Name: Taylor Claypool

Title of Lesson: In A Nutshell

Grade Level(s): 4-9
Goal: Involve students in a hands-on activity to determine the percentage of usable and
unusable parts of a nut by weight.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to see if the amount of usable parts is less than, greater
than, or equal to the amount of unusable parts.
2. Students will be able to estimate what they think the weight of each part will be.
3. Students will be able to predict the outcomes for the other foods tested.
4. Students will be able to compare usable parts to unusable parts, and compare
the percentages of the different foods.
Standards/Assessment Anchors:
1. M7.A.2.2.3: Use proportions to determine if two quantities are equivalent.
2. 2.2.7.D. Estimate solutions of problems involving calculations with basic
operations of whole numbers, decimals, fractions, or mixed numbers and check
the reasonableness of those estimates.
3. S6.A.1.1.3: Predict the outcome of an experiment based on previously collected
data.
4. M3.A.1.1.3: Compare two whole numbers using greater than (>), less than (<) or
equal to (=).
Practice Standards:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.

Common Core:
1. CC.2.4.3.A.1 Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of mass.
2. CC.2.4.3.A.4 Represent and interpret data using tally charts, tables, pictographs,
line plots, and bar graphs.

PA Standards:

1. 2.3.5.B. Select and use appropriate instruments and units for measuring
quantities to a specified level of accuracy.
2. 2.3.8.F. Estimate and verify measurements of mass.
Formative Assessment:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Ask students which is smaller or larger and have them answer to you.
Have students write down their estimates on the worksheet.
Ask the class how they think the foods will differ from each other.
Have the students fill out the chart on their worksheet and ask them questions
about which percentages are higher and lower.

Rationale: This lesson allows the students to see that not all parts of every food are
usable, and see how much of some foods are wasted. They can compare their data of
different foods to make predictions about other foods they eat.
Content Knowledge: Students will be able to make connections from what they
learned to other foods that they and their families eat. They will learn that almost every
food we eat has parts that are usable and unusable.
Procedures:
Lesson Beginning:

Ask students to give me examples of foods they know have usable and
unusable parts; Can you guys give me some examples of foods that have
parts that you cant eat?
Introduce what we will doing in todays lesson; We are going to look at
two different nuts and compare the percentage of edible parts and parts
you cant eat.
Pass out the materials and the worksheet to the students.

Lesson Development:

Allow students to investigate with the first nut (peanuts)

Dont forget to subtract the weight of the container from the total to get the
weight of the food parts
Have the students fill out the worksheet with the information they collect
The students will investigate the second nut (pistachios)
Dont forget to subtract the weight of the container from the total to get the
weight of the food parts
Have the students fill out the worksheet with the information they collect
While the students are investigating, go around to the different groups and
ask questions; Why do you remove the shells before you eat nuts?; Is

there more edible food or waste?; Compare edible parts to waste.

Would it be worth the money to buy this food?; Why or why not?
Lesson Ending:

Talk about how this technique can be used with different foods that have
parts you cant eat
Pass out the fruit to each group and have them repeat the process they
used with the nuts
Dont forget to subtract the weight of the container from the total to get the
weight of the food parts
Students can eat anything from the edible food section after the lesson
finishes up

Materials (per group):

Peanuts
Pistachios
Paper plate
Worksheets
Weight balance
Clementine (cuties)
Pen or pencil

Mode: students will work in groups of 4-5, each group at a different table
Special Adaptations: back up foods available for those with a nut allergy
Anticipated Difficulties: students get inaccurate weights for the parts of their foods
References:

Pennsylvania Department of Education: Standards Aligned System.

http://www.pdesas.org/

Reflection: