TITLE: A Day Full of Popcorn
AUTHOR: Christy Bingham, Cleveland, Utah
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: K-3
OVERVIEW: For one day all activities will center around popcorn as a
teaching "tool".
PURPOSE: The use of inexpensive, healthful popcorn will create an
atmosphere of fun for eager learners in the classroom.
OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to use the "tool" popcorn with
activities in Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, P.E., Music, Art,
Science and EATING.
RESOURCES Materials needed have been listed with the activities.
POPCORN BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chandler, Edna W. The Popcorn Patch.
DePaola, Tomie. The Popcorn Book.
Sandburg, Carl. The Carl Sandburg Treasury: Prose and Poetry for Young
People, "The Huckabuck Family and How they Raised Popcorn in Nebraska
and Quit and Came Back."
Thayer, Jane. The Popcorn Dragon
Wilkins, Mary. Princess Rosetta and the Popcorn Man.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES: Each student will make a Popcorn Shape Book.
Each activity will be recorded on a page in that book.
SOCIAL STUDIES The teacher will give a short history of
popcorn that might include such items as, Archaeologist have found popcorn
in New Mexico that they believe to be 5,000 years old. Indians brought
popcorn to the first Thanksgiving. The USA grows nearly all the world's
popcorn in Nebraska and Indiana.
LANGUAGE ARTS The students or teacher can read about
Popcorn Legends. The Indians say that a little demon lived
inside each kernel. The demon would get so mad when his house was heated
up that he exploded. Students can make up other stories about why popcorn
pops. The students stories can be shared orally with the class or made
into a Big Book for the class library.
The teacher can read the story The Popcorn Dragon by Jane
Thayer. Before reading this story hide a bag of popcorn for each child
in the classroom. When students enter the classroom have them use their
noses to track down the popcorn. After finding the popcorn , make a circle
and read The Popcorn Dragon. Afterwards allow time for questions and
reenactment. Other stories can be read during the day. They are listed in
Resources.
MATH Preparation of popcorn is made into a math lesson.
The students measure the oil and popcorn to put into the popper. They weigh
the popcorn before it is put into the popper and then weigh it again after
is has popped. This lead to volume, expansion, weight, etc. Counting the
kernels that popped and comparing that with the number that didn't leads to
ratios. Leftover popcorn can be used to reinforce counting concepts. Class
story problems written to show concepts that were used during activities
with the popcorn.
SCIENCE The class has A "Sence"-ational Popcorn Party.
Start the science party with hidden popcorn popper popping.
Discuss the sounds they hear, the smells they smell. Have
several canisters to "rattle" that include popcorn popped and unpopped.
Have a second set of canisters including the smell of plain, buttered
popcorn and other seasoning such as garlic, onion, etc. The students will
identify and discuss how they are alike and different. (Throw in a set of
duplicate smells.) Next have a set of socks (clean and missing a mate) will
items to touch. The student can wear a blindfold or just "feel" and not
look in the sock. Make sure two of the items are popcorn popped and
unpopped. Discuss how we identify objects by feel. Last, bring out the
popper so the students can see the popcorn and taste it. Talk about texture,
color, and flavor. Have other items for the class to taste so they can
compare salty popcorn to items that are sweet, sour, bitter, crispy, bland,
etc.
P.E. The students can play Popcorn Toss. Label plastic
buckets with numbers such as 1, 5, and 10. Place the buckets in a vertical
line in progression from small numbers to large. The students stand on a
designated line and toss popcorn into the containers. The students add up
their scores according to how much popcorn they got in each bucket. This
could also be played in teams.
MUSIC These simple songs could be sung during the Popcorn
Day.
POPCORN IN THE POT (tune: I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little popcorn in a pot
Heat me up and watch me pop.
When I get all puffed up, then I'm done.
Popping corn is lots of fun.
POP, POP, POP MY CORN (tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Pop, pop, pop, my corn,
Pop it big and white.
Popping, popping, popping, popping
'Til it is just right.
ART Glue popcorn on tree branches and choose either a
winter or snow scene to accompany the popcorn tree. Use food coloring to
make the popcorn different colors. Provide a various art supplies such as
colored construction paper, glue, scissors, crayons, markers, etc. Allow
student time to create his/her popcorn picture.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER At the end of the day each student
will have his/her Popcorn Book to review the activities of the day.
The students take their books home and share them with their families.
Then the students bring a sample of popcorn from and have another
POPCORN PARTY.
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