Arizona Grown Specialty Crop Lesson Plan

LEVEL: Grades 4-6 Which Came U SUBJECTS: Health: Nutrition, Life First the Science, Social Studies

Chicken or AZ ACADEMIC STANDARDS: 1CH-R1, 1CH-R7, the Egg? LS-R5

MATERIALS mayonnaise, salt, pickle relish, BRIEF DESCRIPTION Copy for each student: bread or crackers and paper Student nutrition is a Food Taster Notebook plates. national concern and this Observation Sheet and is a timely lesson to Student Self Evaluation VOCABULARY introduce students to the Sheet Arizona Grown egg, porous, shell, value, reliability and convenience of eggs for Fresh Uncooked Eggs; the membrane, albumen, egg white, quantity of eggs needed a healthy meal or snack. nutrition, yolk, fried, boiled, Students will learn will depend on whether healthy, cook you demonstrate with one shopping tips when buying eggs, along with egg or allow older students RELATED LESSONS methods for cooking to work individually or in Can You Walk on Eggs? them. From Christopher groups. The amount of The Day an Egg Solved the Columbus to the egg eggs cooked in the various Mystery of the Cell. today eggs have been demonstrations will an important part of good health and nutrition influence how many eggs SUPPORTING INFORMATION for people around the are needed. Figure one Which comes first, the chicken or egg per student when world. They are a great the egg? This question has choice to maintain good preparing scrambled eggs intrigued adults and children and/or boiling eggs for egg health. The American probably since recorded history Heart Association says salad. (Suggestion: Have began. It’s one of those mind- an egg a day is a good eggs boiled before class bending questions, that, if we had thing; no more concerns so they are cool for a definite answer it wouldn’t make about cholesterol. The peeling.) any difference; but it’s fun to Arizona Grown egg can Latex gloves, paper towels debate the question. become our symbol for good nutrition. as needed. What is the answer? Well, since Small pans or trays for both the birds and the eggs came OBJECTIVES dissecting eggs, quantity before man, historians weren’t will depend on whether • For students to around to record the answer. So, become aware of eggs students work whichever answer you like, it’s as an excellent nutritious independently or in groups. okay. food choice. Craft sticks to assist with The fact is that a chicken can’t be • For students to learn the dissection. born without a chicken egg and a how eggs can be easily For the cooking chicken egg can’t be laid without prepared for a meal or experiences you need: a chicken. It’s also a fact that both snack. An electric fry pan, a chickens and eggs are important ESTIMATED portable electric burner, a in the human diet. pan large enough to boil TEACHING TIME: People have collected and eaten Introduction: 30-55 eggs, water to cover the eggs for thousands of years. eggs for boiling, non stick minutes. Begin the cook- Chickens have been important in ing demonstration. spray for the pan or butter, America since ancient times, but Follow-up discussion/ a spatula, a cooking scientists say they weren’t the enjoying the results: spoon, forks for smashing same kinds of chickens that lay 30-55 minutes our eggs today. Historians believe that Christopher Columbus What is the answer? Present WILL STAY GOOD FOR brought the birds related to the history of chickens and ABOUT A WEEK. today’s chicken to America in eggs (Supporting Information) Make egg salad and/or 1493. On Columbus’ second and therein lies the answer. scramble eggs, serve and trip to the New World he (students can read sections enjoy. Encourage students to brought along crates of outloud.) talk with their parents to chickens. The captain’s log Re-ask: so which comes first, include eggs in their snacks. says the chickens produced the chicken or the egg? Complete the Observation eggs and meat for the sailors. Students should document Sheets. Remember on their first trip and defend their own opinion many men died from on the Food Taster Notebook EVALUATION OPTIONS starvation, so the second trip Observation Sheet. 1. Teacher evaluation of Food they were better prepared. Transition from the question Taster Notebook Observation Apparently they still had to a proven point: eggs are an Sheet & Questions. some chickens left when they extremely important item in 2. Student self-evaluation landed and those chickens the American diet. (see rubric. escaped....or, so the story is Supporting Information). told. On the Food Taster Notebook EXTENSIONS AND Observation Sheet students VARIATIONS GETTING STARTED should use the diagram as a Read & enjoy Dr. Seuss’ This is consumer protection guide and follow along as you Green Eggs & Ham. If you information: Students may be are demonstrating the parts have a class where nobody handling raw fresh eggs so of the egg. An alternative would be offended by eating you may want to provide latex would be for the students to ham, then it could be gloves. Occasionally a dissect an egg in groups or appropriate to add some student may have an allergy individually. (allow 10-15 chopped ham to the to eggs, if so, that student minutes extra time). scrambled eggs. should only observe. When Utilize the Supporting finished, everyone handling Information with the RESOURCES eggs should wash their hands dissections or Education sites include: with soap and water. Be sure demonstrations. the University of Illinois that all eggs are kept in a Clean up and wash hands. Extension Program refrigerator or ice chest Session 2. www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/eggs before use. Transition from exploring the Education World. Their parts of an egg to discussing lesson planning includes PROCEDURES the VALUE of eggs in our Why all the EGGS-citement Session 1. diet. From Supporting about eggs? An eggs-plosion Introduce the question. Which Information share the of across-the curriculum egg- comes first, the chicken or nutritional value of eggs. tivities for all grades. the egg? Then how students can www.education-world.com (use Supporting Information) include eggs in their meal Resources for information Discussion point: ask planning and snacks. about consumer safety, egg students to speculate on this Demonstrate how eggs are production, safety and question. Lead them in fried, scrambled and boiled. business include: developing other questions During this demonstration the Presidents Council on Food that would give them more students should be listening Safety-Egg Safety information. Perhaps one to the recipe (directions) and Educating individuals group of students can debate writing them on their Food throughout the production to another group, (alternating to Taster Notebook Observation consumption continuum. present opposing opinions) Sheet. (Even if the hard- www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/ceg the remaining students would boiled eggs have been gs need to listen closely to prepared in advance it will be United States Department of determine who presented the beneficial to demonstrate how Agriculture www.usda.gov/ most convincing answer. Do eggs are boiled, length of Two of the more they agree or disagree? Why time, etc.) IT IS IMPORTANT comprehensive egg industry or why not? This should be a FOR STUDENTS TO information sources are: fun experience, don’t let it get UNDERSTAND THAT HARD Egg Nutrition Center out of hand. BOILED EGGS MUST ALSO A center of research, safety, BE STORED IN THE business, marketing for the REFRIGERATOR; THEY egg industry and the consumer. www.enc-online.org/ American Egg Board, the Incredible Edible Egg Website 1460 Renaissance Dr, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 (847) 296-7043 www.aeb.org/ In Arizona be sure to check these websites: Arizona Department of Agriculture - ARIZONA GROWN Program, 1688 West Adams, Phoenix AZ 85007 (602) 542-4373 www.agriculture.state.az.us/ Hickman’s Egg Ranch Their website has some interactive kid activities. Arizona can be proud of this homegrown business. www.hickmanseggs.com/

CREDITS All of the websites listed above were helpful in the development of this unit, especially the Egg Nutrition center. I thank Henrietta, a stray chicken that has lived several years on our school campus for the pleasure she gives us. It’s also important to the universe to acknowledge my own flock of chickens that faithfully produce 18 or so beautiful brown and blue eggs every day.

EDUCATORS’ NOTES

CURRICULUM DESIGN Anita R. Easley 6th Grade Teacher Gilbert Elementary School Gilbert, Arizona

This Arizona Grown Specialty Crop Lesson Plan was paid for by a grant from the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Office of Marketing and Outreach.