Vegetables

StartSmart Pilot School : Lok Sin Tong Tang Tak Lim Kindergarten

《Lesson in the Supermarket》
Think and act in learning

Stage 1: Introduction

Children will easily form the wrong eating habits if they are allowed to choose only food with high fat/sugar content, which may affect their health and lead to obesity. For the sake of health, they should adapt to a balanced diet.

In order to facilitate pupils’ learning, schools may consider arranging supermarket visits for them so that children can be exposed to a variety of vegetables and observe their appearances and structures. Vegetables are natural; they have a high fibre content and exist in a wide variety. They can be leafy vegetables, mushrooms, gourds, fruits, roots and rhizomes. Children can pick up their favourites from such a great diversity.

The teaching staff in Lok Sin Tong Tang Tak Lim Kindergarten attended a number of workshops. They discussed, explored and learnt about some health issues together. Several actions were taken at school, among which the school found the change in menus and food portions most effective. To ensure the food supplied met the requirement of health and hygiene, the school oversaw that teachers, food preparation staff and children maintained contact all the time. The project has provided a solid foundation for children’s health.

Stage 2: Start Smart!

Live: Visit the Supermarket

Objective: To enhance children’s knowledge of the names and the shapes of different vegetables, and to understand how people sell and buy vegetables.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: A group list and worksheets. Each child should also bring a two-dollar coin and a reusable shopping bag.

*The activity may require prior permission from the supermarket.

Let’s GO!

1. The class is divided into small groups. Pupils are taught to bring reusable bags for shopping.
   
   
2. At the vegetable stall in the supermarket, children attempt to tell the names of the vegetables and describe them. They also attempt to tell the quantity of each vegetable.
   
   
3. The teacher explains the characteristics of leafy vegetables, mushrooms, gourds, fruits, roots and rhizomes.
   
   
4. Children familiarise themselves with the procedures of shopping, shopping etiquette, classification of goods, as well as the job nature of shop assistants and cashiers.

Live: Know More About Vegetables

Objective: To strengthen children’s understanding of the structure (including roots, rhizome and leaves) of the vegetables.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: Vegetables with roots, rhizome and leaves (e.g. pak choy, choy sum and Chinese lettuce), plain sheets of paper and colour pencils.

Let’s GO!

1. Each child holds a vegetable, draws it and labels each part.
   
   
2. To know the vegetables better, the children colour their drawings, and then make frottage graphics of the leaves carefully.
   
   
3. They halve the vegetables and observe the difference among them.
   
   
4. The teacher makes use of a specially designed ‘mind map of vegetables’ for teaching. The mind map starts with ‘vegetables’ and extends teaching to areas like preservation method, nutrients, structures and so on. By doing so, children are able to have a more thorough picture on the topic of vegetables.

Mind Map of Vegetables

Vegetables

• Types : Organic vegetables(Pok Choy,Flowering Chinese cabbage); Inorganic vegetables(Lettuce)
• Sources : Place of origin
• Preservation methods : Refrigeration, A cool place
• Nutrition : Rich in dietary fibre, With vitamin E
• Vegetable manufactured products:Soup ingredients packs,Snacks
• Cleaning methods : Water and Salt
• Structure : Roots(Water absorption), Stems(Nutrition delive), Leaves(Leaf veins)
• Cultivation methods:Soil, Sunlight, Water