Cereals, beans, sorghum and other seeds at a stall in a market where conversation agriculture goods are sold in Meru, Kenya. Conservation agriculture aims to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture and improved livelihoods of farmers.
PHOTO:FAO/Luis Tato
What are pulses?
Pulses, also known as legumes, are the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for food. Dried beans, lentils and peas are the most commonly known and consumed types of pulses.
Staples dishes and cuisines from across the world feature pulses, from hummus in the Mediterranean (chick peas), to a traditional full English breakfast (baked navy beans) to Indian dal (peas or lentils).
Pulses do not include crops that are harvested green (e.g. green peas, green beans)—these are classified as vegetable crops. Also excluded are those crops used mainly for oil extraction (e.g. soybean and groundnuts) and leguminous crops that are used exclusively for sowing purposes (e.g. seeds of clover and alfalfa).
https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-pulses-day
Did you know?
- Intercropping with pulses increases farm biodiversity and creates a more diverse landscape for animals and insects
- The nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses can improve soil fertility, which improves and extends the productivity of farmland
- Pulses are highly water efficient: for producing 1 kg of lentils needs 1250 liters, while 1 kg of beef requires 13,000 liters.
Plant The Seed - Unpack Your Thinking
I Used to Think… Now I think…
This week we will engage with the I Used to Think… Now I think…routine. This routine helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why their thinking has changed. It helps consolidate new learning
The Power of Pulses
Watch this video and think about what a pulse is. As you reflect record everything you thought about pulses and what they might be. Then, after watching the video what do you now know?
Record your thoughts in your Writers Notebook.
Modelled Thinking
Here is my I used to think… Now I think….– Bronwyn Joyce The Global Write Creator
Let's Write
Prompt 1
100 Word Challenge
Look closely! Use the picture and write a piece in just 100 words. You can write a story, a description or even a persuasive piece. Upload your writing to The Global Write Wakelet Gallery. Be Creative!
Prompt 2
Pulses are not just for adults…
Watch the video and read the article and think about how you could persuade children to eat pulses and like it. Write a persuasive speech to read at a school assembly or publish in a school newsletter.
Prompt 3
Nature’s nutritious seeds: 10 reasons why you should opt for pulses
Find out why you should include pulses in your diet?
After finding out all about how nutritious pulses are, research recipes that include pulses. Record the recipe and share it to The Global Write Wakelet. We would even love you to cook the recipe with your family or at school and share it with us on the Wakelet.
Wakelet Gallery
Share your stories, thinking and posters with us at our Global Write Wakelet Gallery
For the Love of Pulses
