Fall Favorites: Apples, Wild Rice and Squash Focus Area

Fall is in the air as we enjoy the fruits of farmers' labor. Pumpkin patches and apple orchards are in full swing as many gear up to celebrate with the season and the brisk cold slowly coming to Minnesota. As we join in the celebration, we focus on learning more about Fall Favorites: Apples, Squash and Wild Rice.

Grade-Specific Lesson Plans

We have curated a list of grade-specific, standards-based curricular resources featuring apples, squash and wild rice. Check them out below for a sneak peek into these turk-key resources. 

Storing Winter Squash (Grades K-2)

Students explore a variety of vegetables that can be stored through the colder months, including roots, alliums, cole crops, and winter squash, and compare and contrast how families store food now with how they stored food long ago.

Wild Rice (Grades 3-5)

Students explore the life cycle of wild rice, compare the steps of the traditional Native wild rice harvest with cultivated wild rice harvest, and create their own wild rice bowls.

Apple Genetics: A Tasty Phenomenon (Grades 6-8)

Using the context of apples, students will apply their knowledge of heredity and genetics to distinguish between sexual and asexual reproduction as they explain how new varieties of apples are developed and then propagated to meet consumer demand for a tasty, uniform, consistent product.

Apples and the Science of Genetic Selection (Grades 9-12)

Students will distinguish between natural and artificial selection and use a student-centered learning activity to see how science and genetics have been used to artificially select apples for specific traits like color, texture, taste, and crispness.

AgMag Fall Favorites: Apples, Wild Rice and Squash Focus Area Connections

Looking for more ways to incorporate fall favorites into your classroom? Look no further than our own AgMag website.

• Minnesota State Agriculture (AgMag K)

• Grown in Minnesota (AgMag 1)

• The Tools We Use - Wild Rice (AgMag 2)

• Sharing Culture Through Food (AgMag 6)

Minnesota Harvest of the Month

Harvest of the Month is a farm to school program that provides ready-to-use materials for the classroom, cafeteria and community to promote local, seasonal foods. Check out these videos featuring Minnesota students.