🌾 Food, Farming and Cooking

What your child will learn

• Students will identify the main steps in the journey of food from farm to plate (growing, harvesting, transporting, selling, cooking) and name the people involved at each step.
• Students will classify common food items as raw or cooked and give examples of foods eaten raw and foods that must be cooked.
• Students will describe at least four ways of cooking (boiling, roasting, frying, steaming) and match a food item to the way it is usually cooked.
• Students will explain why food spoils and suggest simple ways to keep food fresh (refrigerator, drying, covering, pickling).
• Students will relate common crops to the seasons in which they are grown in India (kharif, rabi) and give examples of each.

Lessons in this unit

1. From Farm to Plate: The journey of food: farmer grows crops, harvests, sends to market, vendor sells, we buy, cook, and eat. People involved: farmer, transporter, vendor, cook.
2. Raw and Cooked Food: Some foods are eaten raw (fruits, some vegetables like carrot and cucumber, nuts). Some foods must be cooked (rice, dal, potatoes, meat, eggs) to make them safe and tasty. Cooking changes food.
3. Ways of Cooking: Different methods of cooking: boiling (rice, dal, potatoes), roasting (chana, peanuts, roti on fire), frying (puris, pakoras), steaming (idlis, momos). Each method uses heat in a different way.
4. Food Spoilage and Keeping Food Fresh: Food spoils because of germs, moisture, and air. Signs of spoilage: bad smell, change in colour, mould. Ways to keep food fresh: refrigerator, drying, covering, pickling, adding salt or sugar.
5. Crops and Seasons: Different crops grow in different seasons in India. Kharif crops grow in the rainy season (June-October): rice, maize, cotton. Rabi crops grow in the winter season (November-March): wheat, mustard, gram. Some crops like vegetables grow in multiple seasons.

Key words

crop

Plants of the same kind grown by a farmer in a field, like wheat or rice.

season

A time of the year with its own weather, like summer, rainy, or winter.

raw

Food that is not cooked, like a fresh carrot or a raw mango.

cooked

Food that is changed by heating, like boiled rice or roasted chana.

spoiled

Food that has gone bad and is not safe to eat, like bread with green mould.

boiling

Cooking food in hot water, like boiling potatoes.

roasting

Cooking food on a fire or in a hot pan without water, like roasting peanuts.

frying

Cooking food in hot oil, like frying puris.

steaming

Cooking food with the steam from boiling water, like steaming idlis.

preserve

To keep food from spoiling for a longer time, like making a pickle.

Help your child at home

What to watch for

Food comes from the market or shop, not from farms.

Help: All food originally comes from farms or from animals. The market is just a stop on the way.

All vegetables must be cooked before eating.

Help: Some vegetables like carrot, cucumber, and radish are eaten raw as salad. Others like potato and brinjal are usually cooked.

Roasting and frying are the same.

Help: Roasting uses dry heat without oil (like roasting chana). Frying uses hot oil (like frying puris).

Food spoils only in summer.

Help: Food can spoil in any season if it is not kept properly. In winter, it spoils more slowly, but it can still spoil.

Try this at home

• Riya's family buys rice from the market. Where did it come from before that?
• Meera's lunch has roti, dal, salad (cucumber, tomato), and an apple. Which are raw? Which are cooked?
• Kabir's mother boils potatoes. What method is this?
• Meera finds green spots on bread. Is it safe to eat? What should she do?

Quick questions to ask aloud

1. Who grows the crops in a field? (farmer / vendor / cook)
   Show answer

   The farmer sows seeds and grows crops in the field.
2. Why do we cook rice before eating it? (to make it soft and safe to eat / to make it look bigger / to make it sweet)
   Show answer

   to make it soft and safe to eat. Cooking softens the rice and makes it safe and easy to digest.
3. Which method uses hot oil to cook food? (frying / boiling / steaming)
   Show answer

   frying. Frying means cooking food in hot oil, like making puris or pakoras.

Parent guide: how to help your child with Class 4 EVS

Frequently asked questions

What will my child learn in "Food, Farming and Cooking" (Class 4 EVS)?

Your child will be able to: Students will identify the main steps in the journey of food from farm to plate (growing, harvesting, transporting, selling, cooking) and name the people involved at each step.; Students will classify common food items as raw or cooked and give examples of foods eaten raw and foods that must be cooked.; Students will describe at least four ways of cooking (boiling, roasting, frying, steaming) and match a food item to the way it is usually cooked.; Students will explain why food spoils and suggest simple ways to keep food fresh (refrigerator, drying, covering, pickling).; Students will relate common crops to the seasons in which they are grown in India (kharif, rabi) and give examples of each..

How does MangoMindz teach "Food, Farming and Cooking"?

In 5 short parts (From Farm to Plate, Raw and Cooked Food, Ways of Cooking, Food Spoilage and Keeping Food Fresh, Crops and Seasons). Each part has a picture-based lesson read aloud by Mango Teacher, a quick check, and a quiz built from common mistakes children make, with Mango, a study buddy, for questions.

How long does "Food, Farming and Cooking" take?

About 160 minutes in total, spread over 5 parts of 15–25 minutes each.

How can I help my child with "Food, Farming and Cooking" at home?

Work through a small example together, such as: Riya's family buys rice from the market. Where did it come from before that?; Meera's lunch has roti, dal, salad (cucumber, tomato), and an apple. Which are raw? Which are cooked?. Then ask a quick question aloud: Who grows the crops in a field? (farmer / vendor / cook)

What mistakes do children often make in "Food, Farming and Cooking"?

Food comes from the market or shop, not from farms. Fix: All food originally comes from farms or from animals. The market is just a stop on the way. All vegetables must be cooked before eating. Fix: Some vegetables like carrot, cucumber, and radish are eaten raw as salad. Others like potato and brinjal are usually cooked. Roasting and frying are the same. Fix: Roasting uses dry heat without oil (like roasting chana). Frying uses hot oil (like frying puris).

Is "Food, Farming and Cooking" free on MangoMindz?

Yes. Every lesson part and quiz in "Food, Farming and Cooking" is free on MangoMindz, with no ads.