Earth: Apple of Our Eye

Positives

• Teachers can use the apple demonstration for students in a range of grade levels and then modify the remainder of the lesson to fit the age and ability levels of their students. 
• This lesson is engaging and thought-provoking, especially for visual learners.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teachers who have not used the Population Education website before need to enter an email address to download the lesson plan.
• Students should have a basic understanding of fractions. 
• Teachers will need an apple, a knife, and paper towels or a plate for the demonstration.

Differentiation

• This resource would be a great lesson for elementary math classes that are working on fractions, where students could also use modeling clay to divide up the segments.
• This could be used in a geography or social studies class for lessons about where people live and where we grow food.
• Before cutting the apple, teachers could have students predict what fraction of the Earth is used for farming and then compare the students' predictions to the actual fraction.
• After going through the discussion questions, students could discuss with a partner or write down what was surprising and interesting about the lesson.
• Other related resources include this video about creating a perfect farm, this article on food waste, and this activity about the space needed to grow food.