GARDENS GIVE VALUABLE REWARDS
GRADE 2
UNIT 3
Rocks to Ice Cream
LESSON 1
Content Objective
Discover that plant and animal products start in the garden
Life Skill Objective
Critical thinking
Indicator
Name several food products that start from soil
Subjects
Science, social studies, math
Materials
Rocks
Empty ice cream carton
18 white sheets of paper
Markers
Cassette: “Dirt Made My Lunch” from Dirt Made My Lunch by
the Banana Slug String Band (provided with Growing in the
Garden, K-3)
Cassette tape player
Ingredients and supplies for Yummy Ice Cream (see APPLY)
Small paper cups and plastic spoons (check with food service staff)
Yummy Ice Cream recipe (one per person)
Evaluation (from notebook pocket)
You may want to invite parents, school personnel, ISU Extension
staff, media representatives, community and business leaders, neighbors, gardeners, or farmers to participate in this lesson. They can
read to the class, assist with an activity, tell about their jobs and
experiences, or bring materials for the lesson.
4-H Youth Development
4H-905A
Revised September 2000
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GRADE 2
UNIT 3
LESSON 1
It’s hard to believe that the things we eat, the clothes we wear, and the materials we use to build our houses
wouldn’t be possible without soil. Many people think soil is a “dirty” word. It is what people track into
the house or get on their pants when they play outside. But, as we have learned, there is much more to soil.
It is a valuable resource that we need to protect.
Let’s look at one of our favorite foods – ice cream. Did you know that ice cream begins with rocks?
Does anyone want to guess how that can be possible? Of course, rocks are
not one of the things that go into ice cream. They are not in the
recipe, but they are an important part of how we get that great
treat. Let’s find out how ice cream begins with rocks.
(15 minutes)
Rocks to Ice Cream
DO
Procedure
1.
(Have 18 students form a line and give each student a sheet of paper and a marker. If there are
not 18 students in the class, some students may have two sheets of paper.)
2.
(Give an empty ice cream carton to the student on one end of the line. Give the student on the other
We are each going to play an important role in making ice cream from
rocks. We start with the rocks. (The student with rocks writes “rocks” on his/her sheet of paper.)
The soil we have today started thousands of years ago as rocks. Over the years, the rocks
were broken down into smaller pieces by several forces.
3. Water flowed over the rocks, breaking them apart. (Have the next child write “water” on his/her paper.)
4. Changes in the weather such as heat and freezing temperatures broke the rocks apart.
end a few rocks.)
(The next child writes “weather” on his/her paper.)
5. Plant roots growing around the rock pieces and chemicals from decomposing plants
broke the rocks apart. (The next child writes “plants” on his/her paper.)
6. After the rocks were broken down into much smaller pieces, more plants grew, died, and
decomposed. After a few thousand years, the soil we have today was formed. (The next
student writes “plants” on his/her paper.)
7. Eventually a farmer owned the land and planted a pasture. (The next student writes “farmer”
on his/her paper. The next student writes “pasture” on his/her paper.)
8. The farmer owned a herd of dairy cows that ate the plants in the pasture. (The next
student writes “cows” on his/her paper.)
9. Every day the farmer got milk from the cows. (The next student writes “milk” on his/her paper.)
10. The milk was collected in a large tank truck and taken to the dairy. (The next student writes
“truck driver” on his/her paper.)
11. The milk was unloaded in the dairy and mixed with other ingredients such as sugar and
eggs and was made into ice cream. (The next student writes “dairy workers” on his/her paper.
The next student writes “sugar” on his/her paper. The next student writes “eggs” on his/her paper.)
12. From the freezer at the dairy, the ice cream was trucked to a warehouse freezer. (The next student
writes “truck driver” on his/her paper. The next student writes “warehouse worker” on his/her paper.)
13. The ice cream then was trucked to the grocery store. (The next student writes “truck driver”
on his/her paper. The next student writes “grocer” on his/her paper.)
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14. After the ice cream reaches the ice cream freezer at the grocery store, it is ready for you
to buy and eat! (The last person should write “ice cream” and hold up the container.)
GRADE 2
REFLECT
• How many steps did it take to get ice cream from rocks to you? (Have
UNIT 3
LESSON 1
(10 minutes)
each student read off what is on his/her paper as the rest of the class
counts.)
• How many years did it take? (Have the students guess and look back in the text.)
• What would happen if we didn’t have enough soil to grow plants?
(Play “Dirt Made My Lunch” from Dirt Made My Lunch by the Banana Slug String Band. Discuss how dirt
made a salad, sandwich, and milk.)
APPLY
(Copy and distribute the Yummy Ice Cream recipe.)
(20 minutes)
What are the ingredients in the ice cream and how are they made from soil?
(Trace back the milk from cows, eggs from chickens, sugar from beets or canes, and vanilla from beans on trees.)
Let’s make some ice cream. Whenever you work with food, you should wash your hands with
soap and water before you start. Why? (Have the students wash their hands and return to their seats.
While they wash their hands, gather your ingredients and supplies from the cooler or refrigerator. Then
wash your hands.)
Who would like to help me mix the ingredients? (Select students to measure the milk, sugar, eggs,
and vanilla. Have the students identify the correct measuring cup or spoon. Ask the students to tell the class
which ingredient they are adding to the recipe and how much. It is helpful to have paper towels or wet
towelettes close by so that they can wipe their hands. Ask another student to whisk the ingredients together
very carefully.)
Where does most of our food begin? (in the soil)
(You may want to complete Apple Earth from Grade 1, Unit 2, Lesson 3, Be Loyal to the Soil, to remind the
students how little soil is on Earth to grow the plants that feed all of the people and animals.)
Reference
Adapted from Food, Land, and People training. Williamsburg, Va., May 1997.
Resource
Banana Slug String Band. “Dirt Made My Lunch.” Dirt Made My Lunch. Santa Cruz, Calif.: Music for
Little People, 1989. Sound cassette.
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GRADE 2
UNIT 3
LESSON 1
YUMMY ICE CREAM
Ingredients
4 cups of whole milk
Equivalent of 4 eggs of pasteurized egg product
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Supplies
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Paper cups
Plastic spoons
Scissors
Homemade ice cream freezer
2 quart-sized zip closure freezer bags
2 gallon-sized zip closure freezer bags
10 cups crushed ice
6 large handfuls of rock salt
2 kitchen towels or bath towels
YUMMY ICE CREAM CONTINUED
Measure the milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and pour them into a large, clean
mixing bowl. Whisk them together. Very carefully, pour the mixture into two
quart-sized zip closure freezer bags and seal the top.
Scoop 2 cups of crushed ice into each gallon-sized zip closure freezer bag. Put
a generous handful of rock salt on top of the ice. Place the quart-sized freezer
bags inside the gallon bags. Add 2-3 cups more of crushed ice to each of the
gallon bags. Top the ice with another generous handful of rock salt. Seal the
gallon bags. Place each bag on top of a towel.
Holding the towel, flip the bag over and over. Pass the bags around the room
so that every student has a turn to flip the bags a few times. The ice cream will
harden within 10 minutes. Ask the students to occasionally check the ice cream
to see if it is hard. After it hardens, leave it in the bag to set while you gather the
paper cups and the spoons. Pull the ice cream bag out of the “freezer.” Clip off
one of the bottom corners of the bag, about 1 inch. Squeeze the ice cream into
the paper cups. Enjoy!
© Copyright 2000 Iowa State University
4-H Youth Development
4H-905A
Revised September 2000
132