Erica M. Mentone
Lesson 1: What makes a quality cookie?
Focus and Objectives
Students will think critically to answer the question 'What qualities make a good chocolate chip cookie?' Students will discuss and evaluate quality of different brands and types of cookies. Students will be able to create quality specifications in the form of a rubric.
Materials
3-4 different kinds of chocolate chip cookies (enough for each child to have one of each type of cookie), blank rubric form (see Chocolate Chip Cookie Rubric in Appendix b)
Procedure
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1.
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Pose the question: "What qualities make a good chocolate chip cookie? Ask the students to discuss this with a partner for a few seconds and share back to the group in a think pair share format.
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2.
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Introduce the word 'specifications' and tell students that in order to create the world's best chocolate chip cookie, we first must decide what the world's best chocolate chip cookie will be like, so we need to create specifications.
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Give the students the different types of chocolate chip cookies without showing them the brand or type and let them first discuss what is similar and different about the cookies and record it in their observation notes.
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After the children have had a chance to record and review their notes, tell them that we have to decide which of these qualities make the best chocolate chip cookies. Use the blank rubric format on an overhead projector, or copied onto chart paper and work as a class to make decisions about quality cookies.
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Fill in the rubric with the quality standards that the students agree on. (see the sample rubric as an example appendix b).
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As you are recording on the model rubric, have each student copy the information into a blank rubric.
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Students will work in groups and use the rubrics that they created to rate each cookie.
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Teacher dialogue example: "Texture means how the cookie feels in your mouth. Take a bite of the first type of cookie. Is it spongy like cake, or gooey like a brownie? "Notice the shape and size of the cookies. Is it round, or oval, or kind of lumpy? Measure the size across the cookie with your ruler and include the measurements in your notes."
"Break apart one of each type of cookie at a time and count the number of chips that were in the cookie. Also notice the kind of chips in the cookie. Are they small chips, big chips, or chocolate chunks?"
Conclusion
Have each group present their findings. Allow them to discuss the ratings they gave to each cookie, and why their ratings may be different from another group's rating.
Lesson 2: Revising Quality specifications and Considering the Voice of the Customer
Objectives
The students will be able to analyze data collected from a survey, and apply the data to revise the standards.
Materials
Questions created from the previous lesson (see scope and sequence), note taking paper, clip boards, pencils.
Procedure
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Students will use the questions they came up with during the questioning lesson, and survey other teachers and students in the building to obtain their opinions about a quality chocolate chip cookie.
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Students will chart their data to reflect the customers' preferences for size, shape, number of chips, texture, and taste of chocolate chip cookies.
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The students will work in groups to revise the rubric from the first lesson so that it reflects the voice of the customer.
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Conclusion
Have the students reflect in writing about why it is important to include the voice of the customer in the quality specifications.
Lesson 3: Research and Development
**Note: this lesson will take place over a span of several days
Objectives
Students will be able to utilize the scientific method in order to draw conclusions about a recipe.
Materials
A chocolate chip cookie recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com or a similar recipe sharing website, cookie ingredients in amounts determined by your chosen recipe (enough for each group to make a batch), measuring cups, spoons, cookie trays, spatulas, cooling trays, and access to an oven.
Procedure
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Prior to the lesson, adjust the recipe so there are six different versions: one recipe with the called for amount of flour, and one with double flour; one recipe with butter, one with margarine instead of butter; one recipe using brown sugar, and one using white sugar. Also, post the steps in the scientific method on chart paper or an overhead projector as follows:
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Question: How can we create a recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies?
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Hypothesis: If we do experiments to see what effect the ingredients of the recipe have on the finished product, we can use this information to write the best recipe.
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Experiment:
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1. Put together six teams of engineers.
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2. Use the diagram to see which recipe you should test.
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3. Test your recipe in your group.
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4. See how your recipe meets the quality standards using the rubric.
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5. Discuss your findings with the other teams.
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Results:
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Conclusion:
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**Note: Students will be filling in the blanks on the scientific method chart as they
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complete the experiments.
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Show the students the scientific method chart and explain the question and hypothesis.
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Divide students into 6 groups.
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4.
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Use the following diagram to organize students into teams to evaluate different ingredients. Teams will consist of two groups that will work together to compare and contrast different recipes with one varied ingredient.
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Round 1
**note: The round 2 cookies do not have to be baked. The cookie recipes in round two are the more successful recipes from each team in round 1. The round two recipes will be discussed and used for the mock corporation/cookie sale.
