Strawberry Unit Study

This is a a fun strawberry unit study. Strawberries are the very first spring fruit, and one of our field trips was strawberry picking so we used this lapbook to learn about them.

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” –William Butler

History of Strawberries

This luscious fruit can be traced back as far as the Romans, and perhaps even the Greeks. Medieval stonemasons carved strawberry designs on alters and around the tops of pillars symbolizing perfection and righteousness.

Although there is no real answer to the question of where strawberries got their name, many people believe the myth that the heart-shaped berries were named in the nineteenth-century by English children. They picked the fruit, strung them on grass straws and sold them, i.e “straws of berries” .

Facts about Strawberries.

The strawberry belongs to the genus Fragraria in the rose family, along with apples and plums. The name of the scientific classification was derived from the Old Latin word for fragrant.

Strawberry Unit Study

Native Americans called the fragrant fruit “heart-seed berries” and pounded them into their traditional cornmeal bread. Discovering the great taste of the Native Americans bread, colonists decided to create their own version, “Strawberry Shortcake.”

On the average, there are 200 tiny seeds in every strawberry.

Pictures of various ways to arrange the pieces of your lapbook depending on age. Please note I did not get ALL the minibooks in ONE picture. I am  just showing variation.

The picture above includes labeling the strawberry plant and the jeopardy game (right side flap) along with writing about California in the mini report.

OR

Lapbook Pictures

This picture above substitutes the spring coloring book for a younger child, along with coloring some of the items found in California. (middle).

Also it has the cone shaped book that is “how many ways to eat a strawberry” on the right flap.

OR

This picture above can substitute the strawberry photo page for a younger or older child.

Note, we have a strawberry they color also that is bigger and fits in the center or that you can add your own facts to.(Note it is not pictured here but available for download toward the middle of this page.

OR

Use one of the minibooks about Cherokee Tales.

More Strawberry Lapbook Pictures

Again my minibooks are interchangeable and I wanted you to see a few different options.

Lapbook Covers or Notebook Page Dividers

This picture above shows how you can place pieces on the outside of your lapbook flaps.

Place for a photo. This can be on the back of your labpook, front, or page divider showing a field trip in your notebook.

Note: The layout was designed for a letter size file folder or cardstock made letter size.

How many ways to eat a strawberry minibook

A true berry mini flipbook

(Note: The Strawberry Life Cycle download includes a book where your child labels the parts or you can use the book where the parts are labeled. All in this one download).

This one download has a total of three books. One book about California with simple facts. One blank book to add your own facts about California and one page for very young children to color some things found in California. Since California leads the nation in producing strawberries, this book can be adapted anyway you like.

Three sets of questions progress from levels easy to harder by 5, 10. 15 and finally 20 points. Storage pocket included in download.

This download is for younger children. It is a spring coloring book. There is a choice of two covers and you pick and select which pictures to color and or/trace words.

This one download has two choices. Label the plant or use the minibook where plant is labeled. All in this one download.

Native American or Cherokee Tale – The First Strawberries (See tale in next section)

(Note this download includes a cover for a boy or girl pictured above and then two inside pages. One of the pages is pictured. There are 3 questions and one scripture verse to copy.

The First Strawberries

Retold by Barbara Shining Woman Warren

In the beginning of the world, First Man and First Woman were created. Together they built a lodge at the edge of a dense forest. They were very happy together; but like all humans do at times, they began to argue.

Finally First Woman became so angry she said she was leaving and never coming back. At that moment First Man really didn’t care. First Woman started walking westward down the path through the forest. She never looked back.

As the day grew later, First Man began to worry. At last he started down the same path in search of his wife. The Sun looked down on First Man and took pity on him. The Sun asked First Man if he was still angry with First Woman. First Man said he was not angry any more. The Sun asked if he would like to have First Woman back. Fist Man readily agreed he did.

The Sun found First Woman still walking down the path toward the West. So to entice her to stop, the Sun caused to grow beneath her feet lovely blueberries. The blueberries were large and ripe. First Woman paid no attention but kept walking down the path toward the West.

Further down the path the Sun caused to grow some luscious blackberries. The berries were very black and plump. First Woman looked neither left nor right but kept walking down the path toward the West.

The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story

At last the Sun caused to grow a plant that had never grown on the earth before. The plant covered the ground in front of First Woman. Suddenly she became aware of a fragrance she had never known. Stopping she looked down at her feet.

Growing in the path was a plant with shiny green leaves, lovely white flowers with the largest most luscious red berries she had ever seen. First Woman stopped to pick one. Hmmm?she had never tasted anything quite like it! It was so sweet.

As First Woman ate the berry, the anger she felt began to fade away. She thought again of her husband and how they had parted in anger. She missed him and wanted to return home.

First Woman began to gather some of the berries. When she had all she could carry, she turned toward the East and started back down the path. Soon she met First Man. Together they shared the berries, and then hand in hand, they walked back to their lodge.

The Cherokee word for strawberry is ani. The rich bottomlands of the old Cherokee country were noted for their abundance of strawberries and other wild fruits. Even today, strawberries are often kept in Cherokee homes.

Listen to this version of The First Strawberries, a Cherokee Story retold by Joseph Bruchac.

Also, look at these other strawberry unit study resources.

Strawberry Unit Study Resources

Notebook Pages About Strawberries

Strawberry Field

Look at this field of bluebonnets
that we have to pass on the way to pick strawberries.

The bluebonnets and indian paintbrushes (I think you can see one lone one in the second picture in the midst of these bluebonnets) bloom in April each year and just blanket the ground in purple..

Honestly, we are not sure if we could possibly eat all that we picked.

The kids and moms couldn’t decide which row to be pick on.They all looked good. But you could tell we “did our job” because so many of them are picked.

Strawberry Picking Field Trip

How to Get the Free Strawberry Lapbook

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