2.1 Peanuts to Peanut Butter
This upper-elementary lesson, “Peanuts to Peanut Butter” (Unit 2: Processing) from the Food for America curriculum, teaches students about agricultural processing by guiding them through making peanut butter from raw peanuts. Students learn the difference between raw materials and finished products, trace the steps a peanut takes from farm to finished product, and discuss the economics of processed versus raw products. The lesson includes a hands-on peanut butter activity, review questions, applications, and an accompanying activity sheet.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
-
- Identify the difference between a raw material and a finished product.
- Explain the steps a peanut takes from farm to finished product.
- Discuss the economics of processed versus raw product.
- Time required
- 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Grade level
- Upper elementary
- Materials
-
- Writing surface
- Copies of Activity Sheet 8:1
- A jar of peanut butter
- A handful of peanuts with shells
- An ear of corn (unhusked)
- Corn tortillas or corn chips
- A fresh tomato
- Ketchup
- Raw wool or cotton (you can use a cotton ball)
- Wool or cotton cloth
- A piece of wood and a piece of paper
- 1 cup hulled, roasted peanuts
- 1.5 tbsp. peanut oil
- Salt
- A blender
- A rubber spatula
- A classroom set of encyclopedias or textbooks with common agricultural commodities included as part of the text
- Key Term(s)
- Economics; Finished Product; Processing; Raw Product