Avocado

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/avocado

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Persea americana
2. What is the geographic origin?South-central Mexico and Central America, with cultivation dating back over 10,000 years
3. Why is avocado called a superfood?Avocado is a superfood because it has healthy fats, lots of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that help the heart, eyes, and digestion.
4. Where did avocados first grow?Avocados first grew in ancient Mesoamerica, around Mexico and Central America, more than 10,000 years ago.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs): Healthy fats found in foods like avocados and olive oil, beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Ethylene Gas: A plant hormone that plays a critical role in fruit ripening, senescence, and other developmental processes.
Synchronous Dichogamy: A flowering mechanism where the male and female reproductive parts of a flower mature at different times, promoting cross-pollination.
Pericarp: The part of a fruit formed from the wall of the ripened ovary, typically consisting of the exocarp (skin), mesocarp (flesh), and endocarp (stone).