FREE Chocolate Unit Study…UPDATED (as of 2.22.2008)

Chocolate Unit Study

I am using the Educational Material available from The Field Museum as a base for this Unit Study. Of course, it is ONLY a starting point – - so there will be LOTS of other stuff I use (and will add on as I go along). 

NOTE: There are MANY, MANY more (and probably better) resources to use with this Unit Study – - I just found out that our Homeschool Group is going to a Chocolate Factory on February 15^th – - so, I am putting this unit together quickly – - and with as many FREE resources as possible.

Lesson One : Where does the story of Chocolate begin?
PDF Lesson One from The Field Museum
Read the following Books (only ones related to the topics at my little, tiny library):  Max’s Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells,  Living on a Tropical Island, and At Home in the Rain Forest by Diane Willow
Watch Movie (from Netflix): Tropical Rain Forest: IMAX
Use Rain Forest Ecosystem PDF to answer any questions
Cut out the “Rain Forest Word Sort” (Field Museum)
Use Word Sort with the “Ecosystem Web Map” (Field Museum)
Tropical Rain Forests of the World Worksheet (Enchanted Learning)

Lesson Two: What is the Anatomy of the Cacao Tree?
PDF Lesson Two from The Field Museum
Watch Movie: Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
Read about The Cacao Tree
Worksheet: Label Tree Anatomy (Enchanted Learning)
Worksheet: Brazil (Enchanted Learning)
Worksheet: Indonesia (Enchanted Learning)
Worksheet: Growing Cacao in your Backyard (Field Museum)

Lesson Three: Cacao Ecosystem Threats?
PDF Lesson Four from The Field Museum
Worksheet: Peru (Enchanted Learning)
Discuss Cacao Ecosystem (Field Museum)
Worksheet/Project: Cacao Web Cards (Field Museum)

Lesson Four: What are other Natural products connected with Cacao?
PDF Lesson Three from The Field Museum
Read and Discuss: How to Read the Food Label Teacher Handout
Worksheet: Natural Ingredient Web (Field Museum)
Worksheet: Chocolate Bar Math (Fractions)
Worksheet: Chocolate Nutrition

Lesson Five: From Cacao Pod to Chocolate Bar
PDF Lesson Five and Six from The Field Museum
Read PDF: From Cacao Pod to Chocolate Bar
Read: “Dipped in Chocolate” (Article from March 2008 Highlights Magazine)
Watch Movie: Milton Hershey: The Chocolate King
Worksheet: Ecuador (Enchanted Learning)
Worksheet: Chocolate Fractions (Need a Hershey Bar)
Worksheet: Sensory Details (Use the Hershey Bar)
Watch: Online Slideshow

 

Lesson Six: Maya and Aztec Connection
PDF Lesson “How did the Maya and Aztec Use Chocolate” from The Field Museum:
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/chocolate/education.html
Read: “Early History of Chocolate”
Watch Movie: Mayan and Aztec’s (from Netflix)
Reviewed the different Mayan Script
Decorated the PDF applicable script (for us)
Decorated a “Ceremonial Goblet” with the script
Make Aztec Chocolate Drink
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/chocolate/education.html

Lesson Seven: European Influence
PDF Lesson “How did the Europeans use and Influence the Development of Chocolate?” from The Field Museum: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/chocolate/education.html
Read: “History of Chocolate in Europe“
Read PDF about Cacao and Sugar Growing Conditions
Venn Diagram Number 1: Bitter vs. Sweet Chocolate
Venn Diagram Number 2: Cacao Bean vs. Sugar Cane/Beet

Lesson Eight: Chocolate as we Know It
Read: “The Quakers” and “Chocolate as we Know it”
Chocolate Word Search
Chocolate Copy Work and Picture: “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt! – Lucy Van Pelt (From Charlie Brown)
Final Test
Make Chocolate Bar (Design Chocolate Bar with worksheet – - then make it with the generic {and SUPER easy recipe})
Super Easy PDF Recipe for “Candy Bar” (aka Fudge)