I told my class that since we’ve been discussing kindness all year, I need to make sure I’m modeling such an important character trait well. I explained that a staff meeting was coming up soon, and sometimes, people bring food to share. So, I volunteered our class to make a dessert. Secretly, it was a fun activity to wrap up our soil unit in science.
Many have been bringing in food and supplies (Oreos, pudding, spoons, cups, gummy worms etc.), so I was hoping they weren’t prescient of my intentions. They were excited about the idea – one my teammate suggested - and were genuinely looking forward to ending our act with an act of kindness.
I began our last forty-five minutes of the day, continuing our chapter book, Wild Robot, and would have read more, but I didn’t know how long our “act of kindness” would take. Thankfully, my teacher instincts were working well. One great thing about this activity was that it allowed several students to distribute supplies. My students absolutely love helping.
We passed out paper towels first, followed by sandwich bags. Then, each student received two Oreos. “I know it’s tempting,” I told them, “but please don’t eat the Oreos.” We placed America’s favorite cookies in the bag and smooshed them into chunks. Afterward, two more students passed out pudding cups while I gave each one a spoon. Next, after receiving plastic cups, they lined up as I served two scoops of M&Ms and dropped them as they clinked and clattered at the bottom. Upon returning to their seats, students put three of four spoonfuls of pudding on top of the colorful chocolates. We then topped that off with our chunks of Oreos. To top that off, I passed out two gummy worms to plop on top. The kids were so excited the entire time.
Just wait until I tell them I tricked them.
I held up my dessert cup –Layers of Soil Pudding - and we looked at all the layers. The M&Ms looked like bedrock, pudding subsoil, and the Oreos humus and topsoil.
“Well,” I told my class, “I didn’t exactly lie to you. More like tricked you. Enjoy your dessert.” Joy erupted, shaking the walls and floors.
“Thank you, Mr. Graybill, for tricking us,” they said with mouths full of dirt.
Teach Out Loud,
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What an adorable activity & trick! Talk about kindness! I love the way you describe each step of this. :)