Spell, Smell, Swell Soup
Makes 24 servings
6 to 8 ounce cups
6 to 8 ounce cups
Spelling Activity Supplies
Preparations before class:
Gather all of the supplies needed to make the soup. Wash and drain the vegetables. Chop the onions, parsley, and carrots if you don't want the students to do it. Start heating the broth at least 15 minutes before starting the classroom activity. Divide the 2 packages of alphabet pasta into 24 small cups for the spelling activity.
Directions for class:
List the recipe ingredients on the board. Assign students to work in groups with each of the ingredients. Have students wash their hands. Stress the importance of clean hands, utensils, and surfaces when handling food. Add the chopped onions, crushed tomatoes, chopped parsley, and carrots to the chicken broth in the stockpot. Stir. Bring the soup stock to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the beans, corn, and alphabet pasta and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use a soup ladle to divide the soup into cups for each student. Sprinkle the top of soup with Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.
Spelling activity as the soup cooks:
Distribute the construction paper, cups of alphabet pasta, markers, and glue. Have the students draw a large cooking pot on the construction paper. Then have them draw a wavy line to indicate the top of the soup stock in the pot. Use the alphabet pasta to spell the vegetables that could be put into vegetable soup. Make glue lines in the soup stock and place the pasta on the glue lines to spell the vegetables in the soup. The vegetable words can go any direction. The students can make pictures of the vegetables they spelled around or near the words. As they are drawing, talk about the variety of vegetables that could go in vegetable soup. Have them title their pictures using their name and the name of the soup, such as "John's Vegetable Soup." Let the pictures dry, then display them on the bulletin board.
Follow up Questions:
What is the largest group on the food guide pyramid?
(Use the USDA Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children as a guide for the students).
How many servings from the Grains, Bread and Cereal group do you need each day?
What grain food is in our soup?
How many servings of vegetables should we have each day?
Did you eat at least one serving from the soup?
Which vegetables were added to the soup?
Which vegetables did you spell in the picture of vegetable soup?
What could you add to a meal including this soup that has foods from each of the food groups?
Did you try a new food today? What was it? Would you try it again?
Do you have a favorite soup? What is it? What food groups are included in your favorite soup?
Pick a Better Snack
Try some of these quick, easy, healthy snacks in your classroom.
Ask your local grocer or fruit and vegetable growers to contribute the produce to encourage the students to try new foods.
- Construction paper (one sheet per person)
- Markers
- Glue
- 2 large packages alphabet pasta
- 24 small cups
Preparations before class:
Gather all of the supplies needed to make the soup. Wash and drain the vegetables. Chop the onions, parsley, and carrots if you don't want the students to do it. Start heating the broth at least 15 minutes before starting the classroom activity. Divide the 2 packages of alphabet pasta into 24 small cups for the spelling activity.
Directions for class:
List the recipe ingredients on the board. Assign students to work in groups with each of the ingredients. Have students wash their hands. Stress the importance of clean hands, utensils, and surfaces when handling food. Add the chopped onions, crushed tomatoes, chopped parsley, and carrots to the chicken broth in the stockpot. Stir. Bring the soup stock to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the beans, corn, and alphabet pasta and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use a soup ladle to divide the soup into cups for each student. Sprinkle the top of soup with Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.
Spelling activity as the soup cooks:
Distribute the construction paper, cups of alphabet pasta, markers, and glue. Have the students draw a large cooking pot on the construction paper. Then have them draw a wavy line to indicate the top of the soup stock in the pot. Use the alphabet pasta to spell the vegetables that could be put into vegetable soup. Make glue lines in the soup stock and place the pasta on the glue lines to spell the vegetables in the soup. The vegetable words can go any direction. The students can make pictures of the vegetables they spelled around or near the words. As they are drawing, talk about the variety of vegetables that could go in vegetable soup. Have them title their pictures using their name and the name of the soup, such as "John's Vegetable Soup." Let the pictures dry, then display them on the bulletin board.
Follow up Questions:
What is the largest group on the food guide pyramid?
(Use the USDA Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children as a guide for the students).
How many servings from the Grains, Bread and Cereal group do you need each day?
What grain food is in our soup?
How many servings of vegetables should we have each day?
Did you eat at least one serving from the soup?
Which vegetables were added to the soup?
Which vegetables did you spell in the picture of vegetable soup?
What could you add to a meal including this soup that has foods from each of the food groups?
Did you try a new food today? What was it? Would you try it again?
Do you have a favorite soup? What is it? What food groups are included in your favorite soup?
Pick a Better Snack
Try some of these quick, easy, healthy snacks in your classroom.
Ask your local grocer or fruit and vegetable growers to contribute the produce to encourage the students to try new foods.
