Roberta A. Mazzucco
As I reach the end of this unit, I find that there are still so many possibilities that I have not been able to investigate. I think there are a lot of extensions in writing, math and social studies that have not been thoroughly fleshed out but could be easily added. Students could write about their favorite candies; do surveys and graphs of favorite candies among the school population, and possibly hold a class fair in which they present their findings about the history of candy to their peers.
The unit has sought to show students that temperature and its effect on something as seemingly simple as sugar could develop into a whole industry of candy making. Hopefully, they will also learn, as I have how much we take simple pleasures for granted - like the lollipop or a simple marshmallow. The unit doesn't begin to suggest the many kinds of candies that one could make from gummy worms to chocolate caramels. That is one area I did not explore - chocolate. However, it would be easy enough to try some of the recipes here and include the addition of a chocolate covering as a final step.