21/4/2011
Today I brought my popcorn maker to the centre so that the children can have popcorn for afternoon tea. At the centre we usually cook popcorn in the microwave. In the afternoon, I prepared the table for the children to observe the popcorn maker. I noticed there was a girl J who was 4 years of age and a boy T who was 4 years of age writing at our literacy table. I asked them if they would like to watch me cook some popcorn using the popcorn maker, they replied “yes” and placed the paper and pencils away on the shelf. So I asked J and T where I shall put the popcorn, J said “in the cup”.
They were happy and excited as they followed me to the table. I asked J and T to call the other children from outside to come in and observe. When they returned with some children I asked them, if they would like to watch the popcorn maker generate. The children reacted with excitement and prepared for it.
I turned the switch on the popcorn maker and we all waited for it to heat up. It was a great experience for both teachers and children as the teachers there had not seen a popcorn maker too.
It took a couple of minutes for the popcorn to work, during this time I explained to the children that when the popcorn heats, it would come out and pouring into the bowl. When the corn started popping B (3.3 years of age) was jumping up and down shouting “Oooh, there it is! Popcorn! ” The other children were excited with him, they watched in amazement. Some chanted “popcorn, popcorn”. R (a boy who is 3 years of age) touched the popcorn maker but I told him not to touch it as it is warm.
W, (4.5 year old boy) asked me “who made that?” as he pointed to the popcorn maker. I replied to him saying “I don’t know”. Then W asked “where did that come from?” pointing at the corn in the bag. (This was related to Te Whariki , “confidence in using a variety of strategies for exploring and making sense of the world , such as asking questions” (Ministry Of Education, 1996, p. 88)). I explained to him that it was corn and was found in shops and in peoples gardens. Some of the popcorn fell out of the bowl and onto the table; the children held the popcorn in their hands and then ate it. They seemed excited to be able to see popcorn being made in front of them. Some corn that was not a success was leftover on the table, T asked if he could eat it, I told him that it did not taste very nice for it is just a seed. T put it in his mouth and tasted it, it is okay for them to explore it themselves by tasting as stated in Exploration, “the confidence ...to explore actively with all the senses,” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.88) . So I was glad that he did try it himself instead of me telling him not to.
As the bowl filled with popcorn, I obtained some in separate cups. There were about 12 children watching. One of the parents arrived to pick up her son so I obtained a cup for her to take home. It was great to see that they were interested in tasting the popcorn at home as well.
We were then ready for afternoon tea! Children had to eat fruit first and then have their popcorn with water to drink.
This was a great experience bringing in the popcorn maker for afternoon tea for both the teachers and the children. I did not know that the teachers have had no experience about popcorn makers. So everybody enjoyed it!
Technology is a purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products (Smorti, 1999, p.5).
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.
References
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999
Smorti, S. (1999) Technology in Early childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 1999
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.
Popcorn! Great activity Veronica! I really like the way you described it the whole process in details. I enjoyed reading the interaction and the responses from children. We had similar activity in our center as well. We used fry pan instead of popcorn maker. In that way, children were able to see how the corn got bigger with the increasing heat and finally popped. It is great to see that safety of the activity was supervised at all times. It is the child’s nature wanting to explore new things, such as R wanted to touch the popcorn maker. You stopped him in time and explained why it was not a good idea to do so. I also agreed the way you allowed the child T to try the dry corn seed by himself to find out the taste. After reading your blog I suggest that maybe the children will be interested in to see how a corn plant grows. I noticed they were interested in where the corn came from. Maybe by planting a young corn plant or even growing it from a seed, so the children will be able to see how the corn plant grows and what a corn look like before it gets to the shops. This would help them to develop working theories for making sense of the natural worlds.
ReplyDeletePop! pop! Pops Veronica. It is a really interesting and exciting acitivity you did with the children. I think popcorn maker is one of the modern machines in cooking and it is a brilliant idea to use it with children in your centre. They get a chance to observe and learn about a new machine(pop corn maker) and also to observe the changes happening to the corns, that is, the corns pop off and become bigger and more softer which is also a great fun to watch. One child also got a chance to taste the hard and soft popcorn. As a matter of curiosity, did you help the child to extend his knowledge in the difference in taste he had of the same thing cooked and uncooked?
ReplyDeleteWay to go Veronica, Making popcorn is always a great way to get everyone involved and participating. Its awesome to see that you had support of others around you and YES..safety does come into mind when things a hot.. Maybe you cold could extend this activity into hot and cold things, hard and soft textures. For example making ice cubes, ice blocks. This activity usually goes down well with the tamariki. Kai pai koe!
ReplyDeleteYummy, Yummy Popcorn.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic activity for children to take a part in as it is very often that children actually get to see popcorn getting made as it is usually made in a pot or in microwave and they don't get to see it POP.
I really like the way you descried the whole process and enjoyed reading your interactions you had with the children.
Have you heard of the book called "granny McQueen and the Popcorn Machine", it is a rally good book and you could read it to your children at mat time next time you decide to make popcorn. I agree with Faith how she said "safety comes into mind when things are hot" and like her idea about doing an activity with hot or cold things. you could also use different temperatures of water by having a really cold one (being put in the freezer for a little while, then cold warm from the tap, a little bit warmer, then a really warm one. According to Te Whariki "Children develop an understanding of nature and properties of a range of substances, such as sand, water, ice, bubbles, blocks, and paper" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.90).
I like the way you brought in you popcorn maker so the children could make their own afternoon, it reminded me about when i took my popcorn maker into the centre. When I took my Popcorn maker into the centre, I allowed the children to taste smell the popcorn kernel, then when we added the popcorn kernels into the machine, turned it on. When the children saw the kernels starting to pop they were to jumping up and down and saying "ohhhhh" and "yeah".
Thank you for sharing your experience.