MODULE

From Farm
to Table
“My grandfather used to say that once
in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer,
a policeman . . . but every day, three
times a day, you need a farmer.”
— Brenda Schoepp

270
 Essential Question

How does food

get to your table?

Video
271
Knowledge
Map

Greenhouses

Sources of
Food

Farmland

272
Gardens

Orchards

Animals

273
agriculture Agriculture
is the practice of farming,
Short
producing crops, and Short
Read
raising animals.
Read
nutrition Nutrition is

o m G re at Pa re n t s !
s f r
the process of eating the
right kinds of foods to be
healthy.
reap When you reap a Gre at Id e a Needs a Green
house
lementary
crop, you cut and gather Washington E
supplies, new spor ts
what you need from it.
ho ol bu dg et . N ew
tilling If you are
ways to spend our sc one project should ta
ke
tilling the land, you are It’s easy to think of ld be gr ea t. H ow ev er ,
gym—all these wou
1
preparing the soil for
farming and raising crops. equipment, a bigger
priority: a school gr
eenhouse.
st ea d of a ne w gy m? Is she serious?”
nhouse in
ag in e m an y of yo u are saying, “A gree e. If yo u ask me, more plan
ts are
I im ue take on th is is su
I have my own uniq
2
plants
As a farmer, I admit , an d I’ve se en fir st hand how growing
myNotes But I’m also a parent
always a good thing.
learn
helps kids grow, too. ou t sc ie nc e. W he n kids garden, they
to learn ab
Fi rs t, ag ric ul tu re is a fantastic way . Th ey le ar n ho w se eds store energy.
ants grow
s, and water help pl
3

how su nl ig ht , nu tr ie nt
A gr ee nh ou se is lik e a giant, hands-on
t pests.
ts fight back agains ience teachers can
They learn how plan by doing an d ob se rv in g. Sc
e ex pe rim en t. Ou r children can learn .
scienc
ar ni ng to th ei r classroom curriculum can
connect this hands-
on le
ol gr ee nh ou se : fo od! Teachers and kids
ild a scho
Th er e’s a se co nd great reason to bu go od nu tr iti on to our children’s diet. I
ay to add
bles. What a great w tilling
4

grow de lic io us ve ge ta
es th ey re ap th em selves, after carefully
tabl
ore likely to eat vege eggplant a tr y after
guarantee kids are m My son ev en ag re ed to gi ve
pl an tin g se ed s, an d watering sprouts. e it? No, but he learned a
lot.)
soil, mm er. (D id he lik
it on our farm last su t given our climate,
crops
he helped me grow ge ta bl e ga rd en , bu
small ve n
I’m aw ar e ou r school already has a ou se ha s a co nt ro lled climate, kids ca
the greenh
w months. Because offers
5

can on ly grow fo r a fe
th th e ga rd en an d in the greenhouse
g in bo
! In addition, plantin ons. That will make
garden all year long contra st gr ow in g co nd iti
va lu ab le op po rt un ities to compare and
kids
all!
little farmers of them om a gr ee nhouse. I hope I’ve
many re w ar ds fr
Our children can reap he ad . If so , pl ea se cast your vote for
g that idea in your
6

succeeded in plantin eeting.

ee nh ou se at ou r ne xt school budget m
a new gr
Sincerely,
rent
Margareta Flores, Pa

274
 myNotes

A greenhouse like the ones

shown here would be a
welcome addition to Wash
ington Elementary.

Ambrose Hill School in ou

r neighboring town already
has a greenhouse. The stu
dents love it!

275
 my Notes

Notice &
Note
3 Big Questions

Prepare to Read
GENRE STUDY Informational texts give facts and
examples about a topic.
• Authors of informational texts may organize their
ideas using headings and subheadings.
• Authors of informational texts may organize their
ideas by central ideas. Each central idea is supported
by key details.
• Informational texts include visuals, such as charts,
diagrams, graphs, timelines, and maps.
• Social studies texts include words that are specific to
the topic.

SET A PURPOSE Think about the title and the genre

of this text. What do you think you are going to learn from
this text? Write your ideas below.
CRITICAL
VOCABULARY
stalk

dairy

curds

tingly
Meet the Author and Illustrator:
Chris Butterworth and Lucia Gaggiotti scarlet

grove

276
 myNotes

by Chris Butterworth
illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti

277
 myNotes

1 ONE of the best parts of

the day is when you lift the
lid of your lunchbox
to see what’s inside.
Your parents have packed
it with lots of tasty things
to eat. They probably
got all the food from
a grocery store—but food
doesn’t grow in stores!

278
 myNotes

2 So where did it
come from before it
was in the store?

3 Just how DID all

this food get in
your lunchbox?

279
 myNotes

HOW DID THE BREAD IN YOUR

SANDWICH GET IN YOUR LUNCHBOX?
4 A farmer planted seeds in spring,
and by summer they’d grown into tall,
waving wheat with fat, ripe grains at
the tip of every stalk.

5 The farmer cut the wheat with a

giant combine harvester and sent
it to a flour mill.

stalk A stalk is the main stem of a plant.

280
 GRAINS myNotes

6 The miller ground the grains

T
into flour, and trucks took YEAS
the flour to a bakery.
SUG
A R
7 The baker mixed the flour
with water, sugar, and yeast;
kneaded it into a soft,
squishy dough; and baked it
in a very hot oven.

FLO TER
UR WA

8 Out came fresh

loaves of bread—
ready to send to
the store.

9 Take a bite of
the bread in your
sandwich—
MMMMMM,
crusty on the
outside and soft
in the middle!

281
 myNotes
HOW DID THE CHEESE
IN YOUR SANDWICH GET IN
YOUR LUNCHBOX? 2. . . . and
10 Your cheese was once milk that came from added bacteria
a cow. A farmer milked the cows, and a tanker to make it turn
from the dairy came to collect the milk. sour and
thick.
dairy A dairy is a place where milk is prepared for drinking or
is made into other products, like butter, cream, and cheese.

11 1. In
the dairy,
cheese makers
warmed up the
milk . . .

5. They
drained off the
whey, chopped
up the rubbery curds,
added some salt,
and pressed them
into blocks.

282
 myNotes

3. Then
they added a
substance that 4. . . . and it
animals use to changed
digest milk called again into bits
rennet . . . called curds,
floating in
whey.

6. They
stored the blocks
for months until
the cheese
was ripe.

12 Bite into your cheese—it’s creamy

and smooth, but tasty, too—and
TINGLY on your tongue!

curds Curds are the lumps that form in milk when it turns sour.
tingly Something that feels tingly stings a little or feels prickly.

283
 myNotes
HOW DID YOUR TOMATOES
GET IN YOUR LUNCHBOX?

13 Last summer, your tomatoes were growing

in a big plastic tunnel full of tomato plants.

14 The sun and the warmth made the plants

grow tall and bloom with yellow flowers.
As each flower died, a tiny green tomato
fruit began to grow from its middle.

284
 myNotes
15 Day by day, the plants sucked up
water and the tomatoes swelled
from green to orange to red.

16 When bunches of ripe, scarlet

tomatoes dangled from the
branches, the grower picked them,
sorted them, packed them, and
sent them to the store.

17 POP one in your mouth

and squish the
sweet-sour juice out!

scarlet If something is scarlet,

it is a bright red color.

285
 myNotes
HOW DID YOUR APPLE
JUICE GET IN YOUR LUNCHBOX?
18 Last spring, the apple trees in the orchard
were full of flowers. In summer, tiny apple
buds grew from each flower stalk. The buds
kept growing, and by autumn the trees were
full of ripe, sweet fruit.

19 Pickers climbed into

the trees and filled
their bins with fruit.

286
 myNotes
20 A truck took the bins to the juice factory
where sorters threw out any rotten apples.

2. . . . and mashed
21 1. Then a machine
them in a milling
washed the rest . . .
machine (seeds,
skin, and all).
1.

3. A huge press
squeezed the mash
till all its juice
ran out. 2.

4. A heater warmed 3.
up the juice to kill off
any germs . . .

4. 5. . . . and poured
it into cartons.
5.

22 Suck hard on your straw to

taste the apple TANG!

287
 myNotes
HOW DID YOUR CARROTS
GET IN YOUR LUNCHBOX?
23 Last spring, your carrots were growing in a
field on a vegetable farm. You wouldn’t
have seen any carrots then, just long rows
of feathery leaves.

24 As the leaves grew taller in the summer sun, each

carrot root pushed deeper into the earth, soaking up
water and turning orange. By late summer,
they had swelled so much that the top of each
carrot poked out of the earth.

25 Pickers pulled them up.

288
 myNotes
26 Then the carrots
were washed . . .

and packed
into trucks.

27 Bite into your carrot—

see just how SWEET
and CRUNCHY it tastes!

289
 HOW DID YOUR CLEMENTINE GET
myNotes

IN YOUR LUNCHBOX?
28 Early in summer, the trees
in the clementine grove were full of
sweet-smelling, waxy flowers.

29 As the flowers died, a tiny green

clementine berry began to grow
out of each one.

30 The clementines swelled in the

warm sun, turning from green to
yellow. By the time cooler winter
weather arrived, the clementines
had turned orange and were so
heavy and full of juice that they
made the branches droop.

grove A grove is a group of trees that are

close to one another.

290
 myNotes

31 Pickers climbed ladders to reach them. They had

to wear gloves so they didn’t bruise the tender
fruit inside the skin.

32 They washed them and packed them, and the

grower sent the boxes in trucks to the market.

33 It’s easy to peel a clementine! Then all you have to

do is pop the JUICY pieces into your mouth and
bite: most clementines are seedless!

291
 myNotes

34 You’ve eaten it all—from the first bite of

bread to the last piece of fruit! It came
from fields and farms, from orchards, from
groves, and from dairies. So many people
helped bring it to you—farmers and bakers,
cheese makers, pickers, packers, and truck
drivers. And now it’s all in your stomach,
starting to do the job that food does:
helping you grow taller and stronger, and
giving you get-up-and-go!

292
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info”
CorrectionKey=TX-A

myNotes

Respond
to the
Text
Collaborative Discussion by Chris Butterworth
illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti

Look back at what you wrote on page 276. With a partner,

discuss what you learned from the text. Then work with a
285

3re_se_m9_lunchbox.indd 285 2/25/2018 10:51:38 PM

group to discuss the questions below. Refer to details in How

Did That Get in My Lunchbox? to support your ideas. Take
notes for your responses. Use your notes to connect the ideas
you share to the comments made by others in your group.
Listening Tip
1 Reread pages 280–281. Which workers help to make
wheat into bread? Listen carefully so
that you don’t
repeat exactly what
someone else has
already said.

2 Review pages 288–289. How do farmers know when it is

time to pick carrots? Speaking Tip
Try to build on the
ideas of other
group members by
adding new details
and examples. Look
3 What are some of the different jobs people do to make
back at the text if
the food we all eat?
you need to!

293
Cite Text
Evidence
Write a Response
PROMPT

Respond to the Text In How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?, you read
about the ways that many foods get to our plates. Where does the food
come from? What happens to it along the way? Cite evidence from the
text to support your response.

EVIDENCE

List the facts and examples from How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?
that tell where food comes from and what happens on its way to
your lunchbox.

294
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info”
CorrectionKey=TX-A

myNotes

WRITE

Now write your response in a paragraph. by Chris Butterworth

illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti

Make sure your response

285

3re_se_m9_lunchbox.indd 285 2/25/2018 10:51:38 PM

uses evidence from the text to answer the questions.

explains where some foods come from.

tells what happens to these foods on their way to your lunchbox.

is written in complete sentences.

295
 my Notes

Prepare to View
GENRE STUDY Educational videos present facts and
information about a topic in visual and audio form.
• A narrator explains the topic as images on the screen
change to support the narration.
• Real people, places, and animals are used in the
videos to help viewers understand the topic.
• Like informational texts, educational videos include
words that may be specific to a science or social
studies topic.
• Producers of videos may include sound effects or
music in the background.

SET A PURPOSE Think about the genre and title of this

video. What do you think you will learn from this video?
Write your ideas below.

CRITICAL
VOCABULARY
rotation

prepping
Build Background: storage
Organic Farming

296
 myNotes

Carrots,
Farm to Fork

297
As you watch Carrots, Farm to Fork, notice the real people and places
shown in this video. Why do you think the video includes an interview
with a real farmer? Pay careful attention to what he says and does to help
you understand how carrots are grown and sold. Would it be as clear if
you read an article on the same topic? Why or why not? Take notes in the
space below.

As you watch, listen for the Critical Vocabulary words rotation, prepping,
and storage. Listen for clues to the meaning of each word. Take notes in
the space below about how each word is used.

rotation If things are in rotation, they take turns doing a job or serving a purpose.
prepping If you are prepping something, you are preparing it, or getting it ready, for
the next step.
storage When something is in storage, it is put away so it can be used later.
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info”
CorrectionKey=TX-B;NL-B

myNotes

Respond Carrots,
to the Farm to Fork

Video
Collaborative Discussion
Look back at what you wrote on page 296. With a partner,
discuss what you learned from the video. Then work with a
305

3re_se_m9_carrots.indd 305 10/19/2018 5:10:38 AM

group to discuss the questions below. Refer to details in

Carrots, Farm to Fork to support your ideas. Take notes for your
responses.
Listening Tip
1 What do carrots need to grow well? Are you wondering
about something
that someone else
said? Summarize
what you think
they meant, and
ask if you’re right.
2 How do carrots get from a farm to a family’s table?

Speaking Tip
Be sure to say each
word clearly. It may
3 Why do people like buying vegetables that grow nearby? help your listeners
if you use
vocabulary words
that were
explained in the
video.

299
 vv
Cite
Evidence
Write a Response
PROMPT

Respond to the Video In Carrots, Farm to Fork, you watched a video

about a farmer who grows carrots. Why is this video called Carrots, Farm
to Fork? How does Matthew Martin grow his crops? How does he make
sure his carrots are sold to others? Cite evidence from the video to support
your response.

EVIDENCE

List facts and examples from the video that tell what happens on
Matthew Martin’s farm and explain why the video is called Carrots,
Farm to Fork.

300
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info”
CorrectionKey=TX-B;NL-B

myNotes

Carrots,
Farm to Fork
WRITE

Now write your response in a paragraph.

Make sure your response

305

3re_se_m9_carrots.indd 305 10/19/2018 5:10:38 AM

uses evidence from the video to answer the questions.

tells what happens on Matthew Martin’s farm.

explains why the video’s title is Carrots, Farm to Fork.

is written in complete sentences.

301
 my Notes

Notice &
Note
3 Big Questions

Prepare to Read
GENRE STUDY Some texts can have more than one
genre. This text is both an informational text and poetry.
Informational texts give facts and examples about a
topic. Poetry uses the sounds and rhythms of words to
show images and express feelings.
• Authors of informational texts may organize their
ideas by central ideas, supported by key details.
• Science and social studies texts also include words
that are specific to the topic.
• Lines in a poem often follow a clear rhyming pattern.
• The speaker in a poem reflects on a particular topic.

SET A PURPOSE Think about the title and the genres of

this text. Why might an author choose to include poetry
in an informational text? Write your ideas below.

CRITICAL
VOCABULARY
vine

burly

shrivel
Meet the Author and Illustration:
Pam Muñoz Ryan and Craig Brown

302
 myNotes

How Do You Raise

a Raisin?
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
illustrated by Craig Brown

303
 myNotes
1 How do you raise a raisin?
Tell me so I’ll know.
They’re such peculiar little things.
How do they sprout and grow?
Do raisins grow on Earth, or other planets, far away?
Do aliens collect them and space-shuttle them our way?
2 Raisins are dried grapes. So far, there is no proof
that raisins grow on other planets. Raisins ARE
grown on Earth, in countries like Turkey, Iran,
Greece, Australia, and the United States.

3 So, who discovered raisins?

Were they here when Earth began?
Who WAS the first to nibble them—dinosaur or man?
4 Raisins were probably discovered when someone
or someTHING tasted grapes that had dried on
the vine. Over the years people and animals
figured out which grapes produced the sweetest,
yummiest raisins.

vine A vine is a long, thin stem of a plant that grows

along the ground or up and around something.

304
 myNotes
5 Do raisins grow in one place,
like Raisin Creek or Raisin Hill?
Is there a special town called
Raisinfield or Raisinville?
6 Raisins grow best in areas with nice dirt,
many days of hot weather, a dry climate,
and plenty of water. Almost all of the
raisins in the United States are grown in
the San Joaquin Valley of California, near
towns like Chowchilla, Dinuba,
7 Do farmers plant some seeds
Kingsburg, Selma, Weedpatch, and even
Raisin City! About 90 percent of the from the local garden shop?
raisins sold in the United States come And wait for raisin bushes
from the area around Fresno, California.
to produce a raisin crop?
8 Farmers start a new crop of raisins by
taking “cuttings” from an older
grapevine. These pieces of stem are
planted in sand until they sprout. Then,
they are planted in the fields, next to a
wooden stake.

305
 myNotes
9 Notice how the grapevines 11 How long do raisins take to
and the sprawling branches grow? A week, a month, or a
grow. Does a grapevine year? How many hours must you
tamer train them into picture- wait for a raisin to appear?
perfect rows? 12 It takes at least three years until the vines
are old enough for the first crop of raisins.
10 Grapevines are grown about eight feet
That’s 26,280 hours!
apart. Fieldworkers hand-tie the sturdy
branches, or “canes,” to rows of wire.
There are usually two sets of wire, a
top set that is about six feet high, and
a second wire that is three or four
feet high.

13 When grapes are ripe and 14 When the grapes are ready, skilled grape-
pickers snag the grape clusters from the
ready, how do farmers get
vines using a sharp vine-cutter.
them down? Do they rent a
15 Most grapes are turned into raisins the
burly giant to shake them to same way they’ve been for thousands of years:
the ground? they are left to dry naturally in the sun.

burly Someone who is burly is big and strong.

306
 myNotes
16 What do raisins lie on
while they’re basking in the sun?
Do they rest on little beach towels
until they’re dried and done?
17 The grape clusters are laid on brown paper
trays on the ground between the grapevine
rows. This is called “laying the grapes
down.” The sun rises in the east and sets
in the west. Most raisin growers plant
their vineyards in east-to-west rows. This
way, grapes drying between the rows
receive the most sun. If they were drying 18 How long do clusters lie around
in north-to-south rows, the grapes would to sweeten, dry, and bake?
be in the shade part of the day, and when How many weeks in the valley
it comes to raising raisins, the more sun
the better. heat does raisin-making take?
19 Raisins bake in the sun for about two
to three weeks. Then, the paper trays
are rolled into bundles that look like
burritos and are left in the field for a
few more days to make sure that all the
raisins are dry.

307
 myNotes
20 Raisins do not look like
grapes—they’re withered up
and wrinkled! Are they soaked
inside a bathtub until their skin
is crinkled?
21 As grapes bake in the hot sun, their
water evaporates. The more water they
lose, the more the grapes shrivel,
causing wrinkles.

shrivel When things shrivel, they dry

out and get smaller and wrinkled.

22 How many grapes must a farmer

dry upon the valley ground?
To make a box of raisins
that weighs about one pound?

23 It takes about four and one-half pounds of

fresh grapes to make one pound of raisins.

24 Who puts raisins in the boxes

that keep them sweet and
dried? Do tiny fairy princesses
stuff each one inside?
25 When they’re needed, raisin bins are
brought into the factory for packaging.
It takes only ten minutes from bin to
package! Workers and machines take off
the stems and capstems, sort, and wash
the raisins. Then the raisins are
packaged in a variety of boxes and bags.

308
 myNotes
26 What happens to the raisins 27 When it comes to raisins, nothing is wasted!
The stems and capstems are ground up and
that aren’t the very best? Are
used for animal feed. Raisins that are not
they sent to raisin prep school perfect are made into raisin concentrate
until they pass the test? that’s used as a natural preservative in cakes,
breads, and cookies. The best raisins are used
for eating, baking, and adding to cereals.

1. Get plenty of sun.

2. Roll over after two weeks.
3. Dry evenly.

28 Raisins taste so very sweet,

but they’re considered “sugar-
free.” Is each one dipped in a
honey pot by a busy honeybee?
29 Raisins are naturally sweet!

309
 myNotes

30 For centuries, people have valued raisins.

Scientists who planned the space shuttle menus
knew that raisins are the perfect fast food for
long journeys. They are lightweight, don’t spoil
easily, satisfy the craving for something sweet,
and provide nutrition and energy.

310
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through "File info"
CorrectionKey=TX-A

myNotes

Respond
to the
Text
Collaborative Discussion How Do You Raise
a Raisin?
Look back at what you wrote on page 302. With a partner, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Craig Brown
illustrated by

discuss your ideas about why the author chose to include

311

3re_se_m9_raisin.indd 311 2/25/2018 10:51:30 PM

poetry. Then work with a group to discuss the questions below.

Refer to details in How Do You Raise a Raisin? to support your
ideas. Take notes for your responses. During your discussion,
take turns and make sure everyone’s ideas are heard.

1 Review pages 306–307. What parts of growing raisins

Listening Tip
take hard work? What parts take a lot of waiting?
Look at each
speaker and
listen closely. Do
you understand
the idea each
speaker shares?
2 Reread pages 309–310. What are some of the ways
people use raisins?

Speaking Tip
If you would like
more information,
ask a question,
3 How do the poems connect to the informational text?
such as, Can you tell
What is the author’s reason for including the poems? me more about . . . ?

311
Cite Text
Evidence
Write a Response
PROMPT

Respond to the Text In How Do You Raise a Raisin?, you read about
where raisins come from and how they become a yummy snack. What
kind of fruit becomes a raisin? How does the fruit grow? How does it
become a raisin? Cite evidence from the text to support your response.
Try to use some of the Critical Vocabulary words in your writing.

EVIDENCE

List facts and details from How Do You Raise a Raisin? that tell what
kind of fruit becomes a raisin and how that happens.

312
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through "File info"
CorrectionKey=TX-A

myNotes

WRITE

Now write your response in a paragraph. How Do You Raise

a Raisin?
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Craig Brown
illustrated by

Make sure your response

311

3re_se_m9_raisin.indd 311 2/25/2018 10:51:30 PM

uses evidence from the text to answer the questions.

explains where raisins come from.

includes some of the Critical Vocabulary words.

is written in complete sentences.

313
 my Notes

Notice &
Note
3 Big Questions

Prepare to Read
GENRE STUDY Informational texts give facts and
examples about a topic.
• Authors of informational texts may present their
ideas in sequential order. This helps readers
understand the steps in a process.
• Science texts include words that are specific to the
topic. These are words that name things or ideas.

SET A PURPOSE Think about the title and genre of this

text, and look at the photographs. What do you think you
will learn from this text? Write your ideas below.

CRITICAL
VOCABULARY
layout

arbor

transplanted

mulch

blooming
Meet the Author and Photographer: kernels
George Ancona

314
 myNotes

IT’S OUR
GARDEN
From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden
by George Ancona

315
 myNotes

316
 The school bell sounds . . .
myNotes

and the classrooms explode with the noise of

books closing, chairs sliding on the floor, and
kids chattering. It’s time for recess! The students
head outside to the school garden.
2 Mrs. McCarthy, the third-grade teacher,
dreamed of having a school garden. She talked
to the other teachers, the principal, and the
parents about it. They all worked together to
make her dream come true. The garden is cared
for by Miss Sue.
3 Miss Sue’s husband, Will, designed the layout
of the garden. College students Paul, Danielle,
Autumn, and Allie volunteer to guide the
children in the garden projects.

layout A layout is a drawing or plan that shows

where things are or will be.

317
 myNotes

4 Students enter the garden through an arbor.

It’s spring, and there are lots of chores to be
done. Depending on the weather, some classes
are held in the open classroom, the garden, or
the greenhouse.
5 In early spring, Miss Sue asks the students to
make a book with pictures they cut out from
seed catalogs. These are the flowers, fruits, and
vegetables that the students would like to grow.
Later, she and the students will decide where to
plant them.

arbor An arbor is a shady passageway made of vines or branches.

318
 myNotes

6 Every day, one student is asked to take a

bucket of food scraps from lunches and snacks
and dump it into the compost pile.
7 The compost is made up of soil, dead plants,
and food scraps. Inside the pile, red wriggler
worms are busy eating and turning these
ingredients into castings. Compost is mixed into
the garden beds to provide food for seedlings.

319
 myNotes

8 Springtime is planting time.

These are a few of the seeds that
will be planted in the garden.

320
 myNotes

9 When it’s still cold outside, some seeds are

planted in the greenhouse. There, students fill
small plastic pots with rich soil and plant a seed
in each. The pots are left in the greenhouse. The
sun warms them. Soon, tiny seedlings begin to
pop out of the soil. When they are bigger and
the weather is warmer, the plants will be
transplanted into the garden beds outside.
10 Flowers, vegetables, and fruits are planted in
the beds of rich composted earth. A tepee made
of bamboo poles stands in the middle of the
garden. Some students plant pole-bean seeds at
the base of each pole. The plants will grow up
the tepee and sprout their pods.

transplanted If you transplanted something, you took it from the

place it was growing and planted it in a new place.

321
 myNotes

11 Meanwhile, in the morning shade of the

school, Paul hands out seeds to plant in a waffle
bed. The bed’s low walls of adobe bricks help
keep water in.
12 Another group of students plants squash
seedlings. Danielle helps a student transplant a
tomato seedling. Once the seeds and seedlings
are in the ground, the beds are watered and
covered with a mulch of straw. This helps to
keep the soil from drying out.
13 A lot of water is needed to keep the garden
healthy. When it rains, water flows off the roof,
down a drainpipe, and into an underground
tank called a cistern. A solar panel on the roof

mulch If you put mulch in your garden, you put straw or

wood chips around your plants to help protect them.

322
 myNotes
of the outdoor classroom creates electricity to
run the pump that draws water from the
cistern. One of the students’ favorite jobs is
watering the garden. Miss Sue fills the colorful
watering cans for them.
14 The tomato plants are surrounded by plastic
tubes filled with water. During the day, the sun
warms the water in the tubes. At night, the
tubes provide the warmth that tomato roots
need to grow. When there is no rainwater in the
cistern, a hose attached to an outdoor faucet is
used to keep the soil moist and plants healthy.

323
 myNotes

15 While the plants are growing during the

warm spring days, there is still a lot of work to
do in the garden. Students mix sand, dirt, water,
and cut-up straw to make adobe bricks. The
bricks are used to make the low walls for waffle
beds. In the Southwest, adobe bricks are still
used to build homes.
16 Adobe is also used to coat the horno, the
traditional oven used to bake bread. Every
spring, the horno in the corner of the outdoor
classroom gets a fresh coat of adobe.

324
 myNotes

17 There are many different plants in the herb

garden, such as basil, chives, and sage. Every
plant has its own taste and smell.
18 Radishes are harvested in the spring. Miss Sue
asks some students to pick the radishes. After
washing the dirt off them, the children bite into
the bright-red vegetables. One girl finds hers
too spicy and drops it into the compost pile.
More food for the worms!

325
 myNotes

19 On special afternoons and weekends, the

garden becomes a place where the school
community gathers. Students come back with
their family and friends. They compost, seed,
plant, transplant, weed, water, and dig. By now,
the flowers are blooming and the beds are green.
The garden is flourishing with so much care.
20 Garden chores continue into summer. School
is closed, but the garden is a beehive of activity.
It provides the setting for music and gatherings
of children, grownups, friends, and families.
The music fills the garden with joy.

blooming When trees or plants are blooming, their flowers are

out and open.

326
 myNotes

21 By August, many of the fruits and vegetables

are ripe. Cooking and eating becomes an
ongoing activity in the garden.
22 A father helps the children make pizzas on
one community day. First they mix and punch
the dough. Then they roll it out with a rolling
pin. Next they pour oil on the flat dough. Ripe
tomatoes are cut up and go on top. And last, of
course, is the grated cheese.
23 After a hot fire burns down in the horno, the
pizza goes in. When the sizzling pizza is taken
out, a group of hungry gardeners appears. The
slices disappear like magic. Fortunately, there
are many more pizzas to come.

327
 myNotes

24 Summer is over, and another school year

begins. The leaves on the trees are turning
color, and many of the garden’s fruits and
vegetables are ready to be picked. Students take
turns disappearing into the tepee to pick pole
beans from the vines.
25 One of the garden beds was planted in a
traditional Native American way. It’s called a
three-sisters garden. Corn is planted together
with pinto beans and squash. The bean vines
grow up the cornstalks. The corn and squash
leaves shade the soil to keep it moist. Pinto
beans are harvested after the pods dry up and
turn tan.
26 Cabbages are a real challenge to pick. Their
long, strong roots test the strength of some of
the bigger kids.
27 Lemon cucumbers, also called apple
cucumbers, are a new experience for most of
the students. The children like them because
they can be eaten like apples.

328
myNotes

329
 myNotes

28 In the three-sisters garden, the strawberry

corn is ready for harvesting. The ears are taken
off of the stalks and husked. Then the kernels
are picked off the cob and saved in a jar.
29 Later, the kernels are heated in oil and
turned into a delicious popcorn snack. The
students are delighted.
30 The harvest becomes a chance for Miss
Sue to quiz the students on the variety of crops
the garden has produced. She makes a game of
the quiz, placing the answers face down on slips
of paper under each fruit, vegetable, or herb.

kernels Kernels are the grains or seeds of plants such as corn or wheat.

330
 myNotes

31 To celebrate the end of the harvest, a

series of lunches is prepared with many of the
garden’s vegetables. These become festivals of
good food and fun.
32 The last community day of the year brings
students and families together to prepare the
garden for winter. The air is crisp and cold.
Frost has turned the trees to gold. Winds have
scattered many leaves to the ground. The green
plants of summer are shriveled and brown.
Dead plants are yanked out of the ground and
put into the compost pile.

331
 myNotes

33 Compost is strained and mixed into the soil.

The strawberry plants and beds are mulched
with straw. And all is ready to be covered with
a blanket of snow. Sleep tight, garden!

34 U ntil next year!

332
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info”
CorrectionKey=TX-A

myNotes

Respond
to the
IT’S OUR
Text GARDEN
Collaborative Discussion
From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden
by George Ancona

Look back at what you wrote on page 314. With a partner,

discuss what you learned from the text. Then work with a 3re_se_m9_garden.indd 323
323

2/25/2018 10:53:45 PM

group to discuss the questions below. Refer to details in

It’s Our Garden to support your ideas. Take notes for your
responses. Be sure you understand what others in your group
are saying and that they understand you, too.
Listening Tip
If you don’t
1 Reread page 318. Why do the students look through seed
understand what
catalogs? How will this help them?
someone else has
said, ask a question!
You can also ask
the speaker to talk
more slowly or a
little louder.
2 Review pages 322–323. How do the students get the
water they use to water their plants?

Speaking Tip
Help group
members
understand what
3 What are some of the ways that fruits and vegetables you are saying by
from the garden are used? speaking at a pace
that isn’t too fast or
too slow.

333
Cite Text
Evidence
Write a Response
PROMPT

Respond to the Text In It’s Our Garden, you read about a school that
planted and harvested a garden. What kinds of plants did the students
grow and why? Why is the garden a special place for this school
community? What happens to the plants that are harvested? Cite
evidence from the text to support your response.

EVIDENCE

List details from It’s Our Garden that describe the garden and why
it is special to the school community. Note what happens to the
harvested plants.

334
 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info”
CorrectionKey=TX-A

myNotes

IT’S OUR
WRITE GARDEN
From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden
by George Ancona

Now write your response in a paragraph.

Make sure your response 3re_se_m9_garden.indd 323

323

2/25/2018 10:53:45 PM

uses evidence from the text to answer the questions.

describes the school garden.

tells why the garden is special.

explains what happens to the plants the students harvest.

is written in complete sentences.

335
Performance
Task

Essential Question

How does food get to your table?

Write an Expository Essay

PROMPT Think about the selections in this module that explain how the
food you eat gets to your table. Where does the food come from? What
kinds of processes need to happen? What are the steps in those
processes? Write an expository essay that tells how food goes from a
farm to your table. Use evidence from the module selections to support
your ideas.

Be sure your expository essay

introduces the topic.

includes facts, definitions, and details from the texts and video.

presents steps in an order that makes sense.

has a clear ending statement or conclusion.

336
 PREWRITE Map your ideas.

Think about the food that you read about and where it comes from. Which
facts and examples from the selections help you explain how food goes
from a farm to a table? Use the map below to plan your writing.

Type of Food

Steps from Farm to Table

1.

2.

3.

4.

337
Performance
Task

DRAFT Write your expository essay.

Use the information you wrote on page 337 to draft your expository essay.
Write a beginning paragraph that introduces your topic.

Write one or more paragraphs that explain the steps it takes to get food
from a farm to your table. Include facts and examples from the selections.

Write a conclusion that restates your topic.

338
 REVISE AND EDIT Review your draft.

The revising and editing steps give you a chance to look carefully at your
writing and make changes. Work with a partner to determine whether you
have explained the steps clearly. Use the questions below to help you.

PURPOSE/ EVIDENCE/
ORGANIZATION ELABORATION CONVENTIONS
FOCUS SUPPORT

Does my essay Do I list the steps Have I supported Have I explained Are all the words
state the topic in in an order that my ideas with each step clearly? spelled correctly?
a clear way? makes sense? evidence from
the selections? Have I used Have I used
Have I included Do I have a transitions to commas and end
each important conclusion that clearly connect punctuation
step? restates my the steps? correctly?
topic?

PUBLISH Create a finished copy.

Make a final copy of your expository essay. Use your cursive

writing skills.

339