Squash

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/squash

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 genus?Cucurbita
2. What is the center of origin?Mesoamerica, with evidence of independent domestication in the Andes
3. What is squash and where does it grow?Squash are big fruits that grow on long vines and come in many shapes and colors. They belong to the Cucurbita family and are native to the Americas.
4. How did people first grow squash?People first domesticated squash in southern Mexico and the northern Andes. They were part of the Three Sisters system with corn and beans, helping early farmers grow food together.

Cucurbitaceae: The plant family that includes squash, cucumbers, melons, and gourds.
Columbian Exchange: The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World.
Pepos: A botanical term for the berry-like fruit of plants in the Cucurbitaceae family, distinguished by a hard rind.
Satiety: The feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating, often influenced by dietary fiber.