Colors for Lunch!

1. Introduce the lesson by reading "Lunch" by Denise Fleming to the class.
2. Create a display of colorful fruits and vegetables, preferably enough that every child can hold and examine at least one item. Allow time for them to do so, asking them to describe the colors they see and the textures they feel. Invite them to compare one with another. Are several items red? Which one is redder? Which is the reddest?
3. Provide each child with a large sheet of white construction paper and an assortment of Crayola® Ultra-Clean Washable Markers. Invite them to draw a large picture of one fruit or vegetable. Point out that most fruits and vegetables are not one solid color but a mixture of several. Suggest that they use several colors to create their pictures. Show them how to create textures such as the skin of an orange by making many tiny dots with a marker.
4. If time permits, demonstrate how to blend colors by wiping a damp paper towel across a portion of the drawing.
5. When the drawings are complete, talk briefly with students about the texture of many vegetables. Are they rough or smooth? Which are rough to the touch? Which are smooth? Use the classroom vegetable display to assist with student responses if needed. Show the children how to tear the shape of the fruit or vegetable away from the background, creating a rough texture. (If paper is wet, wait until it is dry before tearing.) If their vegetables are smooth to the touch (such as a pepper), provide blunt tip scissors for cutting.
6. Once a collection of paper fruits and vegetables has been created, ask the children to place their creations on a table in the classroom. Invite them to take turns selecting three or four items to put on a paper lunch plate. Discuss their choices. Do most include a variety of different colors? Create a plateful of similarly colored items - green peas, asparagus, broccoli, and string beans, for example. Which plate would they rather have for lunch - this one or a more colorful one? Why? Explain that a variety of colors is not only more appealing, it is also a healthier choice since different colors are an indication of different nutritional values.

LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

LA: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

MATH: Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference.

SCI: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

VA: Explore the world using descriptive and expressive words and art-making.

VA: Distinguish between images and real objects.

VA: Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.