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Lemon: a little world of layers

English lesson · Ages 5+ with a grown-up · By Howloop

A lemon has more than a yellow outside. Look closely and you can find a pale layer and little sections inside. Use the play model first, then compare it with a real lemon if a grown-up has one.

Play with lemon →

Our little discovery

Tell the peel, white pith and juicy segments apart.

What is inside?

  • Peel. The yellow outer layer.
  • Segments. Juicy little sections inside.
  • Seeds. Some lemons have no seeds!

Lemons grow in many warm places.

From tree to table

  1. On a tree. Lemons grow on trees.
  2. First, a flower. A flower can become a little lemon.
  3. Time to grow. Many lemons turn yellow as they ripen.
  4. To the kitchen. Ask a grown-up to wash and cut it.

Shaking a tree in the playground is pretend play, not a real harvesting instruction.

Three ways to look closer

You can point, draw or talk. You do not need to taste anything.

  1. Follow the outline

    Turn the model slowly. Trace its outline in the air. Does it look the same from every side?

  2. Find the white layer

    Ask a grown-up to show a cut lemon. Point to the yellow peel, then the white pith underneath. Which layer surrounds the juicy middle?

  3. Count and compare

    Count the segments you can see. Look for real seeds with a grown-up. Is their number the same as the five seeds in our game?

What to notice

The white pith is part of the peel; it is different from the juicy segments. Lemons can vary in shape and seed count, so your lemon does not need to match our picture.

Wonder together

If you point to something white inside a lemon, have you necessarily found a seed? Explain what else it could be.