Baking With STEM For Children 

This photo was retrieved on March 19th, 2021, from https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/baking-101/baking-with-kids/ 

Throughout the past few weeks, I have given you examples of different activities that you can do with your child involving one aspect of STEM. Today, I have decided to change it up. What about doing an activity/learning experience that integrates all aspects of STEM? I know, it sounds confusing and difficult, right? Well, actually, that isn't the case at all. Did you know that you, as a parent, are actually using all aspects of STEM when you bake cookies? Hahaha! Shocking right? Well, it's true. As you will soon find out, taking the time to bake and/or cook with your child is not only a great bonding experience but also a great learning experience. So let's get to baking! Oh, I almost forgot! SAFETY DISCLAIMER: If you are going to allow your child to engage in this experience, they must be old enough to work and be around heated elements, or you must help them through the process. I do not advise leaving a three to nine-year-old on their own in the kitchen; it usually doesn't end well :) 

Data Display 

 As I explained to you last week, data displays are a great way for children to display information that they have collected. The problem surrounding this experience revolves around "What is Your Favourite Type of Cookie?" Below is a bar graph template that you can show to your child to help them create their own. Or if you choose, you can just copy mine, whichever is easier. :) 

Chocolate Chip Cookies  

   Materials Required: 

•           Measuring Cups
•           Measuring Spoons
•           Mixing Bowl
• 
•           Mixing Spoon
•           Whisk
•           Ungreased baking sheet
  
•           A Timer
•           A large spoon
•           1 cup of flour
•           1 cup of white sugar
•           1 cup of brown sugar
•           2 eggs
•           1 cup of softened butter
•           2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
•           1 teaspoon of baking soda
•           2 teaspoons of hot water
•           ½ teaspoon of salt
•           3 cups of all-purpose flour
•          2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips 

This photo was retrieved on March 19th, 2021, from https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookies/77c14e03-d8b0-4844-846d-f19304f61c57.  

Instructions: 

-          Step #1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C

-          Step #2: Get out your mixing bowl and spoon, and combine the softened butter, white and brown sugar mixture until smooth. Then grab your whisk, and beat in the eggs, one at a time.

-          Step #3: Get your hot water, and dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda into the water.

-          Step #4: Add the baking soda mixture to the sugar mixture, along with ½ teaspoon of salt.

-          Step #5: Next, measure out 3 cups of all-purpose flour, and add to the mixture.

-          Step #6: Measure out 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and add them to the mixture.

-          Step #7: Combine ingredients until they are well mixed and combined, using your mixing spoon.

-          Step #8: Now get out your large spoon. Take the spoon and scoop up a large amount of cookie dough and place them evenly on your ungreased baking sheet.

-          Step #9: Place the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Make sure your oven is preheated before placing the cookies in.  

-          Step #10: Let cool, then enjoy!

This recipe was retrieved on March 19^th, 2021 from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10813/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Learning Involved For Your Child: 

The learning involved for your child while baking chocolate chip cookies is endless. There are various ways in which they will continue to learn and develop new STEM skills. “In In the elementary school classroom, cooking can demonstrate concepts integral to early STEM education. Like nursery school, sand and water tables that connect the relationship between play and learning, cooking can be a deliberate and complex way to extend children’s natural curiosity” (Colella, n.d., para.3).

Science:

            Science is incorporated in the baking of chocolate chip cookies through the property changes of ingredients (Parks, 2015, p.4). Your children will begin to learn that when liquids and solids are combined, they form a dough-like substance. Once the heat is added to this doughy substance, the property changes from gooey liquid to a solid (in the form of a cookie). Furthermore, your children will begin to learn that temperature can cause changes in colours, from a lighter shade of brown (in this instance) to a darker shade. They may also begin to understand where food comes from (the original sources, not just the grocery stores) throughout this experience. As parents, you should ensure that you are taking the time to talk to your children about where flour, baking soda, vanilla extract, etc., comes from, allowing them to expand their knowledge and curiosity. Through this experience, your child will also begin to understand the chemical/physical reactions created when baking. For example, the use of baking soda (in this case). According to Born,” Leavening is a basic baking concept that can be done via physical, chemical or biological means. Many baking recipes require some type of leavening;…” (para.6). In the case of baking chocolate chip cookies, the leavener is baking soda, as mentioned before. When adding baking soda, this would be a good opportunity for educators to explain to children the properties of baking soda and its effects on the cookies themselves.

Technology:

            Technology is greatly used throughout this experience. Using technology, your child will be able to research different recipes of cookies online, comparing each before deciding which one they would rather use (Parks, 2015, p.4). Secondly, once the cookies are placed in the oven, your child will begin to understand the use of timers and how they function in the kitchen. Depending on the child's age performing this experience, along with the type of timer provided, they may require assistance from either yourself or an older sibling. Furthermore, depending on the type of mixing equipment provided to the children, they may begin to learn how to work simple machinery such as an electric mixer (Park, 2015, p.4).

Engineering:

            When baking cookies, one of the most important tools one can have is a recipe. According to Jessica Born (2017, May 10), in her article, Muffins for Mom: Baking Up a STEM Lesson, “A recipe is nothing more than a material list and instructions, not unlike what you might need for a science project or building project. Recipes allow kids to practice their reading skills and learn to follow step by step processes” (para.3). As stated in this quote, when children are following a step-by-step process, in this case, a recipe, they are, in fact, engaged in the form of engineering. They follow a process, building the cookie dough and placing it in the oven to create a soothing treat.

 Mathematics:

            As we are all taught in school, math is almost always at the core of each activity, no matter where you go or what you do. In my STEM experience, there are many ways your child will be further developing their math skills. Firstly, through measurement. Your child will begin to understand what fractions are, for example, ½ teaspoon of salt. They may ask the question, “What is 1/2”? This is a good opportunity for you, a parent, to explain to them that when you add two of the ½ tablespoons together, they create the 1 tablespoon. “Measurement: Being able to accurately measure ingredients is critical to the baking process. Understanding conversations, weights, and volume are inherent to success with recipes” (Born, 2017, para.6). Secondly, when baking, there is always room to adjust the recipe to suit the number of cookies needed. This may mean increasing the amount of each ingredient or decreasing, depending on the situation. By changing the needed amount of each ingredient,  your child will be able to further develop their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and even division skills (National Education Association, 2020, para. 6). I encourage you to do just that. Alter the recipe, give your child a math problem relating to the recipe that they must solve. It will keep them engaged while also testing and furthering their mathematical skills.  Lastly, by including a data display into my STEM Kit experience, as I mentioned last week, your children will continue developing their skills in “… comparing, sorting, classifying, counting, 1:1 correspondence and predicting” (Faires, 2021, slide 6). 

Questions You Can Ask Your Child: 

This photo was retrieved on March 19th, 2021, from https://www.momjunction.com/articles/trivia-questions-and-answers-for-kids_00418437/. 

While your children are engaged in this STEM experience, there are many questions that you as parents can ask them. An example of a science-based question could be: “What do you think would happen to the cookies if we didn’t add any baking soda?”  Or an example of a math-based question could be, “If we were to double the recipe, how many ½ teaspoons of salt will we need?” Or, “ If we wanted to start baking the cookies at 4:00 and it takes 1 hour to prepare/bake, at what time should we start the process?”. Through questions like these, you as parents can challenge children to expand their knowledge, thinking, and curiosity. 

Until next week :) 

- Lauren 

References

Born, J. (2017, May 10th). Muffins for mom: Baking up a STEM lesson. Pitsco Education. https://www.blog.pitsco.com/blog/muffins-for-mom-baking-stem-lesson

 

 

Colella, J. (n.d.). Beyond the kitchen:Cooking in the STEM classroom. The Cooks Cook. https://www.thecookscook.com/columns/the-kids-cook/beyond-the-kitchen-cooking-in-the-stem-classroom/

 

Faires, T. (2021). Data gathering, data display, and data analysis. {Powerpoint slides}. Algonquin College. https://brightspace.algonquincollege.com/d2l/le/content/315788/viewContent/5195765/View

 

National Education Association. (2020, July 13). STEM lessons in the kitchen. https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/stem-lessons-kitchen

 Parks, L. (2015). Giving STEM a place in early childhood classrooms. Texas Childcare Quarterly, 39(3), https://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/winter15_stem.pdf