas, fresh thinly sliced carrot
- Each day dissect the fruit for observation.
- Wash fruit or vegetables carefully.
- Cut fruit or vegetables for snack preparation.
- Squeeze oranges
Sensorial Extension
In this unit the child will be using her/his four senses:
Visual Sense
- Color: Compare colors of different fruits or vegetables
- Shape: Compare shapes of different fruits or vegetables
- Size: Notice the different sizes of fruit
Gustatory Sense
- Wash and cut pieces of different fruits for children to taste
Tactile Sense
- Feel different fruits/vegetables and notice the differences; ex. cantaloupe, snap peas, blueberry.
Olfactory Sense
- Smell variety of fruits and vegetables.
Ecology
Presenting nature and anything consists of biodegradable materials to your unit adds a simple concept of taking care of our planet Earth. You can include ecology as part of the unit study at home or school to give child a better understanding about the care of the environment. This routine will help the child understand the correct disposal of fruit or vegetables. It is advisable for the school or at home that there is a designated place to put the compost.
Books and References
I compile here some related books and helpful links for more resources and ideas of fun way to learn about Fruits and or Vegetables in your classroom or at home.
Wow! This is a very detailed post on fruits. I can definitely use it with my nephew. I also like that you mentioned about the three period lesson. I always do that in class because it’s really effective. Thanks for this article! 🙂
Thank you! I love teaching Montessori method in my class and to my now three year old daughter. I share in my blog how I do each of my units and this is one of my favorite🙂