On Halloween, we did a really cute STEM activity in the classroom. My students are used to me just popping up and saying we are going to try something new. For our Science lesson today, we watched the preview for pumpkin chunkin' on youtube that I found from my high school alma mater. Love that my high school does a whole Mythbusters science class. How cool is that? Anyway, we also visited some websites about pumpkin chunkin and how to make catapults.
We reviewed some websites about Pumpkin Chunkin'
http://www.punkinchunkin.com/
http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/punkin-chunkin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_chunking
http://www.stormthecastle.com/catapult/popsiclestick-catapult.htm
http://teachingboys.net/2012/09/27/how-to-build-a-catapult-out-of-popsicle-sticks/
I then put the students in teams and gave them some materials and had them begin the process of making a popsicle stick catapult. They had to plan, draw, create, test, revise, and then be ready for pumpkin chunkin'
Materials:
Small popsicle sticks
Large popsicle sticks
Rubber bands
Water Bottles
Masking Tape
Duct Tape
Paperclips
Cardboard Boxes (I had been collecting my birchbox boxes for this activity)
Plan: They spent some time with their team talking about the catapults we had seen and how they could do that with the materials I provided.
Draw:
They had to draw the catapult and label it with the materials they would need. I gave them exactly what was listed as the materials they would need. If they needed different items they had to bring me an updated plan.
Create:
They had thirty minutes to create their catapult.
Test:
We went outside and did a test run with the catapults.
Rework:
The student then had 15 minutes to make adjustments to the catapults.
Pumpkin Chunkin':
We then went out and used our catapults to launch little candy pumpkins up the sidewalk. The students had a blast.
Writing:
The students came in and wrote about their pumpkin chunkin experience and what worked, what didn't work, and what they would do now. I think we might laugh easter eggs in the spring... so they will get to revist the catapult and put their revisions into action!
On a side note:
We aren't the only ones interested in pumpkin chunkin' apparently! This is a PTA video of a school doing some pumpkin chunkin'.
http://vimeo.com/78476466
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Cupcake Wars: Day 4
Day 4: September 27th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Displays for the Cupcake Wars – Advertisement,
Recipe, Paragraph
9:45 – 10:15 Chromatography Display
10:15 – 11:00 Writing
Assignment: Narrative/Informational on Cupcake Experience
11:00-– 11:45 LEAP
Time Activities: Math Games Bakery Style
Smart Exchange
Smart Exchange
11:45 – 12:15 Art Assignment: Cupcake Art – Manila
Paper
1:00 – 2:00 Guest Speaker: Bakery Owner ~ Simply Cupcakes ~ Ms. June
2:00 – 2:15 Cupcake War Guest Judges: Dr. Brantley, Ms.
Conner, Mrs. Kendrick, Mrs. Jan Jacobsen
2:15 – 2:30 Celebration Time: Sharing our cupcakes with the other third grade classes
2:30 – 3:30 Who sent the Cake? Science Mystery. Scientific Method & Experiment
Created by Science For Kids
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Who-Sent-the-Cake-Using-Science-to-Solve-a-Mystery-431770
Created by Science For Kids
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Who-Sent-the-Cake-Using-Science-to-Solve-a-Mystery-431770
Cupcake Wars: Day 3
Day 3: September 20th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Baking Cupcakes and Making Frosting – Preparing
for the day
9:30– 10:15 Tour of School Cafeteria to experience a large
kitchen and prep area.
Interview with Ms. Ross the cafeteria manager.
Edmodo question posted to forum.
10:15 – 10:45 Have your Cake and Eat it to Inferring Activity (Partner Activity-
Creativity Activity)
Created by Christina Bainbridge
Created by Christina Bainbridge
10:45 – 11:15 Recipes for Chocolates
http://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/chocolate-decorations-for-desserts/
http://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/chocolate-decorations-for-desserts/
Making Chocolates & Decorations
for Desserts – Record in Folder
Preparing for Guest Speaker:
Questions
11:15 – 12:15 Looking
through Cupcake Books, Creating your Advertisement for Cupcakery – On Manila
Paper http://goo.gl/04NAxF
1:00 – 2:00 Guest Speaker: Bakery Owner ~ Cheryl ~
Smallcakes
2:00 – 3:00 Making
Chocolate Designs & Decorations, Decorating Cupcakes
Cupcake Wars: Day 2
The students were so excited to come to school and see that we were still doing the Cupcake Wars. They didn't want to go to specials. They wanted to get started with the day. So, that is exactly what we did. We got right to work! They pulled out their purple folders and we were off to the Selph'ish' Delights Bakery!
Day 2: September 13th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Literature: We started by reviewing the Bake Shop Ghost trailer on youtube.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6OrSYgs7VQ
Then we actually read the book. In the book, the main character says she will only go away and stop haunting the bakery if the new baker can bake her a cake like she would make. So the students and I stopped here and we did a Design a Cake Activity. We shared our cakes and then we finished the book. It was a wonderful activity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6OrSYgs7VQ
9:45 – 10:45 Animoto: Cupcakes Video: I made some animoto videos to go with each day of our cupcake experience. I showed one each of the four days as a kind of agenda of all the exciting things that we had to look forward to for the day. The kids loved them! We even sent the invitations to the cupcake wars through animoto.
Record: Making
Frosting ~ Recipes into Notebooks
We looked at some simple frosting recipes on Wilton.com and added them to our purple folders.
We looked at some simple frosting recipes on Wilton.com and added them to our purple folders.
Introduction to Frosting Tips &
Designs
We then took a trip through all of the pictures I had collected of decorated cupcakes (there are millions out there). I choose pictures that would show how different cupcake tips were used and what our cupcakes might look like when we finish these activities.
10:45 – 11:45 Making & Baking Cupcakes & Frosting
Tips Activity
We then got into our groups and made cupcake batter and frosting. We also prepped the decorating bags with the four main types of decorating tips. We baked the cupcakes super fast in the Babycakes cupcake maker. The students loved using it because it was so fast. On average, it was nine minutes to a perfect cupcake.
We then got into our groups and made cupcake batter and frosting. We also prepped the decorating bags with the four main types of decorating tips. We baked the cupcakes super fast in the Babycakes cupcake maker. The students loved using it because it was so fast. On average, it was nine minutes to a perfect cupcake.
BabyCakes Cupcake Maker
11:45 – 12:15 Social Studies Lesson on Resources: Natural, Human, Capital, &
Entrepreneurship
I did a quick lesson on the three types of resources every entrepreneur has to be aware of in order to run a successful business. The students created questions that had to do with the three resources and entrepreneurship. Each student came up with two questions and wrote them on index cards.
1:00 – 2:00 Guest Speaker: Bakery Owner ~ Wendy Wilson from
Wilson’s Bakery
2:00 – 3:00 Decorating Practice & Cupcake Decorating
We practiced decorating our cupcakes while we watched an episode of Cupcake Wars on youtube.
We practiced decorating our cupcakes while we watched an episode of Cupcake Wars on youtube.
The students had to reflect in their purple folders about something they already knew about cupcakes, something new they had learned, and something they were still hoping to learn. They then wrote about something they loved about Wendy Wilson's visit and made her thank you cards.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Cupcake Wars: Day 1
Cupcake Wars Day 1: September 6th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Introduction to Enrichment Days,
Pass Out Purple Folders~ Decorate Folders with Cupcake Art & Names
9:45 – 10:45: Literature: Froggy Bakes a Cake ~ Froggy makes a cake by himself. He uses the basic ingredients that most cakes are made from. This lower level story is fun and engaging. It also helps students recognize the basic ingregients that are used to make cakes.
Books that help us bake cakes: Introduce the 10 Recipe Books about Cupcakes
Reading Skills: Read a Basic Recipe
Record: Chocolate Cake Recipe in Purple Folder (Wilton.com)
Record: Vanilla Cake Recipe in Purple Folder (Wilton.com)
T-Chart comparison Recipe Books and Froggy Bakes a Cake
10:45 – 11:45 Comparison Activity: Box Cupcakes (Chocolate with vanilla frosting) & Bakery Cupcakes (Simply Cupcakes): Double Bubble Map & Opinion Paper
11:15 – 12:15 Cooking Safety: Cooking Safety Rules Chart
Cooking Safety: Tools Bakers Use
Video Trailer: The Bake Shop Ghost (youtube.com)
1:00 – 2:00 Measurement Practice: How many tsps? tbsps? Cups? Activity
2:00 – 3:00 Science Experiment: (Conduction, Convection, Radiation) Cake Baking in an Easy Bake Oven/Toaster Oven/Baby Cakes Cupcake Maker
3:00 – 3:30 Video: Cupcake Wars
Introduce Cupcake Wars Letter to Parents & Rubric for Cupcake Project
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Cupcake Wars: Guest Speakers
Part of Renzulli's ideology is that students learn best from first hand experience with the experts in the field of study. I happen to agree with this idea that we learn best when we have access to all the resources possible. With this in mind I contacted the local bakeries and cupcakeries to see if they would mind coming into the classroom and talking with the students or demonstrating some of the the techniques they use in their business.
The first Friday we didn't have a guest speaker. I concentrated on getting the students familiar with cupcakes, recipes, and tools for cooking.
The second Friday we had Wendy Wilson, the owner, from Wilson's Bakery.
1719 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins, GA(478) 922-9300
"For over 60 years, Wilson's Bakery in the Miller Hills shopping center on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins has provided generations of patrons with some of Middle Georgia's most renowned baked goods."
The third Friday we had Cheryl Kent, the owner, from Smallcakes.
206 Russell Parkway, Suite 200 Warner Robins, Georgia (478) 225-6418
https://www.facebook.com/Smallcakes.WR
The fourth Friday we had two of the staff members from Simply Cupcakes.
627 S Houston Lake Rd, Warner Robins, GA(478) 319-6891
http://www.wrcupcakes.com/index.html
The Questions that the students asked revolved around being entrepreneurship, skills, tools, and resources.
They had a great time asking questions and learning more about these small businesses and certainly learned a lot
about cupcakes.
The first Friday we didn't have a guest speaker. I concentrated on getting the students familiar with cupcakes, recipes, and tools for cooking.
The second Friday we had Wendy Wilson, the owner, from Wilson's Bakery.
1719 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins, GA(478) 922-9300
"For over 60 years, Wilson's Bakery in the Miller Hills shopping center on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins has provided generations of patrons with some of Middle Georgia's most renowned baked goods."
The third Friday we had Cheryl Kent, the owner, from Smallcakes.
206 Russell Parkway, Suite 200 Warner Robins, Georgia (478) 225-6418
https://www.facebook.com/Smallcakes.WR
The fourth Friday we had two of the staff members from Simply Cupcakes.
627 S Houston Lake Rd, Warner Robins, GA(478) 319-6891
http://www.wrcupcakes.com/index.html
The Questions that the students asked revolved around being entrepreneurship, skills, tools, and resources.
They had a great time asking questions and learning more about these small businesses and certainly learned a lot
about cupcakes.
Cupcake Wars: Creating the Plan
I started with a basic plan for what do I want the students to learn. How will I know when they have learned it? What things can I do to enrich the activities? What things will my students be able to do when they are done with the enrichment days? What final product will they create to show they have acquired some basic skills during the unit? Once I had some answers to these questions, it all just started to come together. This is what the plan looked like when I had put all the pieces in place.
Day 1: September 6th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Introduction to Enrichment Days,
Pass Out
Purple Folders~ Decorate Folders with Cupcake Art & Names
9:45 – 10:45: Literature: Froggy Bakes a Cake ~ Froggy makes a cake by himself. He uses the basic ingredients that most cakes are made from. This lower level story is fun and engaging. It also helps students recognize the basic ingregients that are used to make cakes.
Books that help us bake cakes: Introduce
the 10 Recipe Books about Cupcakes
Reading Skills: Read a Basic Recipe
Record: Chocolate
Cake Recipe in Purple Folder
Record:
Vanilla Cake Recipe in Purple Folder
Group
Venn diagram comparison Recipe Book and Froggy Bakes a Cake
10:45 – 11:45 Comparison Activity: Box Cupcakes (Chocolate with vanilla frosting) & Bakery Cupcakes (Simply Cupcakes): Double
Bubble Map & Opinion Paper
11:15 – 12:15 Cooking Safety: Cooking Safety Rules Chart
Cooking Safety: Tools Bakers Use
Video Trailer: The Bake Shop Ghost
1:00 – 2:00 Measurement
Practice: How many tsps? tbsps? Cups? Activity
2:00 – 3:00 Science Experiment: (Conduction, Convection, Radiation) Cake Baking in an Easy Bake
Oven/Toaster Oven/Baby Cakes Cupcake Maker
3:00 – 3:30 Video: Cupcake Wars
Introduce Cupcake Wars Letter to Parents &
Rubric for Cupcake Project
Day 2: September 13th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Literature: Bake Shop Ghost Reading and Design a Cake Activity/ Writing ~ Finish the Book
9:45 – 10:45 Animoto: Cupcakes Video
Record: Making
Frosting ~ Recipes into Notebooks
Introduction to Frosting Tips &
Designs (Article Review) – Record in
Notebook
10:45 – 11:45 Making & Baking Cupcakes & Frosting
Tips Activity
11:45 – 12:15 Social Studies Lesson on Resources: Natural, Human, Capital, &
Entrepreneurship
Create Questions to Ask the Guest Speaker that have to do with the three resources and entrepreneurship
1:00 – 2:00 Guest Speaker: Bakery Owner ~ Wendy Wilson from
Wilson’s Bakery
2:00 – 3:00 Decorating Practice & Cupcake Decorating
3:00 -3:30 Clean Up & Ticket out the door writing assignment – In Notebook
Day 3: September 20th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Baking Cupcakes and Making Frosting – Preparing
for the day
9:30– 10:15 Tour of School Cafeteria to experience a large
kitchen and prep area.
Interview with Ms. Ross the cafeteria manager.
Edmodo question posted to forum.
10:15 – 10:45 Have your Cake and Eat it to Inferring Activity (Partner Activity-
Creativity Activity)
10:45 – 11:15 Recipes for Chocolates
Exploring the Website for The
Secret Chocolatier –
Making Chocolates & Decorations
for Desserts – Record in Folder
Preparing for Guest Speaker:
Questions
11:15 – 12:15 Looking
through Cupcake Books, Creating your Advertisement for Cupcakery – On Manila
Paper
1:00 – 2:00 Guest Speaker: Bakery Owner ~ Cheryl ~
Smallcakes
2:00 – 3:00 Making
Chocolate Designs & Decorations, Decorating Cupcakes
3:00 -3:30 Writing
Assignment: Compare & Contrast Smallcakes & Wilson’s Bakery
Day 4: September 27th, 2013
8:45 – 9:45 Displays for the Cupcake Wars – Advertisement,
Recipe, Paragraph
9:45 – 10:15 Chromatopography Display
10:15 – 11:00 Writing
Assignment: Narrative/Informational on Cupcake Experience – Drafting Paper
11:00-– 11:45 LEAP
Time Activities: Math Games Bakery Style
11:45 – 12:15 Art Assignment: Cupcake Art – Manila
Paper
1:00 – 2:00 Guest Speaker: Bakery Owner ~ Simply Cupcakes ~ Ms. June
2:00 – 2:15 Cupcake War Guest Judges: Dr. Brantley, Ms.
Conner, Mrs. Kendrick, Mrs. Jan Jacobsen
2:15 – 2:30 Celebration Time: Sharing our cupcakes with the other third grade classes
2:30 – 3:30 Who sent the Cake? Science Mystery. Scientific Method & Experiment
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