We began the week with a fun provocation connected to our current inquiry into how “numbers help us make sense of and organise our world”!
With the weather becoming so hot, we decided to make lemonade to share in class. We followed a recipe and noticed that it called for 6 lemons and 6 glasses of water. The children helped to count out the lemons before watching as I cut them in half. Then, everyone took a turn squeezing the lemons using a citrus juicer.
We poured the juice into a large jug, and the children counted carefully as we added 6 cups of water. Next, it was time to add sugar. Ms Kristina explained that the recipe needed 6 tablespoons of sugar, so once again the children helped to count, and some took turns stirring the mixture to help the sugar dissolve.
Then came the best part — tasting the lemonade. But, oh no… it was still far too sour!
We decided to check the recipe again, where Ms Kristina noticed she had made “a mistake.” It wasn’t 6 tablespoons of sugar — it was 16! Together, we worked out that we needed 10 more spoonfuls. The children eagerly helped to count and add the missing sugar before giving it another good stir.
This time, it tasted just right! Everyone enjoyed at least one small cup, and many children came back for a second. It was the perfect refreshing treat on a hot day.
Afterwards, we reflected on our experience and agreed that when following a recipe, it is very important to look closely at the numbers that tell us how much of each ingredient is needed — so we can get it just right! (Numbers help us organise our food and drink!)
