The first project idea that I have is to redesign my science unit on matter. The duration of this unit will be two weeks. I have several students this year who share my own love of cooking. I have been trying to think of ways I can incorporate this shared interest of ours into my existing curriculum and what better way than exploring the three states of matter inside of a cooking-centered project. One of my students has expressed to me several times his desire to learn how to make cakes and pies. A couple of weeks ago, we read a book together called How to Bake an Apple Pie and See the World. The book included a recipe in the back for making apple pie. Since reading the book, the entire class is interested in making apple pie. As our science unit on matter gets closer, I have been hoping to show them more about the nature of matter using pie making, specifically the pie crust, itself. Solids, liquids and gases are all at play when the perfect pie crust is baking in the oven.
Project Question: How Do You Make the Perfect Pie Crust?
Week 1: What ingredients do you need to make a pie crust?
Science EQ: How can we describe the properties of matter? How can we classify matter?
Activities:
Day 1: Try to have students come up with this first question that will begin their research. Split students into teams. Have them work using texts on pie-making/baking and their student devices to make a list of all the ingredients they will need to make a pie crust. After 15 minutes of research, come back together in a whole-group setting and watch a short video on matter. (Like BrainPop Jr)
Have students sort the pie crust ingredients into solids and liquids. Ask them why they think we aren't going to add any gases to our pie crust recipe? Do they think gases will be used to make the crust? Have them make some predictions as a closing.
Day 2: Gather ingredients, put a small amount of each ingredient at each student table and have them spend their work session describing the matter. Ask them to describe the color, odor, size, and shape. Students can record their findings in a table that can be glued inside their science journals. After about 15 minutes of investigation, call students back to the carpet for a whole group closing. Teach them that the ways we describe matter are called physical properties of matter. They help us describe the matter. Physical properties can be observed and measured.
Day 3: Measuring the ingredients. Gather materials like a scale, measuring cups and spoons. Have students practice measuring precise amounts for their pie crust. Student teams can store their measured ingredients in ziplock bags so they are ready for mixing at a later date.
Day 4: Making butter. Discuss physical and chemical changes using butter. Begin by asking class where butter comes from? (Not the store!) Research question: How can we make butter in our classroom? Have students research for 15 minutes or so. Come back together to share their findings. Create a plan for making butter in mason jars the following week.
Week 2: How do we use our ingredients to make pie crust?
Science EQ: How can matter be changed?
Day 1: Making butter. Have students watch instructional video on making butter in a mason jar. Have students work in pairs. Each pair gets one jar of cream. Have them take turns shaking the jar of cream like the video shows. When one partner's arm gets tired, the other partner can take a turn. The partner not shaking the cream can sing the chant to keep the shaking in a rhythm. As partners begin to see solids forming in their liquid cream, have them continue shaking until they start to see a large clump of butter. Once butter is achieved, meet partners at the classroom sink to strain and rinse the butter. Butter can be collected in one large metal bowl or jar. When partners are finished, have them clean up their area and then record the process in their science journals using pictures, labels, and sentences.
Day 2: Why does the butter and water need to be ice cold when we make our crust? The point of this investigation is to see what happens to butter when heat is applied. Choose one or two students to hold butter in their hands for a minute or two in front on the class. (Do this over a bowl or napkin!) Have the class make predictions beforehand and then watch to see what happens. Discuss how butter can change from a solid to a liquid when heat is applied and how the liquid butter can change back to a solid when it is cooled down.(Use two metal bowls, stacked with ice between them to recool the butter.) As a closing, show video that explains why butter needs to be solid when making pie crust.
Day 3: How do we mix our ingredients to make our crust? Have students work in teams to follow their given recipe for making pie crust. (extension idea: have different teams try different recipes, discuss the differences)
Day 4: Have students work on a journal entry in their science journals first. They can describe 2 or 3 examples of how matter changed during the process of making their pie crust, or any other journal prompt you may have for them to do. As they work, Teacher should create a clean work surface for rolling out the dough and cutting them into 3" rounds with a cookie cutter. Have pre-sliced apples and cinnamon/sugar mixture nearby for filling pies. As students finish their journal entries, they can come to the work station and begin filling their pies. Take a field trip to the cafeteria to place pies in the oven. Talk about what is going to happen to the solid butter when it heats up in the oven. While enjoying pies (or waiting for them to bake), discuss the changes that occurred with each ingredient or type of matter. Did gases help create our pie crust?
Project Question: How Do You Make the Perfect Pie Crust?
Week 1: What ingredients do you need to make a pie crust?
Science EQ: How can we describe the properties of matter? How can we classify matter?
Activities:
Day 1: Try to have students come up with this first question that will begin their research. Split students into teams. Have them work using texts on pie-making/baking and their student devices to make a list of all the ingredients they will need to make a pie crust. After 15 minutes of research, come back together in a whole-group setting and watch a short video on matter. (Like BrainPop Jr)
Have students sort the pie crust ingredients into solids and liquids. Ask them why they think we aren't going to add any gases to our pie crust recipe? Do they think gases will be used to make the crust? Have them make some predictions as a closing.
Day 2: Gather ingredients, put a small amount of each ingredient at each student table and have them spend their work session describing the matter. Ask them to describe the color, odor, size, and shape. Students can record their findings in a table that can be glued inside their science journals. After about 15 minutes of investigation, call students back to the carpet for a whole group closing. Teach them that the ways we describe matter are called physical properties of matter. They help us describe the matter. Physical properties can be observed and measured.
Day 3: Measuring the ingredients. Gather materials like a scale, measuring cups and spoons. Have students practice measuring precise amounts for their pie crust. Student teams can store their measured ingredients in ziplock bags so they are ready for mixing at a later date.
Day 4: Making butter. Discuss physical and chemical changes using butter. Begin by asking class where butter comes from? (Not the store!) Research question: How can we make butter in our classroom? Have students research for 15 minutes or so. Come back together to share their findings. Create a plan for making butter in mason jars the following week.
Week 2: How do we use our ingredients to make pie crust?
Science EQ: How can matter be changed?
Day 1: Making butter. Have students watch instructional video on making butter in a mason jar. Have students work in pairs. Each pair gets one jar of cream. Have them take turns shaking the jar of cream like the video shows. When one partner's arm gets tired, the other partner can take a turn. The partner not shaking the cream can sing the chant to keep the shaking in a rhythm. As partners begin to see solids forming in their liquid cream, have them continue shaking until they start to see a large clump of butter. Once butter is achieved, meet partners at the classroom sink to strain and rinse the butter. Butter can be collected in one large metal bowl or jar. When partners are finished, have them clean up their area and then record the process in their science journals using pictures, labels, and sentences.
Day 2: Why does the butter and water need to be ice cold when we make our crust? The point of this investigation is to see what happens to butter when heat is applied. Choose one or two students to hold butter in their hands for a minute or two in front on the class. (Do this over a bowl or napkin!) Have the class make predictions beforehand and then watch to see what happens. Discuss how butter can change from a solid to a liquid when heat is applied and how the liquid butter can change back to a solid when it is cooled down.(Use two metal bowls, stacked with ice between them to recool the butter.) As a closing, show video that explains why butter needs to be solid when making pie crust.
Day 3: How do we mix our ingredients to make our crust? Have students work in teams to follow their given recipe for making pie crust. (extension idea: have different teams try different recipes, discuss the differences)
Day 4: Have students work on a journal entry in their science journals first. They can describe 2 or 3 examples of how matter changed during the process of making their pie crust, or any other journal prompt you may have for them to do. As they work, Teacher should create a clean work surface for rolling out the dough and cutting them into 3" rounds with a cookie cutter. Have pre-sliced apples and cinnamon/sugar mixture nearby for filling pies. As students finish their journal entries, they can come to the work station and begin filling their pies. Take a field trip to the cafeteria to place pies in the oven. Talk about what is going to happen to the solid butter when it heats up in the oven. While enjoying pies (or waiting for them to bake), discuss the changes that occurred with each ingredient or type of matter. Did gases help create our pie crust?
Hi Betsy!
ReplyDeleteVery creative lesson plan! Such a great way to bring together your passion for cooking and the required curriculum standards about matter!
I appreciate that your students will engage in such a fun activity and learn from practical experience making butter and pie crust! Your project idea really allows students to study, research, and watch the changes in matter throughout the different stages of making food. I also appreciate that you ended your lesson with the motif question. It really shows that you are planning ahead on assessing students' learning about the matter, gases, and pie crust making at the end of instruction. Very good project idea!