NATIONAL DAY CLASSROOM – Week 2 – September 8-14, 2017
This week in the National Day Classroom, we will apply some of the lessons from National Read a Book Day by taking those cookbooks into the classroom kitchen. On National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day, we want to let the students explore some kitchen basics while having fun doing it. There are several ways of achieving this even with limited resources. Utilizing a little assistance from excellent open source websites and combining it with the tools available at your fingertips, the students will be taking over the classroom kitchen this week.
CLASS IN SESSION
National Day Calendar found two great classroom recipes. The Edible Earth Parfaits features a high-level demonstration of how an aquifer works but can be applied to multiple lesson plans and age groups with modifications. We’ve provided the link to the entire lesson and the ingredients list below. The Apple Pie Parfait will fit well with elementary classrooms, large and small.
National Day Calendar adapted this Edible Earth Parfait from NTVABC’s 2008 Nebraska.tv.
EDIBLE EARTH PARFAITS
Materials Needed (for a class of 25)
Chocolate chips (4, 12 oz bags)
Oreo cookies (2 packages)
Crushed iced (the smaller the better)
Vanilla ice cream (one 5-quart bucket yields 60 aquifers at one generous scoop per student)
Clear soda pop (Sprite, 7-up) (4 liters)
Colored soda (Grape or strawberry) (1 liter)
Small gummy bears (2 lbs)
25-30 Drinking straws (clear work best)
25-30 Clear plastic cups (12 or 16 oz)
25-30 Spoons
Ice cream scoop
For the Aquifer Project follow the instructions at Nebraska.TV.
APPLE PIE
(Ingredients for a class of 25)
2 box of graham crackers (2 sheets per student)
1 can of whipped cream
1/2 apple per student
1 cinnamon apple sauce cup per student
1 dash of ground cinnamon (optional)
Lemon juice
12 oz plastic cups
Plastic knives
Spoons
Resealable sandwich bags
Depending on the age group and for ease of preparation in the classroom, apples may be sliced or chopped ahead of time. Add lemon to keep apples from turning brown.
The rest, the students can do. Place the graham crackers in the sandwich bag and seal. Crush the crackers until they are crumbs. Pour 1/2 of the crushed crackers into the bottom of the plastic cup.
Chop apples with the plastic knife and add to the cinnamon apple sauce. Mix together. Add on top of the graham crackers. Add all but a pinch of the remaining graham crackers on top of the apple mixture.
Add a dollop of whipped cream to each parfait. Sprinkle the last of the graham crackers to the top of the parfait. Add a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy!
ASSIGNMENT
- Assign each child an ingredient or tool to bring.
- As your students are preparing their parfaits, have them describe the textures of the food, the colors of the gummy bears, the carbonation of the sodas.
- Apply fractions to the graham crackers before they are crushed. Measure the crushed graham crackers. Do the results vary?
- Compare the Apple Pie Parfait to a home made apple pie. How are they similar? How are they different?
- Have the students copy the recipe. What would they change? Make sure to note it on the recipe!
- Share your results with National Day Calendar.
OTHER RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
- kidseatright.org – tips for age-appropriate tasks
- thebestideasforkids.com – Groundhog Day snack idea
- Cheese slices, cookie cutters, and crackers are a quick and easy way to involve kids in the kitchen with limited resources. Add a sliced fruit or vegetable. Thinly slice the fruit or vegetables. Students cut shapes out of the cheese and fruit or veggies. Layer the pieces on their crackers and snack time is ready!
