Oranges: A Taste of California Sunshine

• In this hands-on lesson, students will read, observe and taste-test navel oranges, attempt to locate their orange among others after careful observation, and write descriptive paragraphs.
• Students will also learn about Eliza Tibbets and the history and importance of California's navel orange industry.
  

Positives

• The step-by-step directions provide all of the information needed to walk through this lesson, including learning objectives, vocabulary terms, reproducibles, assessment questions, and additional resources.
• This lesson includes printable materials that are colorful, engaging, and provide supports to help aid comprehension of the material.

Additional Prerequisites

• This lesson includes a somewhat lengthy materials list, so be sure to prepare ahead of time.
• Teachers will need to bring enough oranges for each student or pair, referring to the "Selecting Oranges" section for tips on choosing the best fruits for this lesson.

 Differentiation

• Since this lesson includes a writing task, consider providing writing supports might be most appropriate for your students, such as a checklist, writing rubric, or a writing graphic organizer.
• As extension activities, refer to the suggestions in the lesson plan, such as conducting comparison tasting or having students research how drought and climate change may impact California's citrus industry. 
• If time allows, consider having students cut out the "What Makes It Unique?" handout ahead of time to avoid disrupting the flow of the lesson.
• Before students write descriptors on their "What Makes It Unique?" cubes, brainstorm examples of words or pictures that they might use to describe the unique characteristics of their oranges.
• Other activities that might supplement this lesson include these enrichment activities and these posters about other California-grown fruits and vegetables. 

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.