Curriculum Experience Planning – Never Stop Learning

This blog speaks to the importance of professional development and continuing education for all. With an ever-expanding need for high caliber care and education of our little one’s, we as parents, teachers, education management and a community need to support early educators and care givers who give back so generously to our kiddo’s, their families and the future generations. It’s a matter of trust and responsibility for all parties concerned. Here is an insight into what is seemingly an everyday opportunity but can be tailored to suit and reinforce your child’s learning through hands on experience. Ms. Jessica’s blog is an activity she prepared/executed and reported on as a requirement for her further education studies in ECE.

I. Curriculum Area: Circle One

• Creative Arts/Sensory Exploration (applies to children in infant and toddler rooms)

• Discovery

• Motor/Physical Development

II. Name of Experience: Making pizza

III. Reason to choose this experience for children:  

This falls within ScuttleBugs Reggio Emilia/Emergent approach and is most ideal in that children can relate to and are more engaged in the subject matter driven by their interests in an all-encompassing fun setting (without realizing, your love bugs can acquire learning goals along the way). 

I have been observing the children during activities and they really seem to be interested in cooking. I see them playing in the kitchen and pretending to cook and also when they use playdough they cook pizzas and other things. Dramatic and imaginary based play are critical in a child’s development. Bear in mind, what type of role model are you? Some of what children play out is inevitably made up but often times it’s based on their experiences and observations in life.

IV. What are the outcomes for this experience?

1. The children will be able to choose what they’d like on their pizza. Empowerment and individuality.

2. The children will also be able to taste the flavor of the pizza they have made on their own. Rewards based results – nothing better than a meal you’ve prepared with fresh ingredients!

V. Equipment/Materials:

• Oven

• Pan

• Baking sheets

• Rollers

• 350g flour(2.5 cups)

• 2 ¾ tsp of baking powder

• 1 tsp of salt

• 1 tsp of oil

• 170 ml of water

• Topping of your choice( cheese, pepperoni, tomato sauce)

• Table to set everything out

VII. Presenting the Experience:

I will introduce this activity by setting out all the materials on the table in a way that will catch the children's interest. I will also be inviting the children to come join in the activity at various stages. This activity will connect with the children’s current experiences and part of their daily routine because they usually pretend to be cooking things with materials in the classroom during free play.

I will first set everything out on the table for the children to get an idea of what they will be doing. Once I have children sitting around the table I will introduce to them the materials that they will be using  to make there own pizza. Then I will have the children start to prepare the dough for the pizza and after they are done preparing it I will hand them a piece of it and have then roll it out to make their dough flat. When they are done flattening there dough I will have them put there topping of their own and once they are done with that I will have them help me place a baking sheet on the pan and set there pizzas on top. Then I will transport the items to the oven in the kitchen, away from the children. We will allow them to cool before setting the table to taste, describe and compare our homemade dish! Lastly, we all help clean up the materials within the room. The preparation and enjoyment of this activity will take place inside the classroom and rotate participation in small groupings of 4-6 children.

What other materials might be provided to children if children’s interest in the experience persists?

Provide more relevant materials that extend on this theme. Pretend food/utensils, safe/real/sensory products to replicate consistency/mass and the chemistry of cooking (even adding food dye is a STEM project in itself), books on global cuisine and talk about what we eat at home/school and what the diets of people from around the world consist of. Discuss foods that we like but aren’t healthy for us – explain why. Arrange a family potluck where we can share dishes.