Native or Introduced

Chilli is not Asian. Neither is papaya, maize, cassava or tomato. All of them arrived from the Americas.

This genuinely surprises children and adults alike, and it opens up a large idea, which is that the food landscape they think of as traditional is a few hundred years old.

The page has twelve plants to sort, the answers with rough arrival dates, and a map to draw the journeys on. There is also a discussion box about whether it matters. Some introduced plants are now essential and some are invasive, and grade four can hold both without needing a verdict.