Colorful pancakes – natural pigments

Colorful pancakes – experimenting with natural pigments

Type of resource: Websites

Web address https://odzywianie.hellozdrowie.pl/artykul-kolorowe-nalesniki-dzieci-je-pokochaja/

Language: English

Description

Investigating the process of colorizing food with natural plants’ pigments – with the example of pancake dough.

Scientific concept introduced

Pancakes, pancake dough, natural pigments, the process of food coloring (pigmentation), frying/ baking.

Creative and critical thinking

Mathematical reasoning

Measuring the ingredients, understanding proportions between ingredients.

Scientific thinking

Curiosity, observing, experimenting, making predictions (formulating hypothesis), drawing conclusions

Learning how to learn

Motivation and engagement, independence

Additional

Teamwork, cooperating with others, taking responsibility for common work; Following the rules of safety, keeping order at the workplace; Development of fine motor skills; Language competencies – listening, following the instructions; Using technical tools and kitchen equipment.

Colorful pancakes – experimenting with natural pigments

Overall aims

– Developing the understanding of food coloring (pigmentation) process
– Developing the ability to bake colorful pancakes using natural pigments
– Developing the skills of using simple kitchen tools and equipment
– Developing the understanding of the rules of safe and hygienic work
– Developing the healthy eating habits

Vocabulary – keywords should be understood

pancakes, pancake dough, natural pigments, the process of food coloring (pigmentation), frying/ baking

Expected learning outcomes (operational aims)

The children will be able to:
– name the ingredients necessary to prepare pancake dough;
– prepare natural pigments;
– measure and mix the ingredients to produce the pancake dough;
– skillfully and carefully use the kitchen tools and equipment;
– take care of the order and tidiness at the workplace;
– follow the rules of safety and hygiene in the kitchen.

STEM skills – to which the learning unit is related to

CORE STEM SKILLS

Creative and critical thinking

Mathematical thinking: measuring the ingredients, understanding proportions between ingredients.

Scientific thinking: curiosity, observing, experimenting, making predictions (formulating hypothesis), drawing conclusions

Learning to learn: motivation and engagement, independence

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Teamwork, cooperating with others, taking responsibility for common work

Following the rules of safety, keeping order at the workplace

Development of fine motor skills

Language competencies – listening, following the instructions,

Using technical tools and kitchen equipment

Teaching methodologies/activity outline

1. Building problem situation:

Questions:

What kind of pancakes do you like to eat?

How to do pancakes?

What ingredients are necessary to prepare pancake dough?

What kitchen tools and equipment do we need?

What should be done to keep the baking process safe and clean?

Research question:

How to do colorful pancakes e.g. red, green, yellow or brown?

2. Formulating predictions:

The teacher writes down children’s ideas.

3. Verifying hypothesis: Preparing pancake dough

The teacher divides the group into small teams, each team receives the recipe (with illustrations, easy to „read” for small children). Each team follows slightly different recipe – with the use of different natural pigments:

– First group prepares the pancake dough following the instruction: 4 eggs, 3 glasses of plain flour, 3 glasses of milk, 1 glass of water – the ingredients are mixed carefully in the bowl to achieve a smooth dough;

– The pancake dough should be divided into 5 equal portions and given to 5 teams , which will mix the dough with independently produced natural pigment.

– First team – does not add any additional pigment, starts baking pancakes.

– Second team prepares a green pigment using spinach – a handful of spinach should be placed in a blender, then the pigment should be added to the dog and mixed carefully;

– Third team adds 2-3 spoons of beetroot sourdough to the pancake dough, and mixes carefully to achieve pink dough.

– Fourth team should prepare a yellow dough using half a teaspoon of turmeric, and mixing carefully.

– Fifth team uses 2 spoons of cocoa.

– The every team bakes the pancakes under the supervision of a teacher.

4. Summarizing the activity and drawing conclusions:

The teams present and serve their pancakes – explain how the colorful pancakes were prepared. Children discuss the color, texture and taste of different pancakes. The group verifies the hypothesis – children undertake a critical reflection on different types of ingredients that can be used to produce natural pigments, and other types of food which can be prepared in a colorful version

5. Explanation for a teacher:
Natural pigments used during the activity origin from plants. The natural pigments used in an industry are produced through the process of extracting biological substances (isolating an ingredient from the mixture with diffusion into liquid). Natural pigments are isolated from plants in the physical process (with force) – such compounds are not susceptible to chemical modification, unless the longer preservation is needed (in industrial food processing). Botanicals and plants’ extracts (such as: berries, leaves, flowers etc) are often used to produce natural food pigments.

Assessment of learning

Pictures of different types of pancakes are placed on a blackboard (natural pancakes and colorful). Children mark the pancakes they liked the best (they put a sticker under a proper picture). The whole group counts the results of voting and choose the winner type of pancake.

Equipment and materials to be used in learning unit (tools, ingredients etc)

4 eggs, 3 glasses of natural flour, 3 glasses of milk, 1 glass of water wody, oil or butter for frying, beetroot sourdough (or a small grated beetroot), fresh or frozen spinach, turmeric, cocoa, large bowl, spoons, frying pan, blender, cooker – or access to kitchen