Haldane Elementary School
Teachers: Michelle Hartford, Lisa Pray, Jen Windels
Course Level: Fourth Grade
Driving Question: How can we use “My Plate” to make healthy choices?
Project Snapshot
After researching need to knows and reading about “My Plate” in GR groups, students collaborated on designing and baking a group healthy cupcake. The group requirement was to have a combination of one fruit, one vegetable baked inside, and be able to explain the benefits of the ingredients. (What vitamins and minerals were in the ingredients and what did it do for your body). The group presented the cupcake to a panel of judges. The winning healthy cupcake was a carrot cake with a lemon icing. All cupcakes were made from scratch in the classroom and baked in the school oven.
Student Products
- Researched and learned about healthy choices through science, ela, and math standards
- Baked a cupcake in the classroom with one fruit and one vegetable hidden inside
- Presented their group cupcake and benefits of the healthy choices to a panel of judges (principals, superintendent, and teachers)
- Wrote a persuasion essay containing an introduction, hidden fruit with fruit benefits, hidden vegetable with vegetable benefits
Teacher Reflection
Students not only loved this project but continued to talk about the benefits of their hidden ingredients to parents and peers. This project was successful because it brought a real life situation to light. We even learned that Vitamin K prevented blood clots. Students will probably always reach for a cupcake at a birthday party, but I bet they will always wonder how to make it healthier!
Student Reflection
Some students loved working on the project. A few favorite parts were making the cupcakes in class, taste testing them and having the principal eat them! Some students thought this was a very challenging project because the students needed to learn how to work together to make decisions about their cupcake designs.
Community Reflection
Very positive! One parent mentioned that her daughter knew more about how many vitamins and minerals were in zucchini and what it did to her body better than she did.