Additional Enriching Activity
My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable
The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with an
opportunity to enhance writing skills while simultaneously
learning about the production and distribution of fresh produce.
Explain to students that the goal of this activity is for
each student to write a fictional, creative story about life
as a fruit or vegetable. Each story should outline the life
of one fruit or vegetable from the farm to the table.
1. Brainstorming. As a class, generate a list of fruits and
vegetables. Also, brainstorm a list of questions that students
will need to answer as they write their story about the
production and development of a specific fresh produce item.
Questions that students answer in their stories may include:
• From where did I originate?
• What is my biological classification?
• To what other plants am I related?
• How am I planted?
• Where am I grown and why?
• How am I grown?
• What do I look like growing on the plant?
• How am I harvested?
• How am I transported?
• What health benefits do I offer?
• What potential problems could I cause, if any?
• How am I stored?
• How am I prepared/cooked?
2. Select a theme. Ask students to select one fruit or
vegetable that will be the main character or theme of
their stories. Each student should write about a different
fruit or vegetable. Avoid duplicate produce items.
3. Write a rough draft. Using resources compiled by you and
your students, and the list of questions brainstormed by the
class. Have each student write a story about the life of the
fruit or vegetable. The story should be written in the first
person narrative, with the fruit or vegetable telling the story.
4. Peer editing. Have students edit each other’s work. Explain
to students that this is an important step in the writing
process and should be taken very seriously. (Students
could be assessed on the editing as well as the writing
part of the lesson.) Assign each student a classmate’s
rough draft. Tell students to edit for the following:
• Proper punctuation
• Content
• Spelling
• Proper sequence (from farm to table)
• Accuracy of facts
5. Rewrite a final version. Have students write final versions of
their stories. Ideally, the final versions will include illustrations
of each phase of the fruit or vegetable’s growth, development,
and distribution. Encourage students to illustrate as much as
possible. Advise students to include a title page and verso
which includes publisher, copyright, etc. Other requirements
should be discussed before the final writing phase.
6. Sharing. Have students share their stories with classmates,
family, friends, and anyone else who might be interested.
For more information and resources to go with this
lesson plan, search “My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable” on the
Curriculum Matrix at www.GrowingYourFuture.com.
Colorado Foundation for Agriculture
10343 Federal Blvd Unit J Box 224
Westminster, CO 80260
970-818-3308 • [email protected]
www.GrowingYourFuture.com
The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture is a 501(c)3 non-profit
education corporation that works with community stakeholders
to help meet our shared vision of advancing agricultural
literacy. Our mission is connecting Colorado educators and
students to their food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources.
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The Colorado Reader is an eight-page student activity
newspaper available FREE to Colorado educators, thanks
to our sponsors. The reading level is geared towards 4th
and 5th grade students, however educators across all
levels have found the Readers a valuable asset in their
classrooms. The Readers are sent in classroom sets of 30
copies and accompanied with an educator’s guide.
The Colorado Reader reinforces standards for reading, writing,
and communicating, science, math, social studies, and more!
Planned topics for the upcoming school year include: Colorado
produce, What are Cooperatives?, Renewable energy; Soil,
Water, and Air Stewardship, and Colorado beef and nutrition.
To learn more about the Colorado Reader or to sign up
your classroom for a free subscription for the 2019-
2020 school year, visit: http://bit.ly/2XyjG4M
Save the date - 2020 Summer AgriCULTURE Institutes
The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture offers a professional
development program for educators called the Food, Fiber,
and More Summer AgriCULTURE Institutes. These Institutes
are five-day courses, designed for teachers. Attendees
learn about Colorado agriculture, tour farms, ranches, and
food production facilities, and learn innovative, standards-
based ways to incorporate food, fiber, fuel, and natural
resource topics into academic curriculum. Teachers are
able to earn Continuing Education Units or graduate level
credits from Colorado State University by completing
the course. The 2020 course locations and dates are:
• June 15-19, 2020 - Advanced course (201),
designed for anyone who has previously
attended a Summer AgriCULTURE Institute. This
course will be offered on the Front Range.
• July 6-10, 2020 - Regular course (101) “Agriculture on
the Western Slope” to be held in Grand Junction.
Visit www.GrowingYourFuture.com for more information on
our Agriculture in the Classroom programs and resources.