Dear Greenwood Parents,
This is a fun math cooking activity. We hope you enjoy it!
Area
Math
Title / Theme
Pancakes (Thin Crêpes)
Aim
Looking at quantities and measurements while cooking.
PANCAKE RECIPE
Ingredients Quantities
White Flour 2 cups
Whole Flour 1 cup
Egg 2 whole eggs
Milk 750 ml
Olive Oil 3 big table spoons full
Salt a pinch
Maple Syrup for Tasting!
Strawberry jam is optional
Tools
Wet wipes
Small bucket
Cooking Hats
Cook Book
Funny Reading Glasses (optional)
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Whisks
Wooden Spoons
Big Bowl
A big Frying Pan
A Spatula
A Ladle
Paper Plates
Napkins
Plastic knives or spoons
Instructions
Place 2 cups of flour in the large bowl
Place 1 cup of flour in the large bowl
Break 2 eggs (one at a time) in the large bowl
Pour 750ml of milk in the large bowl
Put 3 Big tablespoons of olive oil in the large bowl
First Mix together all the ingredients with a wooden spoon
Second Mix together the pancake mixture with a whisk
After all, mixed (showing no lumps), add a pinch of salt and mix again.
Fry in a large hot frying pan with a drizzle (only once) of olive oil
This activity should always be done with an adult.
Objective and Learning Goals
Physical
Fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination (transferring, pouring, stirring with a wooden spoon and a whisk)
Working with the senses. Tactile (touching the ingredients and feeling the different textures (the difference between white and whole flour)
Taste (Tasting the pancakes after all the work. Discussing if the pancakes are sweet, savory, sour, bitter, etc.) Visual (pouring the correct quantity in the measuring cup. Smell (Which ingredients smell?
Do the pancakes smell? How about the maple syrup?) Auditory (When a blender is used.)
Intellectual
Cognitive development: Math area, looking at different measurements such as a cup, a tablespoon, a pinch, milliliters (looking at the ml on the measuring jug). Counting, for example, counting how many cups of flour or how many eggs are already in the mixture.
Language
Reading a recipe. What is a recipe? Where can we find a recipe at home? New Vocabulary (for example, the words: recipe, ingredients, flour, olive oil, whisk, maple syrup).
Emotional
Helps children's self-esteem by letting them prepare the recipe on their own (with supervision and guidance). Sharing (utensils)
Taking Turns (transferring, pouring and stirring)
Social
Joint Activity where the children will listen to the presentation
together, and work together to make the pancakes. Enjoy the result together!
Age Range
Between 2 ½ and 92 years of age
Anticipated Duration
Approximately 30 minutes
Step by Step Guidelines
- Make sure all the ingredients and tools are organized on a tray before cooking.
- Once children are ready, tell them you have a special activity for
today.
- Ask the children before you start: What do we need to do before we
work with food or before we eat food? Hopefully, the children, will all
start shouting: wash your hands!
- Open your cookbook.
- Readout slowly all the utensils that you will need one by one, asking
the children to repeat the name of each item after you. Then place
the utensils one by one on the tray.
- Readout slowly all the ingredients you will need one by one. You may
pass around each ingredient so the children can touch, feel, and smell.
You may ask questions such as: Is it cold? Does it feel soft?
- Once all the ingredients are placed back on the tray. You will start to
read the instructions from the cookbook out loud; for example: Please
place 2 cups of flour into the large bowl. For each step of making the
mixture, you may ask a child to help.
- Once the mixture is ready, and all the children have had a turn mixing
or pouring or breaking an egg, talk about how you will cook them in a
frying pan using the ladle to pour some of the mixture into the frying
pan and a spatula to remove the ready Pancake. Remember to talk
about kitchen safety and how this should ALWAYS be done with
Mommy or Daddy or an adult.
- Once all the pancakes are ready, invite the children to help you set
the table.
- Use a spoon or knife (depending on the age group) and spread the jam or maple syrup on the surface of the Pancake. Ask the children if they remember how to roll a mat from their classroom? Tell them that you are going to roll the Pancake the same way you roll a mat. Once you have rolled the Pancake, take a big bite! Hummmmm, Yummy!
Differentiation
- For older children, have them read the recipe where you know they
can.
- For children with special diets, you may alter the recipe where
necessary, for example, using gluten-free flour.
- This lesson can also be introduced when learning how to roll a mat,
learning how to spread jam, when the theme is food when the theme is all about leaves (maple leaf=maple syrup), or Pancake Tuesday!
Additional Fun Facts
In Malaysia and Singapore, a pancake-like snack known as Apom Balik (in Malay) or Ban Chian Kuih (面煎 粿 in Chinese). The Chinese version is made with a filling, traditionally ground peanut with sugar, butter, and additional condiments like sweetened coconut or egg.
Pancakes in South Africa are called pannekoek in Afrikaans, often eaten on wet and cold days. Pannekoek is most commonly served with cinnamon- flavored sugar (and sometimes lemon juice).
In Hungary, pancakes called palacsinta. The filling is usually jam, but sweet quark cheese, meat, and mushroom fillings are also popular. Gundel palacsinta is a famous Hungarian pancake, stuffed with walnuts, zest, raisins, and rum served in chocolate sauce.
In Brazil, pancakes are called Panquecas; they are thin and usually served with ground meat and red sauce as a main dish.
In India, a dish called the Pooda (sometimes called Cheela) is a variety of Pancake. They can be made either sweet or salty and are of different thickness as per region.
Baby pancakes are known in the UK as Scotch pancakes or drop-scones and in northern England, Australia, and New Zealand as pikelets. They can be served with jam and cream or just with butter.
In Scotland, pancakes are served at teatime but mostly as breakfast. They are made plain and as fruit pancakes with raisins.
In Canada, the UK, and Australia, pancakes are traditionally eaten on
"Shrove Tuesday" which is also known as "Pancake Day" and, particularly in Ireland as "Pancake Tuesday". Historically, pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday so that the last of the fatty and rich foods could be used up before Lent.
In Sweden and Finland, it is traditional to eat yellow pea soup followed by pancakes on Thursdays.
In Canada and the United States, the Pancake is usually a breakfast food.