- camera or cell phone with camera
- pictures of various sizes and types of fruits
- vegetables and seeds
- fruit
- leaf
- plant
- produce
- root
- stem
- vegetable
MA Standards:
Language/L.PK.MA.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, listening to books read aloud, activities, and play.
Language/L.PK.MA.5.a: Demonstrate understanding of concepts by sorting common objects into categories (e.g., sort objects by color, shape, or texture).
MA Draft STE Standards:
Life Sciences/From Molecules to Organisms: Inheritance and Variation of Traits/LS1/3.A: Describe/draw and compare the body parts of animals (including themselves) and plants they are investigating [System] and explain functions of some of the observable body parts. [Structure and Function]
Life Sciences/From Molecules to Organisms: Inheritance and Variation of Traits/LS1/3.C: Use their sense in their exploration and play to gather information. [Structure and Function]
Head Start Outcomes:
Logic and Reasoning/Reasoning and Problem Solving: Classifies, compares, and contrasts objects, events, and experiences.
Science Knowledge/Scientific Skills and Method: Observes and discusses common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects.
Language Development/Expressive Language: Uses increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 2: Participate actively in discussions, listen to the ideas of others, and ask and answer relevant questions.
Science and Technology/Life Sciences 10: Observe and identify the characteristics and needs of living things: humans, animals, and plants.
Mathematics/Patterns and Relations 8: Sort, categorize, or classify objects by more than one attribute.
Explore Together (outdoors): Grocery Store Visit
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care. All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: There are many different types of plants and seeds; Different plants grow from different seeds and bulbs
ELA Focus Skills: Compare and Contrast, Follow Directions, Listening and Speaking, Vocabulary
Educator Prep: Plan a visit to a grocery store or a farm stand. In advance, contact a person at the store/farm to become aware of any rules they have for groups of visitors. If possible, have an employee meet you at the store/farm to answer questions or point out things of interest to children. If you have an ethnic grocer in your area, you may want to consider a visit there so children can be introduced to different types of fruits and vegetables.
Safety Tips: Before going on any outing, be sure to review safety and appropriate behaviors expected.
Tell children they are going to visit a grocery store. Explain to children that they will see many different vegetables and fruit in one place. Review the pictures and point out things for children to focus on at the grocery store, for example,
- Types of vegetables (root, leaf, stem)
- Different colors/shapes/sizes of fruits and vegetables
- How the fruits and vegetables are displayed
- Packaged and not packaged fruits and vegetables
Once you are at the grocery store, stay close to children as they explore. Take photos to document their observations. As children observe, engage them with questions such as,
- What is the same about all the vegetables in each section?
- How are the sprouts the same as the sprouts we grew? How are they different?
- What do you notice about the bananas? Why do you think they come in bunches? Do you notice any other plant food comes in a bunch?
Reflect and Share
Have children discuss their visit to the grocery store. Use any photos you took to help encourage discussion. Ask,
- Did you see any plants at the grocery store that you have grown? How were they the same? How were they different?
- How is the grocery store produce section organized? Why do you think it is organized that way?
- Why do you think some of the fruits are in packages? How are they different from the fruits in the produce section?
Have children draw a picture of something they observed about the fruits and vegetables. Help them dictate or write a caption.
English Language Learners: If you visit a grocery store, explain that a grocery store is where you go to buy all different kinds of food. Show children the grocery store flyers so they can see the variety of items. Explain that a grocery store is bigger and has many different items, unlike a farm stand that sells mostly plants, vegetables, and fruits that are grown on the farm.