Grain Matching - Food Unit
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 7:59PM Contributed by Connie Jones Ostrowski from the 2011 Seattle PNMA Sharing Fair.
Curriculum Area: SENSORIAL
Age Group: 3-5
Prerequisites: Rough and Smooth Touch Tablets
Direct Aim: Classification skills, sorting/matching different textures of grains
Presentation:
- "Today I would like to show you some different types of grains. Let's see if we can match them up."
- Take out each container of grain and take a close look and briefly describe the texture, color, and say the name of the grain.
- Show the grain 'wheel' and say, "Now I will find the match."
- Match them, placing the containers of grains to the corresponding spot on the grain wheel.
Variations/Extensions: After doing basic match ups for a week or so, you could add a 'texture art project' using the same grains and with glue on cardboard.
Materials: Use a basket or tray, create a 'grain wheel,' dividing the circle into 10' pie slices and cover with different types of grains. The more varied, the better.
Source of Materials or Supplies: Go to the bulk section of your grocery store (PCC or Whole Foods) to acquire varied grains. This was used for a Food Unit to demonstrate the different kinds of grains used as staple foods around the world.
Ideas for Grains: black quinoa, oats, emmer, buckwheat groats, corn, wild rice, millet, brown rice...and things made from grains (cereal, wheat flour rainbow pasta)
Montessori Art, Montessori Sensorial exercise in Art, Nature, Seasonal crafts, Sensorial, health 
Reader Comments (2)
Creative activity for any study of grains! I featured your photo and post in my Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit at http://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/11/17/montessori-inspired-corn-unit/.
Great idea. I would add an extension of cooking the various grains to try them for a snack. Also grinding and adding them to the PL shelf in pouring and various transfers......thank you!