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Popcorn Lesson Plan
   Posted on 2003-01-04 17:22:44, by merle, under Lesson Plans. 15499 views. Rating: 0. Print view, Mail to a friend.

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.

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'spopcorn 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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