Level 1
Match or indicate one familiar food.
2026–27 • Plants & seasons
Emergency Food and Plant Parts We Eat
Match familiar foods to roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds.
Classroom lesson: Emergency Food and Plant Parts We EatToday I can…
match a familiar food to a plant part
Words to know
Words for this lesson
ROOTSTEMLEAFFRUITSEED
Follow along
What we will do
- 1
Look at food
Choose a familiar food picture or model.
- 2
Find a part
Look for a root, stem, leaf, fruit or seed.
- 3
Match
Put the picture by its matching plant part, or point.
- 4
Choose safe food
Choose a familiar sealed food for the emergency plan.
- 5
Share
Show one plant part or one safe food rule.
Speech, sign, point, eye gaze, or AAC
Tell us what you need
ROOTLEAFFRUITSEEDWATCH
Teacher & para guideMaterials, learning objectives, access, and safety
Materials
- Food pictures or realistic models: carrot, celery stalk, spinach, apple, beans
- Labeled plant-part baskets or mats; plant diagram
- Sealed familiar emergency food examples, AAC and choice cards
Safety first
No tasting is required. Use models, pictures or sealed foods and follow allergy and feeding plans. Never taste unknown wild plants; identification and any tasting require qualified guidance and school/guardian permission. Adults check package labels and emergency-food suitability.
Follow each student's IEP, health, feeding, allergy, behavior, and mobility plans.
Individual learning objectives
Choose Level 1, 2 or 3 individually in either House group. A House is not an ability level. Watching, directing and communicating a boundary are valid participation.
Level 2
Sort familiar food examples by plant part with support.
Level 3
Classify plant parts and explain one safe emergency-food choice.
Skill focus: Plant-part identification, classification, safe food choices, functional communication
30-minute teaching sequence
Introduce · 5 min
5 minutes: Show familiar produce models. Ask which part we eat and connect food with energy.
I do · 10 min
10 minutes: Model each category. A carrot is a root, spinach a leaf, an apple a fruit and a bean a seed. Explain that the familiar edible celery stalk is a leaf stalk (petiole); use an asparagus spear for a true stem example.
We do · 10 min
10 minutes: Match foods to plant-part mats. Then choose familiar sealed shelf-stable examples and explain why unknown wild plants are not food for this activity.
Exit choice · 5 min
5 minutes: Match a food to a part or state one safety rule.
Science note: Not every plant part is edible. These examples do not teach wild-food identification.
Curriculum connection: NGSS LS1.A plant-structure connection.
Prepare for this learner
Select a level for each learner in either House group. Offer one-step cues, AAC, gaze, signs, speech or partner-assisted scanning. Use the learner’s established vision and access plan; high contrast is an option, not a universal CVI prescription. Respect refusal, watch-only and breaks.
Lower-staffing option: Use two food pictures and one shared sorting mat. No food preparation.
Record the response, access method, opportunities and support used. Record observed, declined or not assessed separately; a communicated refusal is not a failure of participation.
Word lesson plan
Editable classroom source plan. Source files may retain earlier titles. Use the individual level choices and safety guidance above when preparing the session.
Access supports
Communication Model five core words; accept speech, AAC, eye gaze, gestures, object choices, signs, and partner-assisted scanning.
Sensory Present one material at a time. Offer tools, gloves, observe-only, a scent-free choice, and a quiet break.
Motor Stabilize containers, pre-loosen parts, use adapted grips, and offer seated, standing, partner, or directing roles.
Learning Show the finished result, model first, use short visual steps, repeat, and record the least support needed.