Growing, Cooking, and Food

Overview

Today students investigate how plants in their own garden become food for animals (including chickens) and people. They will sequence the steps from growing and harvesting to cooking, linking this to simple food chains and basic science ideas about living things.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe how plants (such as spinach, silverbeet, lettuce, onions, potatoes, oranges, apples, and lemons) can become food for living things.
• WALT explain the role of producers and consumers in a simple food chain connected to a garden and chickens.
• WALT observe and record what happens when we prepare garden food to eat (safe handling, changes we can see).
• WALT ask questions and use observations to share ideas about how food systems work.

Success criteria

• I can identify at least one producer and one consumer in a garden/chicken food chain.
• I can sequence “grow → harvest → prepare/cook → eat” for one food item.
• I can make careful observations and record them clearly (what I saw, what I changed).
• I can use simple scientific language (grow, harvest, food chain, producer, consumer, safe).

Curriculum links

• Te Whāriki: Exploration and investigation through observation and making sense of the natural world (living things and their needs).
• Te Whāriki: Natural materials and processes (food from plants; noticing changes when preparing food safely).
• Te Whāriki: Sustainability (using local resources responsibly; linking garden growing to feeding living things).
• Te Whāriki: Communication (talking, representing, and sharing findings in a science-focused way).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 4 Hook: “From garden to chook” Display the garden-to-chicken starter slides and ask: “Where does a chicken’s food come from?” Show a visual idea of a garden plant and a chicken plate connection. Invite the student to name foods from the garden list (spinach, silverbeet, lettuce, onions, spring onions, lemons, oranges, apples, potatoes, parsley).

2. 6 Teach: producers, consumers, and simple chains Use the garden-to-chicken starter slides to explain that plants make their own food and are producers; animals that eat plants are consumers. Model one example food chain using garden items and chickens (e.g., lettuce/spinach → chicken → eggs). Ask the student to suggest one plant and one animal link.

3. 6 Hands-on planning: sequence the food journey Give the student time to complete the first part of the garden food and food-chain worksheet: “Grow → Harvest → Prepare/Cook → Eat” using at least two garden foods. Prompt: “What would we do first? What do we do safely before eating?”

4. 6 Sorting/discussion: match “producer vs consumer” Use the producer-consumer label cards for quick matching. Ask: “Which ones are producers (plants)?” and “Which are consumers (animals/people)?” Keep it to the items the student knows from the garden and include the chicken as the consumer.

5. 6 Small cooking observation (no heat if needed) If possible, do a safe, short preparation step (e.g., wash and tear lettuce; peel an apple; cut only if teacher-safe support is provided). The student records on the garden food and food-chain worksheet: “Before: whole/clean,” “After: cut/washed/changed,” and one observation about texture/colour/smell. Tie back: “This food is ready because we prepared it.”

6. 2 Plenary: explain and reflect Revisit the garden-to-chicken starter slides final question: “What role do plants play in feeding chickens and people?” Ask the student to give a one-sentence explanation using “producer/consumer” (or an equivalent simple phrase if they need support).

Resources

• the garden-to-chicken starter slides (one deck used for hook, teaching, and plenary prompts)
• the garden food and food-chain worksheet (sequence + observation + short answer)
• the producer-consumer label cards (producer vs consumer matching)
• Garden produce items (e.g., spinach, silverbeet, lettuce, onions, potatoes, apples, oranges, lemons)
• Chosen safe preparation items (bowl of clean water, colander/strainer, cloth towels)
• Safe handling items (snack gloves optional, tongs, clean chopping board)
• Handwashing station access (soap and water)
• Labels or a simple board for “Grow → Harvest → Prepare/Cook → Eat”
• Apron/safety eyewear for teacher if any cutting is done

Assessment

• Check the food-chain understanding: student correctly identifies producers (plants) and consumers (chickens/people) using the producer-consumer label cards.
• Review the worksheet for accurate sequencing and at least one clear observation from preparation.
• Listen for scientific communication in the plenary: a simple explanation linking plants to feeding living things.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a picture word bank on the garden food and food-chain worksheet (grow, harvest, wash, prepare, cook, eat) and allow pointing/naming instead of full sentences.
• Support: model the producer/consumer terms and accept “plant = makes food; animal = eats food” if needed.
• Extension: add a “What else needs to grow?” prompt (sunlight, water, soil) and ask how that links to getting food for chickens.
• EAL/SEN: use visuals from the garden-to-chicken starter slides and allow response with sentence starters or single-word answers.