Class: Agricultural Sciences

Area: Food, Products, and Processing

Job: Fruits Capstone
Time: 5, 50 minute periods
Instructions to the Teacher:
Normal text is instructions to the teacher; italicized words are suggested script.
Teacher will have give the students two minutes to write down every fruit they have ever eaten.
Teacher will challenge a student to find a fruit they have never tried: making sure that two students do not
choose the same fruit. This is more of a group discussion with a scribe and researcher if needed.
After fruits are assigned, students begin finding nutritional information for poster and a healthy recipe
containing the fruit of choice.
A second day will be used to finish finding information and beginning posters. Recipes will be turned in, so the
instructor can make sure all the ingredients can be found in area.
The third day will be used to finish the poster and go over kitchen guidelines and terms on recipes if there is
confusion. Some students may need to begin cooking during this period.
The fourth period will be used strictly in the kitchen. Students will complete their recipes and store properly for
serving.
The fifth day will be for presenting of the posters and fruit preparations. An extra day may be needed to finish
the presentations and tasting.
Learning Standards:

PPS.02.01

Understand nutrition and food pyramid

Identify food groups and importance of
FPPS.02.01.a
nutrition
FPPS.02.01.b Determine impact of food groups on nutrition
FPPS.02.01.c Describe a balanced nutritional plan
Make recommendations to improve a diet or
FPPS.02.01.d
dietary deficiency

Goals and Objectives:

By the end of this lesson the learner will
I can identify the significant nutrients that are in my selected fruit.
I can compose a nutritional dish with my fruit incorporated.
Outcomes of this Lesson:
Students can use the information used in class and research to find meaning in using fruits in a meal and in a
persons diet. They will have the opportunity to educate the class about their fruit and prepare their classmates
a dish with the fruit incorporated.
Materials:
Kitchen and Prep Room
Computers and Internet Access for Research
Notes from Fruits Unit
Resources:
Students will find their own for content
Poster Boards for facts about fruit
Kitchen and tools to help students prepare their dish
Terms to Know:
Nutrients: Lipid, Carb, Protein, Vitamins, Minerals
Preparation Terms: Temperature, Sautee, Dice, Blend, Etc.
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Background Information:
Model Recipe:

Ingredients
1 1/2 piece watermelon, peeled, deseeded
1 cup walnut halves
7 oz greek style feta cheese
1 cup loosely packed fresh continental parsley leaves
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked, large leaves torn
2 spring onion bulbs, roots trimmed, thinly sliced crossways

lemon dressing
1/4 cuplight olive oil
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tsp brown sugar
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Use a sharp knife to cut the watermelon
crossways into 1 inch square thick slices about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut each slice into inch wide wedges. Place in a large bowl and set aside
until required.
Spread walnuts evenly over a baking tray and cook in preheated oven for
5 minutes or until toasted. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the lemon dressing, use a fork to whisk together the
oil, lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl until well combined.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Cut the feta in half horizontally. Cut crossways into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Add to the watermelon.
To serve, add the toasted walnuts, parsley, mint and spring onions to the
bowl of watermelon and feta.
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Drizzle with the lemon dressing and gently toss until well coated. Divide the
salad evenly among serving plates and serve immediately.

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Page 4

From National Geographic

1. It soothes sore muscles.
According to a new study in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry,
drinking watermelon juice before a hard workout helped reduce athletes'
heart rate and next-day muscle soreness. That's because watermelon is
rich in an amino acid called L-citrulline, which the body converts to Larginine, an essential amino acid that helps relax blood vessels and improve
circulation.
The study's seven participants, all men, were given 17 ounces (500 mL) of
either natural watermelon juice, watermelon juice enriched with additional
citrulline, or a placebo drink an hour before their workouts. Interestingly, the
natural juice was just as effective as the enriched juice. The researchers
also determined that intestinal cells can absorb more citrulline from
watermelon juice than from citrulline supplements, especially when the juice
is unpasteurized.
2. It helps heart health.
Postmenopausal women experienced improved cardiovascular health after
six weeks of taking commercially available watermelon extract supplements
containing citrulline and arginine, according to a study published earlier this
year by Florida State University physiologist Arturo Figueroa.
And in a 2012 studyalso led by Figueroasuch supplements helped
alleviate high blood pressure in obese, middle-aged adults. (Not
surprisingly, he's received two grants from the Watermelon Promotion
Board.)
3. It's rich in vitamins and minerals, but low in calories.
Given its name, you might assume the fruit has little nutritional valueand it
is more than 90 percent water. But a 10-ounce (300-mL) wedge of
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watermelon packs in about one-third of the recommended daily value of

vitamins A and C, as well as a modest amount of potassium (9 percent of
the daily value).
(Watch: Cranberry Harvest)
4. It could even combat cancer.
Watermelon is among the best dietary sources of lycopene, an antioxidant
linked to both the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, although
scientists are still investigating the details of that connection.

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Engage:

What are students doing?

Students are writing down every fruit they
have ever eaten in their whole lives in two
minutes.

The Instructional Plan

What am I doing?
I am timing them and encouraging them to
write down as many as possible.

What data can I collect?

Which fruits students like and are exposed
to. This will help me in challenging their
fruit choice.

Explore:

Student will pick a fruit that they have not

eaten before (no two students will have the
same fruit) and begin exploring nutritional
facts about the fruit. They then will find a
healthy recipe that incorporates their fruit.

I am circulating through the students and

helping them find sources in about their fruit.
I will also be seeing if we could find the
supplies needed to make their recipes.

How students relate to fruits and how they

can relate it to their own lives.

Explain:

Each student will have the opportunity to

present their poster and share their recipe
and food with the class.

I will be using my rubric to make sure that the

students found important nutrients about the
fruit and that the recipe reflects the
healthiness of the fruit itself.

I am collecting if the students can find

information, execute a recipe, and find
relevance to their own lives. They will also
get to try a new fruit!

Elaborate:

Evaluate:

Students will be evaluated by the rubric

attached on their nutritional poster, recipe,
and fruit preparation.

Essential Questions:
Be sure your students can answer these questions at the end of the lesson:
Which fruits can I incorporate in my diet everyday?

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Extend:

Sharing recipes with each other to add variety to our fruit intake.

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