Creative, Sensory Lesson Planning: Using Popcorn in the Classroom

Inexpensive and easy to find, popcorn is a multifaceted learning opportunity for imaginative teachers and parents. Popcorn can be used to teach children about the plant life cycle, Native American history, mathematics, science and nutrition, among many others, depending upon the age of the students.

The Life Of Popcorn

Teachers can use popcorn to teach students about plant life cycles. While popcorn seeds do not sprout nearly as fast as radishes or marigolds, the comparison is worthwhile in and of itself. Teachers can collect a variety of corn and other seeds to demonstrate that no two plants (or students) are the same. Everyone and everything must grow at its own pace.

There are countless children's books dedicated to Native American tales about popcorn. Popcorn can be used for classroom art projects, counting exercises, and weighing practice. Children will be fascinated to learn that it is the moisture within the kernel that causes it to "pop" when heated. Posters can be used to illustrate the parts of the sprouted plant and the parts of a seed.

Healthy Food Doesn't Have To Be "Yucky"

Most children cringe when they hear the words, "healthy food." Their young taste buds perceive sweets as the snack of choice -- regardless of calories or the dental decay they leave in their wake. Popcorn is a very healthy treat that nearly all children love. Teachers and parents can introduce popcorn as a healthful grain that is ideal for snack time in place of sugary sweets.

Low in calories, fun to eat, and easy to prepare, popcorn can make any movie and film event and can turn a casual gathering into a party. Children can be taught that choosing healthy snacks such as popcorn doesn't mean they will dislike what they are eating.

Wrap It Up With A Party

To further enhance your popcorn lessons try wheeling in a real old-fashioned popcorn model machine. The students will be utterly delighted to arrive in school to find a popcorn machine in their classroom. Inexpensive and easy to operate, popcorn machines can produce enough snacks for an entire classroom in a matter of minutes.

As the popcorn machine does its job of popping the corn, teachers can ask students to review what they have learned, handing out the familiar red and white striped paper bags for each correct answer, making sure to have enough answerable questions for everyone. By bringing a tactile element to the lesson, students tend to retain more of what learned of the course of their "popcorn study."

Popcorn Economics

The popcorn machine can continue to bring value to students and the school even after the lesson is over. Because popcorn is such an inexpensive snack to produce, a popcorn machine is ideal for school fundraisers. Selling bags of freshly popped popcorn for $1 at school events throughout the year is an easy way to raise funds for your school. Each time students see the popcorn machine around campus or taste the buttery goodness of popcorn throughout their lives; they'll remember the important (and yummy) lessons they learned in your classroom.