Prickly Pineapples - The Tesco Eat Happy Project

Prickly
Pineapples:
Activity ideas to
support the
Online Field Trip
LESSON activity pLaNS
Age group: 7 - 11 years
1
Age 7–11 activity ideas to support the Online Field Trip
Activities
Here is a set of activities provided to work
alongside the Online Field Trip about
pineapples. The intention is to inspire children
to want to learn more about pineapples, how
they are grown and the journey they take from
the farm to the fork. The activities may all be
completed independently – you can pick and
choose whichever is most appropriate or interesting
for your purposes.
Use the Photo Pack (Photo Pack_5-11_Pineapples) and the Glossary of Terms (Glossary_5-11_Pineapples) to
support learning and teaching throughout.
Ensure parental/guardian permission has been sought prior to any tasting activity and that you are aware of
existing food allergies and intolerances.
What is a pineapple?
• Give the children a quick pineapple quiz to see what they already know. Mark it together and talk about
the answers. (Pineapplequiz_7-11_Pineapples)
1. What is a pineapple?
a. A vegetable
b. A fruit
c. A tree
2. Why is a pineapple called a pineapple?
a. Because it grows on a pine tree
b. Because it tastes like an apple
c. Because it looks like a pine cone
3. What does the term ‘tropical fruit’ mean?
a. The fruit is hot and spicy
b. The fruit grows in the tropical
regions of the world
c. The fruit grows in a greenhouse
4. Which of the following are tropical fruits?
a. Apples
b. Pineapples
c. Cranberries
5. In which of these countries do pineapples grow?
a. France
b. Costa Rica
c. Russia
6. Where do pineapples grow?
a. On vines
b. On a tree
c. On a large herb
7. How many pineapples grow on a pineapple plant?
a. 1
b. About 10
c. 100 or more
8. Who is said to have introduced pineapples to Europe?
a. Christopher Columbus
b. Sir Francis Drake
c. Ferdinand Magellan
9. Which of these meats is often topped with slices of
pineapple?
a. Beef
b. Gammon
c. Chicken
10.
In what form do you often find pineapple in tins?
a. Rings
b. Chocolate coated
c. Whole
11.
Which of these cartoon characters is associated
with a pineapple?
a. Mickey Mouse
b. Bugs Bunny
c. Spongebob Squarepants
12.
What colour is a pineapple’s flesh?
a. Red
b. Yellow
c. White
2
• Inspect a pineapple. Ask the children to have a close look at one – its texture, appearance, size, weight, colour and
shape. Talk about the waxy, spiky top, with the grey-green, stiff bromeliad leaves or ‘crown’. Establish that
pineapples are the fruit of a plant from a family called bromeliads (members of the family Bromeliaceae). The
bromeliads are characterised by their thick, stiff outer leaves. Explain that pineapples don’t need much water to
grow, and one of the reasons for this is that water doesn’t evaporate easily through the thick, tough leaves – see
Photo Pack (Photo Pack_5-11_Pineapples). Have they seen/eaten pineapple before? Have they had other foods
and drinks containing pineapple? Together think of foods and drinks containing pineapple. Note the different ways
in which pineapple is sold (canned, dried, fresh, as juice).
• Explain that a pineapple is a tropical fruit, which is a fruit that grows in a very hot and wet climate. The tropics
are the areas either side of the equator where it is generally hot all the time and there are not four seasons
as we have in the UK. Instead they tend to have rainy and less rainy seasons. Use the map
(Pineapples World Map_5-11_Pineapples) to help pinpoint the tropics. Research other tropical fruits.
• Use the Pineapple Fact Cards (Pineapple Facts_7-11_Pineapples) to help the children learn a few interesting
facts about pineapples. You may wish to make multiple sets of cards and laminate them.
Suggestions for use include these:
• Fill a box (from a local supermarket/store) or container with Fact Cards. Ask each child to pick a random card
and share the facts with the rest of the class.
• Use the cards as a model to create your own Fact Cards. Find out some more interesting facts about pineapples
and share them with the class as above.
• Ask the children, in groups, to create a game of pineapple trivia using the cards. Create a box for the cards and a
set of rules.
• Alternatively, create a game of ‘Fact or Fiction’ in pairs. Each pair creates a numbered set of Fact or Fiction cards
(factual or fictitious statements about pineapples) and an answer sheet to check against. This works best with
at least 30 cards per set. They swap cards with another pair, and go head-to-head. The game begins with
shuffling the cards and placing them face down. The children take turns to pick a card and read out the
statement. If the other pair answer correctly whether the statement is fact or fiction, they keep the card. Guess
incorrectly and the card goes to the bottom of the pack. The first pair to collect ten cards wins the game.
• Ask the children, in groups, to create a game of ‘True or False?’ based on factual/fictitious information about
pineapples. Each group competes against another group.
• Split the set(s) of cards into piles. Ask the children, in groups, to read the different facts aloud to one another –
for example ‘Did you know that … ?’ Get them to prepare a presentation, project or display of the facts for the
rest of the class/group.
• Encourage the children to use the facts and further research to create a pineapple Fact File, or use their findings
as the basis for a mini-project on pineapples.
• The children could use the facts and further research as the basis for
writing/creating an A3 information sheet about pineapples.
Pineapples and nature
• Inspect a pineapple together. Ask the children to note the segmented
skin – what shape can they see? [hexagon] Explain that, although
we think of the pineapple as one large fruit, it is really a
collection of lots of small berries, each one the fruit of an
individual blossom positioned round a central core – hence
the multiple, hexagonal segments. Point out that there are
spirals of hexagons round the pineapple.
• You may like to ask the children to count and compare the
number of segments across a number of pineapples.
Encourage them to note how the hexagons connect to one
another (tessellation), and to think about where else they
may see hexagons in nature – examples are a
honeycomb, giraffe skin, tortoise shell and the Giant’s
Causeway (see Photo Pack_5-11_Pineapples).
Encourage them to use paper/ICT to create their own
tessellations.
3
• Tie this in with work on the properties of 2D and 3D shapes –
for example, hexagons and hexagonal prisms. Look for
patterns/shapes (the Fibonacci sequence – see below)
in other fruits and vegetables – for example, cut
across an apple and note the star shape inside, and
similarly cut across a melon/cucumber and other
fruits/vegetables. Extend this to look at nature as
a whole – for example, snowflakes, snail shells,
pine cones and seed heads.
• You can link this with work on understanding
the properties of 2D and 3D shapes. Ask the
children to create their own 3D pineapple using
the ‘net’ provided (3D Pineapple_711_Pineapples). See if they can create their own
nets, 3D fruits and 3D vegetables. You may
encourage them to base their designs on common
mathematical shapes, or others such as the truncated
tetrahedron or octahedron.
• Investigate the Fibonacci sequence in plants/nature. Explain
that the sequence was discovered by Leonardo Fibonacci, an Italian
mathematician, about 800 years ago. In it each number comes from adding the previous two together
– 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, 54, 87 and so on. Amazingly, plants follow the Fibonacci sequence (handy website link
www.popmath.org.uk/rpamaths/rpampages/sunflower.html).
• Ask the children to determine the next few numbers in the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, 54, 87 (tell them how
many numbers).
• In a small group, have a close look together at the skin of a pineapple. What do they notice about the hexagonal
segments/fruits? [tessellation, spiral pattern diagonally upwards] Ask the children to count the number of fruits/hexagons
in each spiral and discuss their findings. If necessary, point out that the spirals follow the Fibbonacci sequence. It may help
to give them sticky dots to put on each hexagon to help them keep count (or you may use the dots to demonstrate).
• Together investigate other plants and flowers in relation to the Fibonacci sequence (number of petals / seed heads etc.)
and discuss your findings.
Pineapples in art and architecture
• Use the painting showing John Rose, the royal gardener, presenting a pineapple (the first pineapple grown in
England) www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1139824 to King Charles II, by Hendrik Danckerts, as the basis
for this unit of work, and/or for further research. Pineapples were highly prized in the late 17th century. Ask the
children to create their own pineapple works of art (e.g. pineapple prints, observational drawing, watercolours,
collage and sculpture).
• Look together at a well-known folly, the Dunmore Pineapple in Falkirk, Scotland, and talk about what it was/is
used for and its significance:
• http://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/dunmore-pineapple-p254611
• http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/pineapple-10726/
• You may wish to research how to use pineapple leaves to make handmade paper. The children could undertake
this project with adult supervision.
• Together investigate the pineapple quilt pattern, its many variations and its significance (there are plenty of
examples on the internet). The children may use this to create their own pineapple quilt designs (collage, paper or
card shapes, printing, repeating pattern etc.).
• Investigate the social history and significance of the pineapple.
• Use the poster The History of Pineapples (B) (The History of Pineapples (B)_7-11_Pineapples) to provide a brief
outline of the history of pineapples.
• Ask the children to research other facts and create their own pineapple timeline for display.
• Alternatively, the children may create their own class potted history of pineapples.
4
Where do pineapples grow?
• Using the World Map Poster – Pineapples (World Map Poster – Pineapples_5-11_Pineapples), ask the children to
locate some of the countries where pineapples are grown. Get them to find the UK and name some of the other
countries too. You may provide each child/group with a copy of the map and/or a blank version of it. They may
copy/trace the map and/or research or add other countries/facts about those countries.
• Remind the children that pineapples are a tropical fruit and grow best in hot and wet climates. Pineapples are a fruit
native to South America. Encourage them to research other tropical fruits and where they are grown. Tell them that
pineapples tend not to be grown from seed but instead are propagated from plants – this means taking a cutting
from the parent plant and growing a new plant from that cutting (generally using the crown, the suckers, the ratoons
and the slips). It is for this reason that commercial pineapples rarely contain seeds – it is believed that the seeds spoil
the flavour of the fruit. In the wild, pineapples are pollinated by hummingbirds.
• Explain that commercial crops of pineapples are grown in Costa Rica, Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil and Mexico.
Pineapples also grow in the USA in Florida and Hawaii. See if the children can locate these places on the map.
Ask them to highlight their location in relation to the UK. Encourage them to find other foods/packaging from these
countries and use these to create a display.
• In order to provide more of a context for the Online Field Trip and help the children
to understand more about the Republic of Costa Rica, use the Republic of Costa
Rica Pictures (Republic of Costa Rica Pictures_5-7_Pineapples_Intro) and the
Republic of Costa Rica Poster as prompts to generate discussion about one of the
main places where pineapples are grown. Discuss what they already know about
the republic, and any other types of food associated with, produced or exported
from there (e.g. bananas, coffee).
• Encourage them to learn some Spanish. To help, display a few simple words and
phrases in Spanish:
•
•
•
•
•
•
piña – pineapple
trozos de piña – pineapple chunks
rodajas de piña – pineapple rings
¡hola! – Hello!
¡buenos días! – good morning!
¡buenas tardes! – good afternoon!
•
•
•
•
•
por favour – please
¡¡gracias! – thank you!
¿cómo estás – how are you?
sí- yes
no – no.
Grow your own pineapple
• Pineapples don’t need much water in order to grow. One of
the main reasons for this is that they have super-thick, tough
leaves, through which water doesn’t evaporate easily.
• Tell the children that it is possible to grow pineapples in the
UK. In fact, in the 18th century there was something of a
national obsession with them, and pineapples were grown in
hothouses and so-called ‘pineapple pits’.
• Try growing a class pineapple by cutting the top off one,
removing all the flesh (otherwise it may cause the plant to rot)
and putting it in a large pot and keep it in the classroom
window. It may take as long as two years for the plant to bear
fruit – and it may not bear fruit at all. There is plenty of
information about this online, for example:
• http://www.dole-plantation.com/Growing
• http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-a-Pineapple
5
From Farm to Fork
• The children should watch the pineapple Online Field Trip before undertaking this
activity. www.eathappyproject.com/resource-hub/online-field-trips
• Referring to the research and learning the children have already done by watching
the related videos on the Eat Happy website, discuss what they have learned
about how pineapples grow and how they get from the farm to the fork.
Suggested questions include these:
• Where in the world are pineapples commercially grown?
• How were pineapples brought to Europe?
• How do pineapples grow?
• What conditions do pineapples need to grow?
• How long does it take for the fruit to ripen?
• How are pineapples harvested?
• Why are pineapples good for you?
• How long does it take for the fruit to ripen?
• Why is it important that the pineapple is ripe?
• Use the text Get the Juice (B) (Get the Juice (B)_7-11_Pineapples) to test pineapple knowledge.
Share it as a whole-class text or read it together in groups. Use the accompanying questions
as an aid to discussion. Alternatively, ask the children to re-read the text and answer the
accompanying questions independently or in pairs, either by writing down the answers
based on the text, or by matching the correct answer to the corresponding question.
• Ask the children to create their own information sheet about pineapples.
• Establish a regular School Food Festival or Farmer’s Market. Tie this in with the notion
of Fairtrade and hold a Fairtrade week at school. Talk about Fair Trade standards and
why they exist. Encourage the children to bring in packaging from Fairtrade products.
Pineapple and 5 a Day
• The recommended amount of fruit per day is two portions (2 out of your 5 a day; the
rest are vegetables). What is recommended is also variety, so if you have two portions
of fruit, that should be two different kinds of fruit. Show the children what constitutes
one portion. Here are some examples:
• 12 chunks (sections of a pineapple ring) of fresh pineapple
• 1 glass (150 ml) of unsweetened pineapple juice (juice counts as a maximum of one
portion a day, even if you have more than one glass – this is because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and
vegetables)
• one fresh, medium apple
• one fresh, medium banana
• 2 kiwi fruit
• I handful of grapes
• half a fresh grapefruit
• 2 handfuls of blueberries.
• Fresh, frozen, canned (with no added sugar/syrup) and dried fruit all count.
• Talk about the notion of ‘5 a Day’ and generate discussion about the different fruits and vegetables eaten by the class.
• Look at an example of the Eatwell plate. If the children haven’t seen it before, explain that the plate includes the
different sorts of foods that make up a healthy, balanced diet and that it is divided into sections to show the best
proportions of each food group.
• Explain that pineapple is a source of vitamin C too. Vitamin C is essential for:
• healthy hair, skin, bones, cartilage, teeth and gums, and to keep our immune system strong (which helps prevent
infection)
• supporting iron absorption, which helps keep our blood in good condition
• normal energy and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Pineapple is also a source of manganese, which is required to protect cells and bones.
• Keep a class record of the different fruits eaten by class members each day.
6
Pineapple preparation
• Pineapple is quite tricky to prepare but delicious to eat!
• Watch the video ‘How to prepare pineapple’ (http://realfood.tesco.com/videos-and-tips/how-to-prepare-pineapple.html)
and/or read the set of instructions on how it’s done. (Prickly Pineapples_Pineapple Prep (A) 7-11)
• Ask the children to read and sequence the instructions in chronological order. Alternatively, ask them to make notes as
you demonstrate how to prepare a pineapple; they write a set of instructions to accompany your demonstration.
Cooking with pineapple
• Have fun baking a dish containing pineapple – for example, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
(http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/upside-down-pineapple-cake-drizzled-with-honey.html) in groups or as a class. Print the
accompanying stickers on to self-adhesive paper for all participants (Stickers and Certificates_5-11_Pineapples).
• Set the children the challenge of inventing a healthy pineapple recipe – the ones the class like the sound of most are
made in a cookery session. Award Pineapple Certificates (Pineapple Stickers and Certificates_5-11_Pineapples) for
the best ones.
• Together try different ways of using pineapples in recipes. Include sweet and savoury dishes. Compile a class collection
of pineapple recipes (from home / internet / video clip / supermarket recipe cards / recipe books).
• Ask the children to make or create a pineapple dish at home and draw / take photos of it to bring into school. Here are
a few suggestions from the Tesco realfood website:
• Fruit Kebabs with Yoghurt Honey: http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/fruit-kebabs-with-yoghurt-honey-dip.html
• Ham, Cheese and Pineapple Twirls: http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/ham-cheese-and-pineapple-twirls.html
• Fresh Fruit Salad with Coconut Flakes: http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/fresh-fruit-salad-with-coconut-flakes.html
• Caribbean Kebabs: http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/caribbean-kebabs.html
• There are other recipes available at: www.letsgetcooking.org.uk
Spoken
language
Mathematics
ENGLAND
SCOTLAND
WALES
NORTHERN IRELAND
Ask relevant questions to
extend their understanding
and knowledge.
Use relevant strategies to
build their vocabulary.
Participate in discussions,
presentations,
performances, role play,
improvisations and
debates.
Communicate clearly
when engaging with
others within and beyond
their place of learning,
using selected resources
as required; find, select,
sort and use information
for a specific purpose.
Experiencing and
responding to a variety of
stimuli and ideas;
communicating for a
range of purposes.
Describe and talk about
real experiences and
imaginary situations and
about people, places,
events and artefacts.
Visualise and describe 2D
and 3D shapes and the way
they behave, making more
precise use of geometrical
language, especially that of
triangles, quadrilaterals,
and prisms and pyramids of
various kinds; recognise
when shapes are identical.
Make and draw with
increasing accuracy 2D and
3D shapes and patterns.
Recognise reflective
symmetry in regular
polygons; recognise their
geometrical features and
properties including angles,
faces, pairs of parallel lines
and symmetry, and use
these to classify shapes and
solve problems.
Visualise 3D shapes from
2D drawings.
Having explored a range
of 3D objects and 2D
shapes, I can use
mathematical language
to describe their
properties, and through
investigation can discuss
where and why particular
shapes are used in the
environment.
Through practical
activities, I can show my
understanding of the
relationship between 3D
objects and their nets.
I can draw 2D shapes and
make representations of
3D objects using an
appropriate range of
methods and efficient
use of resources.
7
Construct a range of
regular and irregular 2D
shapes; classify these
through examination of
angles and sides;
recognise line and
rotational symmetry;
reflect shapes in a line;
explore tessellations.
Name and describe
common 2D shapes;
begin to understand
congruence in 2D
shapes.
Construct 3D shapes;
investigate the number
of faces, edges and
vertices on these shapes.
Name and describe
common 3D shapes;
explore the relationship
between 2D and 3D
shapes.
Design and
technology
Science
Geography
Understand seasonality,
and know where and how
a variety of ingredients are
grown, reared, caught and
processed.
Becoming aware of the
journeys which foods
make from source to
customer.
Understand the need for a
variety of foods and
exercise for human good
health.
Classify food by
commodity/group and
understand the
characteristics of a broad
range of ingredients,
including their nutritional,
functional and sensory
properties.
Look at a range of natural
and man-made objects,
exploring and
investigating the
characteristics of what is
seen by close observation,
touch and recording.
Discuss what has been
seen and handled.
Understand the benefits
of a healthy lifestyle,
including physical activity,
healthy eating, rest and
hygiene.
Understand the need for
food for activity and
growth, and the
importance of an adequate
and varied diet for health.
Describe the life process of
reproduction in some
plants and animals.
By investigating the life
cycles of plants and
animals, I can recognise
the different stages of
their development.
Prepare simple healthy
foods and drinks.
Becoming aware of the
journeys which foods
make from source to
customer.
Through fieldwork, study
the plants and animals
found in two contrasting
local environments – e.g.
identification, nutrition,
life cycles, place in
environment.
Classify food by
commodity/group and
understand the
characteristics of a broad
range of ingredients,
including their nutritional,
functional and sensory
properties.
Learn about the main
stages in the life cycle of
some living things, and
about plants and plant
growth.
Look at a range of natural
and man-made objects,
exploring and
investigating the
characteristics of what is
seen by close observation,
touch and recording.
Discuss what has been
seen and handled.
Locate the world’s
countries, using maps to
focus on Europe (including
the location of Russia) and
North and South America,
and concentrating on their
environmental regions, key
physical and human
characteristics, countries,
and major cities.
Human geography,
including types of
settlement and land use,
economic activity including
trade links, and the
distribution of natural
resources including energy,
food, minerals and water.
Explain how the physical
environment influences
the ways in which people
use land by comparing
my local area with a
contrasting area.
Describe, compare and
contrast places and
environments.
The world around us.
How place influences
the nature of life.
Ways in which people,
plants and animals
depend on the features
and materials in
places and how they
adapt to their
environment.
Features of, and
variations in, places,
including physical,
human, climatic,
vegetation and animal
life.
tesco.com/eathappyproject
8