Lesson five - pages 10-11 The All-Change Rap

Text from the book

The All-Change Rap

If you want to make some changes
You must weigh things up to start;
Just like when you make a loaf,
Not weighing is not smart.

The flour is important,
The salt and water too -
But mix them all at random
And you'll just end up with goo!

If you measure up with care
You'll soon find that instead
You're heading for a crusty loaf
Of very special bread!

To make your crusty loaf
You'll need to add some yeast.
That yeast will change your dough
Into a veritable feast!

You'll need to knead and pummel -
Don't let those muscles shirk!
Pull and push and stretch and squeeze -
Making changes is hard work!

You'll also need some patience
For changes to take place;
Keep it warm and keep it covered,
Just give that dough some space!

And when at last it's risen,
You knock it down once more,
Then knead and squeeze and pummel,
Just like you did before!

Keep it warm and keep it covered,
Just give that dough some space;
It's hard to have that patience,
Making changes is no race!

At last it's time to shape and bake
And wait for it to cook.
Not long to go, stay patient
And please don't try to look!

A miracle!
Water, salt and flour and yeast
Have now turned into bread;
The smell's so sweet it's hard to wait,
So fetch the butter, slice and spread!

© Judith Nicholls

Rap your way through bread making! Everyday ingredients are transformed into delicious bread.

Learning objectives

• To recognize that there are many contributing factors to any final item.
• To identify the importance of sequencing and proportion.

Bible reference

1 Kings 17.8-24

Background

Food is a potent religious symbol. Cooking brings together a variety of ingredients, blending and changing them into something new. Each ingredient is separate, yet when mixed, it helps to create something different. You can never be sure what the outcome will be, and hand mixing and kneading are fun! In much the same way, individual Christians blend together to form one Church and, while there may be different denominations, they all focus on the person of Jesus. There are many different events in the Christian story but they blend and combine, changing to meet different historical and cultural settings. Bread is a potent symbol running throughout the Bible and Christianity. It is the stuff of everyday life for everyone but, for Christians, it is the stuff of spiritual life. The Israelites received manna from heaven to feed them in the wilderness; Jesus fed 5,000 people with loaves and fishes; John’s Gospel refers to Jesus as ‘the bread of life’, and Christians share bread together when they celebrate the Eucharist.

Ways of using the pictures

• Discuss what elements make up (a) bread, (b) cake, (c) a human being.
• What do pupils like best about cooking? Is it always the end product?
• Read the poem carefully with the pupils several times, asking them which verse they like best and why. Look at the way the poet has described ways of changing.
• Practise reading the poem as a ‘rap’ in order to capture the rhythm and enthusiasm of the poet and the cooks. The pupils could write their own poem or rap.
  

Key words

• Dough
• Kneading
• Collaboration
• Miracle
• Cooking
• Combining
• Process
• Patience
• Proving
• Reaction
• Sequencing
• Pummel

Activity

The rap, to be effective, has to be spoken aloud on a ‘back beat’. It will need practice, for some. Pupils can clap to keep the correct rhythm. Cut and paste the rap then sequence it in the correct order with the pictures.

Write another rap to do with making pots-using water, clay, heat, etc. Alternatively try writing a rap about making a simnel cake or a pizza.

Learning Outcomes

Pupils will have:

• been able to recognize the importance of proper sequencing using correct proportions;
• written a rap.

Extension work

Using a digital camera pupils can create their own poetry and image collage to document the creation of a collaborative piece of work.

Web sites

http://www.breadworldcanada.com/justkids/
This is an excellent site with very clear and easy-to-use instructions on baking bread. It includes a number of handy hints on baking with children. For a different approach, try http://www.breaking-bread.com/htmlsite2.htm where the ubiquitous Father Dominic shares his love of breaking bread with the world.

http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/about/html/did/bread.html#
If you have ever wondered what underwear, bald ladies and policemen have to do with bread, then try out this extraordinary site. It actually originates from the Encyclopedia of Mexico and explains the different types of Mexican sweet breads.

© Alan Brown and Alison Seaman, 2002

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