Smelling Jars
I
decided to do the activity called “Smelling Jars” which is to help children use
their senses and to introduce different smells from different cultures. This
could be ingredients of what other cultures use to cook their foods with. For
example, soy sauce, hot peppers, etc. I liked this activity because I think
that it is a great and fun way to let the children explore and work together to
figure out the smells they smell. It is also a great way to teach them about
different cultures and how they may be using different ingredients in their
everyday life and their foods that they eat.
Materials
needed:
-small
containers (baby food jars)
-variety
of spices or ingredients
This
activity is done by putting a different ingredient/smell in each container and
having the children try to guess what they are and where they may come from. Be
sure to involve all the children in these questions and in the discussion. You
can then discuss what they children think this smell may be used to make and
with what food. You could also ask which smell they liked the best. To take
this further you can see if children can describe the smells and see if any are
similar or very different.
This
activity meets some of the anti-bias goals. First, it introduces children to
other cultures which is one of the goals. The way this is done is by providing
scents from other cultures and then discussing where these scents come from. By
smelling and talking about which smells are similar and different, we are able
to meet the goal of “providing children with a positive experience exploring
similarities and differences”. And lastly, the goal to “recognize, appreciate, and respect the uniqueness, beauty, value and
contribution of each child” is met when I ask each child for their input and
idea of what the smell might be. I will be sure to get all the children’s
opinions and be sure to acknowledge each one.
Books that can go along with this activity:
-“Sniff, Sniff: A
Book About Smell” by Dana Meachen Rau
-“What Food is This?”
by Rosemarie Hausherr
Extension activities include:
-Make
two sets of smelling jars to see if children can match any of the smells. This can be done by
individual children or you can have them
get in small groups to compare and contrast the smells and to see which they think match and which do
not.
-You
can then use some of the ingredients to do a cooking project following this activity. This can be done after
the discussion about each smell. Then
you can use the smells the children like in order to create a delicious treat that shows them how it is used in the cooking process.
Questions:
1.
This activity is best suited for children around the age of 5. I think this
age group is best considering “by age 5 or 6, most children are able to speak
clearly and accurately” (page 84). So if this activity is done with children
around age 5, they are better able to use more vocabulary and describe what
they are smelling. By this age they have smelled quite a few scents that may be
used.
2.
This theme is appropriate since their senses are being used and it is a
hands-on activity for children to learn smells and foods used from other
cultures. Not only are they able to test their noses but they are able to work
together and learn a little about different cultures and how they use these
ingredients.
3.
This activity helps children learn that everyone has feelings, everyone is
important, and it is important to try new experiences. The first two concepts
can be taught through the discussion of asking children for their opinions on
what they think the smell is. All children will get to have an input and the
others need to be sure to treat those inputs with respect.
In conclusion, I hope that
when we are finished with this activity, the children learn about their senses,
scents from other cultures, and even cooking with these items. I also hope that
it is a great learning experience that they are able to recall later on. I plan
to follow up with this activity throughout the semester so that it is not just
a one time topic.
