Stems for Third Graders

Do we know how many stems do we actually eat in our daily diet? I myself never gave it a thought till my third graders asked me this question. Like any good teacher I had to tell them that I’ll look into it before I say anything. This time I did my homework and came up with loads of information. Now all I had to do was compile it in such a way that a child can understand.

I worked my way from thick outside of the stem towards the tender inside. I categorized those giving examples. Here’s what I told them.

1. The bark, as in Cinnamon stick
2. The whole stem, as in Sugarcane
3. The stalk, as in Celery
4. The petiolated leaves, which are leaves that wholly or partially surround the stems, hence consumed together, as in Lettuce.
5. The hollow stem, as in Green Onion or Scallions
6. Modified Plant Stems, as in Potatoes, which although are grown underground and usually categorized under Roots, are essentially stems too which generates further roots and stems since it reproduces by itself.

I sure hope I not only covered all the aspects of stems but also didn’t confuse their minds for life. Thankfully I got lots of questions which is a good sign of their attentiveness and eagerness to know more. The best response was when towards the end of the session, they wanted to taste each sample I had shown them. By the time I came back home, my bag of goodies was empty. I had never seen celery and lettuce bunches vanish so fast. Their parents would be so proud.