This week, they launched their next unit of inquiry on How we organize ourselves which highlights the importance of observations and experimentations in discovering about the world.
Sniff, sniff.
Squish. Roll.
Taste.
“What is that smell?”
“Ooh, that feels squishy!”
“Yum! I’m hungry already.”
Grade 2 started their new unit on discoveries and procedures. Their learning provocation involved observing and describing raw ingredients to make a pizza. This was followed by a trip to the SIS kitchen lab where they used a recipe to make their own pizza.
As the pizza bakes, students observe closely what is happening to the ingredients. How is the crust changing as it bakes? What happens to cheese when it’s in the oven? What properties of the ingredients are changing? Size? Texture? Smell?
A provocation like this is integrated with reading, writing, and math -- Reading the recipe, recording observations, and measuring ingredients. Students are using critical thinking skills and making connections as they observe and actively manipulate the materials/ingredients to make a pizza.
Finally, the best part... students get to eat their experiment! Yum, that pizza was delicious!
