From the Ground Up:
OCTOBER—Sweet Potatoes
October is sweet potato season! Fun fact: Sweet potatoes aren’t actually potatoes at all—they’re a root vegetable—and a completely different plant than potatoes, which are tubers. Did you know sweet potatoes come in more colors than orange? Sweet potatoes can have purple, white, yellow, pink, and even red flesh.
Louisiana is one of the major sweet potato-producing states in the U.S. Learn all about sweet potatoes and the Louisiana sweet potato industry.
Lesson Plans & Resources
GRADES Pre-K-2:
AITC Sweet Potatoes Coloring Page
Color your way through Louisiana agriculture with our fun-fact, elementary coloring sheets.
Fit-to-page printing option recommended. See more coloring pages.
GRADES K-2:
Potatoes: More Than Fries
Investigate potato varieties, explore potato plants, determine how potatoes grow, and make a potato recipe.
Louisiana Standards
ELA: SL1 & Science: K-2-ETS1-2, K-LS1-1
GRADES K-2:
Dig 'Em Up
Learn the functions of roots and the difference between a tap and fibrous root system. Identify which roots are edible.
Louisiana Standards
ELA: SL1, W8; Math: MP4; Science: 2-LS2-1;
Health: Standard 7, Benchmark 7-E-1
GRADES 3-5:
Powerful Potato
Observe a potato grow with and without soil, chart potato geography on a world map, and hold a potato dress up contest.
Louisiana Standards
ELA: SL2
Science: 3-ESS2-2, 4-ESS2-2
Companion Resources
Make & Takes: Pete the Potato
Create potato people to learn about tuber growth.
Sweet Potatoes Ag Mag
Learn all about sweet potatoes in this Ag Mag issue.
Books
“Mr. Crum's Potato Predicament” by Anne Renaud
This fictional picture book is based on a real man named George Crum, a cook in Saratoga Springs, NY, in the 1850s, who is purported to have created the first potato chip in response to a demanding customer. This book is available on YouTube (11:53).
“No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas” by Tonya Bolden
Discover the incredible true story of how Junius G. Groves, one of history's most successful potato farmers, began life as a slave and worked until he was named the "Potato King of the World!" This book is available on YouTube (13:50).
“Potatoes for Pirate Pearl” by Jennifer Concepcion
Join Pirate Pearl and her parrot Petunia as they learn how potatoes are planted, grown, and harvested in this hilarious picture book about food and friendship. This book is available on YouTube (6:42).
“Two Old Potatoes and Me” by John Coy
One day at her dad's house, a young girl finds two old potatoes in the cupboard. Before she can throw them away, her dad suggests they try to grow new potatoes from the old ones. This book is available on YouTube (4:19).
Videos
Louisiana Sweet Potatoes
Learn all about Louisiana sweet potatoes and the industry bringing them to your table.
Louisiana Harvest of the Month Video Series: Sweet Potatoes
This month’s Louisiana Harvest of the Month was grown by our nation’s first president, George Washington. It’s a root but its leaves are also edible. Have you guessed it? It’s sweet potatoes! Now let’s learn a little bit more about the sweet potato, a vegetable with a history as colorful as its bright orange flesh.