Teaching and learning sequence steps |
Notes to support teaching and learning sequence |
What are grains and legumes?
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- Students brainstorm a concept map of what they think are grains and legumes.
- Develop a KWL chart of 'What do I already know?' 'What would I like to find out?' and 'What have I learnt?'
- Provide a range of pictures of different grains and legumes for students to identify. Teachers could also use the rollovers on each page of the web site. Add items to the concept map.
- Early Stage 1: In groups, students use magazines, newspapers and other resources to create a collage of grain and legume based products. Some groups may choose to focus on only one grain or legume.
- Stage 1: In groups, students choose one grain or one legume resource sheet to research information about what it is, where it is grown, how it is grown and what products are made from it. Develop the idea that grains and legumes are a staple food for many cultures, are cheap to produce and provide a high yield.
- Each group presents their information to the class and add any new information to the concept map.
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These worksheets provide instructions for teachers and where appropriate a black line master.
- Worksheet 1: Examples of concept maps (Re-visit concept map and charts consistently throughout the unit to assist in the development of specific vocabulary and knowledge.)
- Worksheet 2: This KWL strategy can be used as an assessment task at the completion of the unit.
- Additionally, students may handle samples of grains and legumes, if available, and using their senses complete a Y Chart of what it feels like, looks like, smells like, etc. to develop a variety of vocabulary relating to grains. See Worksheet 3: Y chart.
- Worksheet 4: Information report scaffolds.
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What are some grain-based products? |
- Ask students to explore the contents of their lunch box to find food items containing grains, e.g. sandwiches, snack bars.
- Discuss the findings and add any new information to the concept map.
- Students conduct a food pantry search at home (or if practical bring lots of labelled food to school) and list the grain-based products they find on a recording sheet/retrieval chart.
- Ask students to bring packaging of one grain-based product to school (it can be empty) to be used for a classification activity.
- Present the nutritional information from a grain or legume based package (OHT or chart) and discuss with the class.
- Read and discuss nutritional information on packages the children brought to school. Classify food items according to the grain or legume product they are made from. Record observations on a retrieval chart.
- Discuss the different varieties and identify the most common.
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- Worksheet 5: Retrieval chart example.
- Teachers may need to collect a variety of packages from food products for the activity.
- Write the information on the board for the whole class to see and discuss.
- Students should check for the first one or two ingredients to be grains.
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Why do we need grains in our diet? |
- Present a chart of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and discuss the different components, allowing students to discuss information they already know.
- Students in pairs list the foods they have eaten since the night before. Label each one according to the food group it belongs to.
- Older students could keep a 'What did I eat?' diary. Later the students can add some specific food products to the Healthy Eating Guide to reinforce the wide variety of foods within each group.
- Discuss the importance of having a balance of the food groups each day.
- Ask students to identify the grains and legumes and other food groups that are represented.
- Review the concept map and add any additional information and grain-based products.
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- Worksheet 6: Eating choices provides an example of what someone ate during the day.
- Additionally this activity could be conducted over a week and used as an assessment task.
Additional activities could include
- Using a mortar and pestle to grind wheat to observe crushing the grain.
- Making bread (flour, water, yeast, kneading, cooking and eating).
- Sequencing and matching illustrations to text of the procedure of making bread.
- Constructing food chains/flow charts to highlight the interconnectedness of living things, e.g. people eat beef, which comes from a cow, which ate the grass, that grows in the soil and needed sunlight and water to grow. This activity could also be used as an assessment task.
- Research the history of wheat and milling techniques. Useful resources include A Bakers Dozen and The Wheat Resource Kit. See Unit resources for details.
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What do grains or legumes need to grow? |
Observing and exploring |
- Read The Little Red Hen.
- Discuss what happened in the text, specifically about how the wheat was grown.
- Develop a flow chart/story map to sequence the events.
- Question students about what the Little Red Hen would need to do to make the wheat grow strong.
- List all the conditions.
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- Inform students that the processes that the Little Red Hen was using are the same as those a farmer uses but on a much larger scale. Use photographs for each step to illustrate the parallels.
- Worksheet 7: Sequencing activity for the The Little Red Hen.
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Hypothesising and predicting |
- Make statements/hypothesize what plants need for optimum growth. Revise text The Little Red Hen, how did the wheat grow?
- Pose 'What if ...?' statements. Children make oral predictions about what may happen if some of the conditions to grow healthy wheat plants are not met, e.g. 'If this plant has no ... it will... If this plant has too much ... it will ...' and then write sentences (using language of condition/cause and effect). Write predictions on a chart or board.
- Discuss with the class how we could test the predictions.
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Devising and testing |
- Working in small groups children will prepare a garden to plant wheat or bean seeds. Make gardens using meat trays, ice cream container lids, clear plastic cups, egg cartons or similar containers as the garden bed. Use potting mix* and/or cotton wool as the soil substitute.
- Consider all options for an ideal growth environment by having a control group with all conditions present (sunlight, water, soil) and additional gardens where one variable for growth has been eliminated, e.g. no light – place plant tray in a dark cupboard; no water; no soil; no heat/sun –- place tray in a refrigerator.
- Plant wheat or bean seeds according to their growing conditions: control group, no soil, no water, no sun and no light. Label each garden.
- Groups re-tell what they did and record by drawing and labeling.
- Match sentences and pictures to show sequence.
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- *Safe use of potting mix. It is not appropriate to have students handle potting mix. Teachers
should demonstrate the use using appropriate facemask and gloves outside or in a well ventilated area.
- Worksheet 8: Planting sequence procedural texts could be written and a variety of language games to reinforce sentence structure and specific language could be played.
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Collecting and recording |
- Students begin a plant observation diary. Observe the wheat or bean seeds growth and record observations, measurements and other changes in their diary. Draw and write daily/weekly observations.
- Pose questions, e.g. 'Can you notice any changes from yesterday? What do you think will happen tomorrow?' (Responses may include statements such as, 'Today my seeds have sprouted some roots. I can see some green shoots.') Record responses.
- Measure and record growth of each labeled garden.
- Compare and contrast growth results from each group of seeds by measuring with informal units (formal units could also be used) and write comparative statements, e.g. 'The seeds growing without light are much shorter than ...'.
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- Worksheet 9: Plant observation diary.
- Hint: Use a measuring station to assist with accuracy and/or the use of photos. Students could possibly take digital photos using a tripod to steady the camera.
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Analysing and drawing conclusions |
- Each group reports on their investigation using the data collected in their plant diaries. Encourage them to make statements about results, e.g. 'Wheat and bean seeds need ...'.
- Discuss what students think other plants need for strong, healthy growth. List their ideas. Compare the list with the original list from The Little Red Hen story.
- Discuss what students think other living things need, including people.
(Refer back to the pie graph for the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.)
Re-visit posters and/or pictures displayed. Discuss the role of grains and legumes in a healthy diet for people.
- Write an explanation text: 'What do wheat or bean seeds need to grow?'. Or write a procedure on 'How to grow a grain or legume plant'.
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- Read What Did You Eat Today? (This text reveals what animals eat in a city zoo and provides models for graphical representations. It could be used to assist in making connections about the correct types of food for a balanced diet for a variety of animals and linking to peoples' diets.)
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