What do science, math, and Language Arts have in common? At AIMS, the answer was ice cream and waffles!
Our teachers brought their lessons together for a hands-on activity with clear goals in each subject. Students explored the properties of matter and observed physical changes as they made ice cream. They practiced adding and subtracting decimals while measuring ingredients, then drew on the experience for creative writing.
After learning how the process worked, students measured their ice cream ingredients and sealed them in bags. There was no freezer in sight. Instead, they surrounded the bags with ice and rock salt. The salt lowered the ice’s freezing point, allowing the mixture around the bags to become cold enough to freeze the ice cream. As students shook their bags, they watched the liquid gradually thicken into a frozen treat.
Then came the waffles. Students measured and mixed the batter themselves and took part in cooking under their teachers’ careful supervision.
The reward was a plate of something they had made with their own hands. Along the way, students put ideas from three subjects to work, learned by doing, and discovered that a lesson can be both memorable and delicious.
At AIMS, we value learning that is purposeful, creative, and joyful. We know children learn in different ways, so we look for opportunities to help every student participate, explore, and make meaningful connections between what they study and what they experience.