Spring plowing, summer gardening, autumn harvesting, winter storage,
The beauty of the four seasons is hidden in the bounty of nature
The most beautiful April is at Newton, here nature tells a story.
Newton's natural curriculum starts with exploring traditional Chinese food habits and the ancient methods of making traditional foods. Our students learn about the principles and procedures behind different methods of processing, such as drying, roasting, pickling, fermentation, and grinding. They taste and appreciate the valuable experiences that our ancestors have left us and are able to embark on an exploration of the food that nature gives to humanity.
Eating in what is in season is a natural standard that Chinese people follow based on the changes in the seasons and geographical location. In the south of the Yangtze River, what kind of delicious food does nature give us in different seasons and at different times? Let's find out!
During a discussion on food preservation, the children realized that a low temperature is a crucial for food storage. They were encouraged to explore the best place to store food at school, measuring temperatures and observing changes in different locations; they recorded and shared their findings.
There are many ways to preserve and store food. The teachers and students discussed various methods that people used to store food in the old days before we had refrigerators. They learned about different storage and preservation methods, such as pickling, air-drying, and dehydration. They made pickled cabbage and cucumbers together, learning the process, from start to finish. Afterwards they were able to taste the pickled vegetables and see how different it was to the fresh ingredients.
Our students also explored the magic of food fermentation. When steamed glutinous rice with koji, or when flour blends with yeast, what happens? Homemade rice wine, apple vinegar, pure yogurt, soft steamed buns...these foods made by fermentation allowed the children to get up close and personal with food fermentation in the Newton kitchen. They observed the impact of flora on food and the changes it brought and the magical mysteries behind them.
The use of tools for food processing is a major manifestation of the improvement of human production and development. After getting to know all kinds of grinding tools, our students were able to use tools. They had a try at grinding beans with a stone mill, crushing spices with a stone mortar and pestle and using a high-speed blender. They discovered that different griding tools had different affects. The size, thickness and force needed with each tool was different. Through exploration, practice and operation, our students gained a better understand of the influences that grinding tools bring to people's lives.
Nature is a treasure trove,
Always giving us infinite wisdom,
This spring, where food processing meets creativity,
We offer children a unique way to explore nature,
Driven by their curiosity,
This journey of learning and exploring nature and life will continue indefinitely...
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