Grades 3–8 (Kit)
Discover the crops that feed the world! This hands-on kit introduces students to grains and legumes that play an important role in global agriculture. By exploring barley, dent corn, popcorn, oats, rice, wheat, soybeans, lentils, and pinto beans, students gain insight into staple foods, plant diversity, and cultural connections.
Students create their own journals featuring important facts, descriptions, and real seed samples of these crops. Teachers can use this activity to expand knowledge of agriculture while connecting lessons to science, geography, and social studies.
Kit Contents
- Seed samples of barley, dent corn, popcorn, oats, rice, wheat, soybeans, lentils, and pinto beans
- Master copy of Grains & Legumes information cards
- Enough materials for a classroom of 30 students
Lesson Plans
Use this kit with lessons on world agriculture, plant science, and food systems from the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix. This activity pairs especially well with units exploring global food supply, crop production, and cultural diets.
Extend the Learning
Challenge students to research where each grain or legume is grown globally and plot their findings on a world map. Or, have them compare nutrition data for the crops studied and design a balanced meal using these ingredients.
Related Products
Deepen your students’ understanding of grains with these companion resources:
- Wheat Kernel Samples Kit – Explore the six classes of wheat grown in the U.S.
- Wheat Grinder Kit – Let students experience grinding wheat into flour.
- Grain Mill Kit – Demonstrate the milling process and compare textures.
