Peanut

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/peanut

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 botanical classification?Legume (family Fabaceae), species Arachis hypogaea
2. What is the unique reproductive strategy?Geocarpy: pods mature underground after peg elongation
3. How do peanuts grow?After a flower is pollinated, a peg grows and bends into the soil. The peanut pod then develops underground, protecting it from drying out and pests.
4. Where did peanuts first grow?Peanuts were first grown in South America, especially in Peru and Bolivia, about 7,600 years ago.

Geocarpy: The botanical phenomenon where fruits develop and mature underground after pollination.
Monounsaturated Fats: Healthy fats that can help lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Commodity Crop: A basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type.