The Common Core and Gingerbread Curriculum

Filed in CCSS Content by on January 11, 2013 • 2 Comments

gingerbread-manI like gingerbread.  I think it is delicious.  So this post is by no means to be critical of gingerbread lovers.  This is a gingerbread friendly zone.  I just learned that there is a Common Core gingerbread curriculum.

I had a friend email me this story from the DeerPark-North Babylon Patch about a second grade class at William E. DeLuca Elementary School in North Babylon, NY partaking of these lessons.

Working in small groups, the students rotated through the classrooms in the second-grade wing to work at the various stations. Using edible gingerbread men, the second-graders utilized their math skills by tasting the cookies and graphing which portions of the cookies that they took their first bites of. The students then honed their English language skills by writing essays using their five senses to describe the gingerbread men. They also put their artistic talents to good use by decorating an edible gingerbread cookie, creating a gingerbread house using a paper bag, coloring a holiday placemat and making a holiday wreath from beads and ribbon.

As part of the New York State Common Core curriculum on gingerbread, the students studied its history, read fictional and nonfictional stories and worked on various writing projects. (emphasis mine).

To be fair this is the writer’s summary of what went on, but doesn’t the math involved in this seem just a tad weak?  There is gingerbread curriculum for the Common Core?  Well at least in New York anyway.  Also why is the state of New York creating unit studies for local schools?  Fascinating.

Thoughts?

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About the Author ()

Shane Vander Hart is the Editor-in-Chief of Caffeinated Thoughts, a popular Christian conservative blog in Iowa. He is also the President of 4:15 Communications, a social media & communications consulting/management firm, along with serving as the communications director for American Principles Project’s Preserve Innocence Initiative.  Prior to this Shane spent 20 years in youth ministry serving in church, parachurch, and school settings.  He has taught Jr. High History along with being the Dean of Students for Christian school in Indiana.  Shane and his wife home school their three teenage children and have done so since the beginning.   He has recently been recognized by Campaigns & Elections Magazine as one of the top political influencers in Iowa. Shane and his family reside near Des Moines, IA.  You can connect with Shane on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or connect with him on Google +.
  • Amy of the Lakes

    If this “curriculum” took place, say, on the last day before winter break, and on that day only, that would be fine. I would think any sophomore education student or first year teacher could have created this curriculum, and that it is a bit weak. If they could use algebra to alter recipes or something like that, it would be an improvement, or if they would receive a taste of multiplication and division if they had theretofore not learned it.

    • http://shanevanderhart.com/ Shane Vander Hart

      I agree.

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