Time: 30 minutes
Big Idea: Discover how agriculture plays a role in making sandwiches. Identify which parts of plants make up our sandwich ingredients and deepen the understanding of how plants grow and provide our food.
What You’ll Need:
- Bread (wheat product — made from seeds)
- Lettuce leaves (leaf vegetable)
- Tomato slices (fruit)
- Cucumber slices or pickles (fruit from a plant)
- Cheese (optional — from dairy cows)
- Deli meat, peanut butter, or another protein option (optional — from livestock or plants)
- Knife (adult use only)
- Cutting board
- Plate
Part 1: Breaking Down the Plant
Use a plant parts diagram (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds). Walk through each plant part and match it to your sandwich ingredients.
- Seeds: Bread is made from wheat seeds that are harvested, milled into flour, and baked into bread.
- Leaves: Lettuce leaves add crunch and freshness.
- Fruit: Tomatoes and cucumbers are both fruits because they contain seeds.
- Roots: Optional — you could add shredded carrots for extra crunch, which are roots.
- Animal Products: Cheese comes from milk, which comes from dairy cows, and meats come from animals raised on farms.
Part 2: Build the Sandwich
- Wash all fresh vegetables.
- Adults should slice tomatoes, cucumbers, or any other toppings.
- Lay out your bread slices.
- Add a layer of lettuce leaves.
- Place tomato slices and cucumbers on top.
- Add cheese, meat, or another protein if desired.
- Top with your second bread slice.
Part 3: Fun Activity — “Plant Part Match-Up”
Before eating, have the kids sort the sandwich ingredients into a chart:
- Roots
- Stems
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Seeds
- Animal Products
You can do this by drawing the chart on paper or making a simple one with sticky notes.
Part 4: Taste and Discuss
- Which plant part in your sandwich has the crunchiest texture?
- Which is the juiciest?
- Why is it important to eat a variety of plant parts?
Can you think of other plant parts you could add to a sandwich?
