Math and Science Integration

PART I:

Does Fair Trade Chocolate Really Cost More? An Investigation

• Students will perform an investigation in order to determine the average mass of a Fair Trade Chocolate Bar as compared to a Non-Fair Trade Chocolate Bar.

• Students will apply multiplication and division skills in order to determine the cost per gram of Fair Trade Chocolate as compared to Non-Fair Trade Chocolate.

• Students will synthesize what they have learned in order to answer the essential question: Does Fair Trade chocolate really cost more? Why or why not? 

Does Fair Trade Chocolate Really Cost More? Lesson Plan and Investigation Documents

Investigation Lesson Plan

Investigation Data Table 

Student Instructions and Synthesis Question 

PART II:

What is your favorite type of chocolate?

• In order to review concepts of graphing, students will survey the class as well as selected First Grade Classes in order to look for trends and review types of graphs.

Reading Integration

Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension

• Students will practice Reading comprehension skills of Main idea and revisit text features through a Reading lesson using an article called "Chocolate: The Happy Food (or,take your medicine). 

• Students will explore fiction by reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as part of Book Club in order to analyze character traits, story elements, and look at character's effect on plot.

Students have reading homework assignments that require them to read the story and answer comprehension questions.

Comprehension Assignments:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Comprehension Questions

Social Studies Integration

Background Building

At the beginning of the unit we began with background building. Students explored the chocolate industry and concepts of Fair Trade. Using the Fair Trade Chocolate book found at http://www.globalexchange.org/sites/default/files/ChocolateActivityBook.pdf, students investigated where and how chocolate is made. Students created a visual timeline which they illustrated depicting the steps in the chocolate making process. The image can be found below:

In addition, students viewed videos of a report by the BBC America about the Chocolate Industry:

The Bitter Truth Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD85fPzLUjo

The Bitter Truth Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75E54D4z3fI

The Bitter Truth Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L_rOjwfQgI

The Bitter Truth Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2cukoecMrA

The Bitter Truth Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UQJWGO65PM

After viewing the videos and engaging in discussion about the topic, students created a visual that was displayed on the wall in our classroom:

Below you can find instructional documents related to the Social Studies Integration piece:

Writing:
Help! Do you think we should continue buying Non-Fair Trade Chocolate?
Help! Graphic Organizer

Student work samples: