Feb. 23, 2023 ~ After reading about the collaboration between Farmer Direct Foods and the Olathe high schools, Heatherstone Elementary School first grade teacher Nancy Smith had an idea. She wanted to have a yearlong focus on Kansas agriculture and with that in mind, she collaborated with the same company to make pizza dough in a bag.
“Using PTO classroom money, I purchased flour from Farmer Direct Foods as well as other supplies in order to prepare for the project,” Smith said. “Working with my teammates and our two Future Educators Academy students, we came up with a plan together.”
All Heatherstone Elementary first graders put on their aprons and went to work. They measured their flour and then lined up by the table ready to bake. Students followed the instructor from Farmer Direct Foods step by step, ending up with pizza dough in a bag that was ready to eat by the time they got home. Before they left, the teachers discussed the importance of eating all food groups and how pizza can be made with nutritious ingredients, even vegetables.
“This project was important because it was directly tied to our study of Kansas crops and what they are used for,” Smith said. “It was a great sequencing and baking project using their measuring skills where in the end students were proud to bring the pizza dough home to bake and eat as a family.”
The next day, the first grade teachers woke up with inboxes full of photos and emails from parents with five-star reviews for their little chefs. They were grateful for the collaboration with Farmer Direct Foods as well as the cooperation from their families.
“It is always a win when first graders have fun, are engaged, and can do a project with more independence,” Smith added. “Plus, it totally went with our teaching standards!”
Read the original story that inspired this lesson
