Do bananas grow on trees? What are your initial thoughts?
All of my life I have been told that bananas come from banana trees. When I read a poem in class tonight, there was a reference to banana trees... and my favorite teacher who happens to L-O-V-E misconceptions asked the question, do banana come from plants or trees? Well my mind began to wonder and I just had to know the answer! And... the answer, surprisingly, is no! Bananas actually grow on plants! This plant can grow up to 25 feet tall! Talking about a misconception! We mostly have been told that bananas come from banana trees! I have included a website that includes interesting facts about bananas to incorporate into a science lesson about plants, trees, and fruits.
http://www.chiquitabananas.com/worlds-favorite-fruit/banana-answers-information-faqs.aspx
http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-bananas.html
Also, teachers here are some awesome lesson plans centered around plants.
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/search/page/-/-/lesson-plan/plants/index.cfm
And it doesn't stop here... what makes a tree a tree? Why is a "plant" that can grow up to 25 feet tall not considered a tree? Trunk is the answer! A tree has a trunk and a banana plant is composed of leaves that form a stem which makes the plant grow tall.
Love that you went home and googled this answer! I have always had the misconception too that bananas grew on banana trees! I am so glad to know that they actually grow on plants and plants that get to be as tall as 25 feet...whoah that is tall!! Thanks for sharing, Kim! The websites were very helpful and interesting as well :)
ReplyDeleteAh yes... The Banana Tree... :-) Great post. I should be more careful with my language (on many counts, lol), but specifically when I asked, "do bananas grow on plants or trees?" I do not want to perpetuate the misconception common among smaller children that trees are NOT plants. Sorry about that. Hahaha. But this is a good example of how when we say something we might inadvertently support naïve beliefs that our students might have.
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