Potato

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/potato

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 modern production leaders?China and India are the world's largest potato producers as of 2023
2. Why do potato skins turn green or sprout when exposed to light?Light causes the skin and sprouts to produce more solanine, a natural compound that can be toxic in high amounts.
3. How did potatoes become a popular food around the world?Spanish explorers brought potatoes from South America to Europe in the 16th century, and their hardiness and high yield made them widely adopted.

Tuber: A thickened, fleshy, underground stem of a plant, such as a potato, that serves as a storage organ for nutrients.
Solanine: A toxic glycoalkaloid naturally found in plants of the nightshade family, including potatoes, particularly in sprouts and greened skin.
Selective Breeding: The process by which humans intentionally breed plants or animals for specific desirable traits over successive generations.
Staple Food: A food that is consumed regularly and forms the primary dietary component for a significant portion of a population.