What You Will Need

NOTE: Download Fruit Pictures before getting started

• Pictures of fruit trees
  
• Pictures of fruits that grow on trees: banana, apple, peach, orange, pear, cherry, apricot, lemon, lime, plum
• Pictures of fruits that grow on vines: strawberry, grape, pumpkin, watermelon
• Pictures of fruits that grow on bushes: raspberry, currant, blueberry 
• Oranges – 1 per 2 children
• Knife or orange-peeling tool (adult use only)
• Quart-sized, freezer-weight, zip-close bags – 1 per child
• Small paper cups – 1 per child
• Scissors (adult use only) – 1 pair

What To Do

Note: Before the start of the lesson, place a colored dot on each of the fruit pictures – red for fruits that grow on trees, green for fruits that grow on vines, and yellow for fruits that grow on bushes.

1. Display an orange, and ask the children to describe it and to indicate where they might find an orange (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
2. Ask the children where they think oranges grow.
3. Display the fruit plant pictures, and tell the children that not all fruit grows on the same type of plant. Some fruits grow on trees, some on bushes, and others on vines.
4. Ask if any of the children have ever been to an orchard or farm where they could pick their own fruit from the plant; have them describe their experience (see Lesson Tips).
5. Distribute 1 fruit picture to each child.
6. Tell the children that all of the fruit pictures with red dots are fruits that grow on trees, fruit pictures with green dots are fruits that grow on vines, and fruit pictures with yellow dots are fruits that grow on bushes.
7. Have the children sort the pictures into piles according to the type of plant that the fruit grows on.
8. Ask the children the type of plant that oranges grow on and what type of drink we make from oranges. 
9. Tell them that today, they are going to make orange juice to drink.
10. Peel the oranges, and have the children describe what they see.
11. Place half of the slices from 1 peeled orange into a zip-close bag for each child, and secure the closure.
12. Have the children gently squish and squeeze their orange sections.
13. As children finish, snip a tiny corner off of each bag, and pour the juice into a cup for them to drink.

Guiding Student Inquiry

• Tell me where you think fruit comes from.
• Describe your favorite fruit.
• Describe the orange.
• Describe how the orange pieces feel.
• Explain what you think will need to be done to make juice from the orange.
• Describe the taste of the juice.

Explore, Extend & Integrate

• Count the number of seeds found in 1 orange. Have the children estimate the number of seeds in a second orange. Compare the number of seeds found in each; was it the same, more, or less?
• Compare an orange with a lime and/or a lemon. Have the children predict which fruit will have more seeds. Cut the fruits open, and compare. Does the larger-sized fruit have the same number of seeds, more seeds, or less seeds?
• Place the seeds and pulp from the squeezed oranges into a clear plastic container, and place it in the science area for further investigation.
• Place plastic fruit in the dramatic play area for children to use in their free time.

Check for Children’s Understanding

• Could children tell where they think fruit comes from?
• Could children describe a fruit?
• Could children describe the orange and the orange pieces?
• Could children explain that the orange will need to be squeezed to make juice?
• Could children describe the taste of the juice?

Resources

Lesson Tips
Books^[1]
Home/School Connections
Las Conexiones a la Casa