Muddy kitchen experience

Type of resource: Blog, game

Web address https://www.edinatrust.org.uk/nursery-case-studies

Language: English

Description

This experience lets children play with mud, petals, leaves, etc. It is a free activity in which they can cook anything they set their minds to, and serve their creations. It may involve measuring, pouring, stirring, concocting and creating.

Scientific concept introduced

Density, textures, natural smells, organic and inorganic materials, vegetables and flowers

Creative and critical thinking

To take initiative.

To create.

To think and discover what they can do with elements they see everyday.

Mathematical reasoning

To measure, count, calculate, classify the ingredients they use.

Scientific thinking

To design their own experiment.

To observe, experiment with the ingredients.

To analyse and interpret the cooking process.

To draw conclusions based on observation.

Learning how to learn

To develop motivation to learn, and engagement in the activity. It can also help copying with stress.

Additional

Learning how to work in a team: sharing ideas, following the safety rules and discipline. Large and fine motor skills: hand – eye coordination, precise movement.

Kitchen vocabulary and actions.

Muddy kitchen experience

Overall aims

– To take initiative.
– To be creative.
– To explore the environment
– To think and discover what they can do with elements they see every day.

Vocabulary – keywords should be understood

Density, textures, natural smells, organic and inorganic materials, vegetables and flowers, soil, wood, sticks, stones…

Expected learning outcomes (operational aims)

– To develop the ability to measure, count and calculate amounts of ingredients
– To classify the ingredients based on their properties and origin (organic or inorganic)
– To understand the characteristics of the different materials

STEM skills – to which the learning unit is related to

CORE STEM SKILLS

– To design their own experiment.
– To select and manipulate natural ingredients found in the environment.
– To analyze and interpret the simulated cooking process.
– To draw conclusions based on observation.

Teaching methodologies/activity outline

This experience lets children play with mud, petals, leaves, etc. It is a free activity in which they can cook anything they set their minds to and serve their creations. It may involve measuring, pouring, stirring, concocting and creating.

1- Lest go to see what we need to start the experiment:
Children can use all the materials they find in the environment.

2- Prepare and develop the activity:
Pupils explore using their senses by pouring, mixing, squeezing and squelching materials that might not normally be available to them and create all kind of invented dishes like petal soup or ground hamburger.

3- Results of the activity:
kids can explore the environment selecting different materials to play and create mixtures that simulate real dishes.

4- Conclusion
They will have been able to measure, select, count, calculate, manipulate, explore etc.

Assessment of learning

Initial evaluation
– Get to know the previous knowledge about organic and inorganic elements, cooking procedures, textures, material’s properties…

Continued evaluation
– Listen, think, create and elaborate explanations of the activity procedures.
– Observe and explore the options of cooking with natural elements that they have in the surrounding environment with an attitude of curiosity.
– Use the oral language and gesture to express ideas and feelings.

Final evaluation
– To evaluate the learning objectives.