Where does our fruit come from? A produce label map for K–2

1. Hold up one fruit and find its label together. Read the country name aloud: "This banana was grown in ___."
2. Find that country on the world map with the students and put a dot on it.
3. Students work in pairs with the rest of the produce, reading or matching the country names and placing dots.
4. Make a tally: how many dots are on each continent? Which continent has the most dots today?
5. Look at the map and ask: "Which fruit traveled the farthest to get to us? How do you think it got here?" Talk about ships, trucks and planes.
6. Finish with: "Which fruit was grown closest to us?" Find your own state or country on the map.

Safety: the fruit is for looking only, so no one needs to eat it. If you do taste anything afterward, check for food allergies first and wash hands.

Differentiation: students who need support match the letters on the label to a printed list of country names. Students who are ready sort the fruits into "grown in our country" and "grown in another country." English learners can use the frame "The ___ is from ___."

Quick check: hand a student a new label and ask them to find the country on the map and name its continent.

Save this activity to your library so it is ready when you need it.