Publisher’s Story Summary:  What are peanuts - are they peas or are they nuts? Do they grow above or below ground? Who invented peanut butter? In the same spirit as his award-winning Life and Times of the Honeybee, Charles Micucci explores one of America's most favorite and enigmatic snack foods. This fascinating picture book, with its concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations, ranging from the humorous to the scientific, offers a spirited introduction to the life cycle, many uses, and historical influences of the peanut. Micucci's rare gift for making any subject engaging and accessible is again revealed in this truly witty, rich salute to the peanut. 

LESSON: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE PEANUT

Lesson Summary

The history and agriculture of the peanut are described. The book also describes many foods made from peanuts.

Concept: Productive Resources

Definition: Productive resources are the natural, human, and capital resources that are used to produce goods and services.

Comprehension Questions:

Identify the natural resources required to grow peanuts as a crop.
Fertile soil, water, warm climate

Identify the capital resources used to harvest peanuts on large farms.
Tractor, digger, shaker, inverter, combine, drying wagon

Identify human resources required to produce peanuts.
Farmers, truck drivers, factory workers.

Describe how the peanut is a versatile product.
There are many possible answers. The peanut can be eaten by itself or used in a variety of foods. It can be squeezed into peanut oil and processed into a variety of products, such as soap.

Compare the first peanut farms to those of today.
South American Indians - human resources; - gathered wild peanuts - natural resources. Later, Indians grew their own peanuts from seed using simple capital resources - hoe, baskets, trench, etc. 

Today, farmers - human resources - grow peanuts from seed using specialized machinery - capital resources.

Other Concepts: Natural Resources, Capital Resources, Human Resources, Productivity, Producers

  Productive Resources 

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