Fresh bread. That smell is very comforting and on Thursday, Nyack Middle School students got a lesson in bread making during a special assembly.
The seventh graders from Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Heather Lee’s class filled the cafeteria while two student volunteers helped with the demonstration with Amy Driscoll from the King Arthur Flour Life Skills Bread Baking Program
The students learned how to make two different loaves of bread, cinnamon rolls and pretzels.
During the hour long assembly, there were lessons mixed in from different subject areas, such as:
- Science – baking is a science experiment with controlled ingredients and chemical reactions (yeast)
- Math – adding, weight, volume
- Art – being creative with the different shapes and purposes of dough at the end
- Nutrition – of the different ingredients such as wheat flour
As part of the project each student will receive to take home enough flour and yeast for two loaves of bread, a dough scraper and a recipe booklet. If the students choose to donate one of the loaves they bake they are being asked to return one loaf of bread in the bag provided to school on Monday, Dec. 10.
The Family and Consumer Science Department and the Middle School Family Resource Center will then donate the bread to a local organization in need.
This is a great hands-on learning experience done in the generous spirit of giving back to the community.
“We’ll try to do this every other year,” said Lee. "Our plan is to donate to people to people and soup angels, as well as our own students' families who are in need. Lisa Retallack from our Family Resource Center is handling the specific donations."
