Science Lesson 2: Making Cookies the Scientific Way Lesson Plan

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Lesson 2: Making Cookies the Scientific Way

Purpose: Help students learn the importance of communicating and following scientific procedures.

Students should be able to:
1. Write clear, step-by-step instructions for making cookies
2. Follow instructions and make cookies

Materials:
1. Note cards (4X6)
2. Internet or Recipe Books
3. Bowls, spatulas, baking sheets
4. Baking materials – based on the recipe you have chosen to make

Note: Be aware and take precautions of any students with allergies in your classroom. Do not allow them to participate or eat the final product

To execute lesson:
1. Find a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is easy to make – the one on a bag of chocolate chips will work nicely.

2. Gather the items for the cookies

3. Before pulling out any materials to make cookies have students either work by themselves, with a partner or as a whole class to come up with a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
a. Students often over look the details and will tell you the basics, flour, butter, eggs

4. Bring out the materials, and as a class make a bowl of cookies based on their instructions.
a. It will start with combining the dry ingredients. They will have not told you how much flour, baking soda etc… to use, so dump a little bit of flour in the bowl and ask for the next step.
b. Unless they offer specific amounts just put some of the item in the bowl.
c. As your students watch, someone will probably notice this is not how it should be done. Allow them to discuss why, what is the problem, how we should correct the problem.
d. This is where you will let the students come up with why it is important to have step-by-step instructions in an experiment, or explain a procedure
e. If they don’t stop you allow it to go all the way though to making cookies and if possible bake them, and share them the next day.

5. Once they have determined either the cookies are not going to turn out or you shared the previous day’s cookies with them, they will discover quickly that these cookies are not right.

6. Next
a. Give the groups their cards back and ask them to improve the recipe. They can use the internet, recipe books, or maybe their own recipe.
b. After they have the recipes allow them to switch among groups and follow the recipe to make cookies.

Or

c. Provide students with a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Allow them to compare and contrast the first set of recipes written by the students and the second complete step-by-step instruction recipe
d. Ask the students, which one would be more successful, why, how could the student recipes be improved etc…

7. You might want to encourage math skills in your activity and tell the students you are going to make half a batch so they must change the recipe so that it will only make half a batch.

8. Some groups will still run into problems making the cookies because the group who wrote the recipe didn’t provide correct instructions.

9. End the cookie making by having them discuss or write about the importance of specific instructions that are communicated correctly.

10. Cook the cookies and share the next day.

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Resource by Kelly

I am a former ESL teacher who loves helping adults learn new skills. I enjoy going to concerts and listening to great music when I'm not teaching. I currently live in Chicago, IL and really enjoy the city life.

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