Angel's Place

Authentic Learning Experience: Making Lemonade

 

Making real lemonade is a great authentic experience for kids! They need to read, follow directions, measure, pour, and use language to discuss and describe what they do. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will need: A large pitcher

                        Cold water 

                        Long spoon

                        Lots of lemons (at least ten. Make sure there is one or more lemons for every child involved.)

                        Sugar

                        Measuring Cup

                        Knife

                        Plastic juicer

                        Cups

                        Strainer (optional) 

 

1. Before you start, give each child a lemon. Ask them to describe the texture, smell, size, color,etc, 

 

2. Ask the children to roll the lemons around on the table. This will help loosen up the juice. It will also keep the children occupied while they wait for their turn to squeeze a lemon. 

 

3. Give each child a turn to squeeze the lemon. An adult should cut the lemon in half. I like to give my kids the choice of either squeezing the lemon directly over the pitcher, or using the plastic juicer. Most of them choose to do one of each, with their two halves. (I also like to borrow the lemon halves from them and give them an extra squeeze to make sure the maximum juice is utilized.)

 

4. Ask the children to smell the lemon rind and talk about how it smells. Tell them they are allowed to taste it if they'd like, as well, and describe the taste. All of the kids I worked with made horrid sour faces when they tasted the lemon, and then chose to take it back to their seat and suck on it anyways! 

 

5. Add the sugar. You be the judge of how much sugar to use. I used two cups for one pitcher. 

 

6. Add the water. Stir with the long spoon. Everyone can have a chance to stir!
 

7. Drink! 

 

Extension Activity: After reading the book Alex And The Amazing Lemonade Stand (see description and link in the Lemonade Books section) consider having your own lemonade stand to raise money for Alex's organization. If you are doing this activity at school, and your school will allow it, you could hold the lemonade stand at the cafeteria or playground at lunch hour.Depending on their ages, kids can take active rolls in designing signs and decorations, figuring out how much to charge, collecting money, giving out change, etc. Visit Alex's Lemonade to learn how and where to send your donation. 

 

RESOURCES

Here is a kid-friendly recipe with pictures, which I made for my students. You can edit it to specify measurements and suite your needs in any other ways. Click here to get it. 

 

Here is a writing assignment I created for my students, who were first graders with special needs. It is differentiated, with one version in which children have to finish the sentences in their own words, and another version in which children can circle pictures to answer the questions. For some of my students who were able to copy letters and words but not yet write and spell independently, I let them fill out the first version, while using the second version as a reference. To get this worksheet, click here. 

 

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