A great lesson in math and science skills based on literature is the popcorn and milk experiment from Farmer Boy. And you’ll love my post Farmer Boy Unit Study and Make a Fun Hand Loom Craft.
While literature units are my favorite, the beauty of them is that they can be far more than just reading the story out loud.
You can draw ideas from the book like this popcorn and milk experiment, learn about life in a different time, as well as use the theme for math, geography, and more.
In chapter 3, Winter Night, Farmer Boy, Almanzo settles in front of the roaring fire with a bowl of popcorn, an apple, and some cider.
He thinks that if he had a glass of milk, he would fill it with popcorn, noting that you can fill the milk to the top and add the same amount of popcorn and it will not overflow.
Manzo says “You cannot do this with bread. Popcorn and milk are the only two things that will go into the same place.” Is this just wishful thinking on his part?
Let’s investigate to find out (Spoiler alert, it’s true!).
Little House on the Prairie Books
First, add some of these living books to your learning day.
Little House on the Prairie Unit Study Resources
Add some of these fun resources to ignite a love for learning about the Little House on the Prairie.
The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.
Readers around the world know and love Laura, the little girl born in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and raised in covered wagons and on wide open prairies. Now Little House fans can learn more about the remarkable story of the pioneer girl who would one day immortalize her adventures in the beloved Little House books in this, the first picture book biography book of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
With the My First Little House picture book series, the youngest readers can share in the joy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books in these illustrated adaptations of the beloved series!
Laura, Pa, Ma, Mary, and baby Carrie have traveled from the Big Woods to the prairie in their covered wagon, driving through tall grass until they found just the right spot for their new home. With the help of their kind neighbor, Mr. Edwards, Pa builds a snug little house for the family in the middle of the wide-open prairie.
The second book in the treasured Little House series, Farmer Boy is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved story of how her husband, Almanzo, grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams.
The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America’s frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories. The Little House series has captivated millions of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.
While Laura Ingalls grows up on the prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town.
Almanzo wishes for just one thing—his very own horse—and he must prove that he is ready for such a big responsibility.
With this cookbook, you can learn how to make classic frontier dishes like corn dodgers, mincemeat pie, cracklings, and pulled molasses candy. The book also includes excerpts from the Little House books, fascinating and thoroughly researched historical context, and details about the cooking methods that pioneers like Ma Ingalls used, as well as illustrations by beloved artist Garth Williams.
Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, based on her own childhood and later life, are still beloved classics almost a century after she began writing them. Now young readers will see just how similar Laura's true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventure of living on the frontier. Her life and times are captured in engaging text and 80 black-and-white illustrations.
- Three Piece Set: Kid girls colonial dress, attached apron and bonnet.
A beautifully designed coloring book featuring classic artwork by Garth Williams and quotes from all nine original Little House books. Perfect for at-home creative time—return to the world of Little House with your kids...or enjoy on your own!
Join Laura Ingalls, her Ma and Pa, and her sisters, Mary, Carrie, and Grace, on their travels across the frontier as you color in your favorite pioneer characters and scenes and revisit this beloved series.
This 96-page coloring book offers hours of relaxing, stress-reducing pleasure.
Farmer Boy is a wonderful look at life on a farm in pioneer days.
Almanzo’s days are filled with simple pleasures, hard work, and lots of delicious food.
More Ways to Explore With The Popcorn and Milk Experiment
A little fascinating fact that you might not have known but historians believe that popcorn and milk sprinkled with sugar was the original version of what we now call cold breakfast cereal.
If you don’t already have one be sure to get a copy of Farmer Boy, a wonderful book for a unit study or simply an enjoyable read-aloud.
- Count out a certain number of kernels before putting them in the bag for popping for some math practice.
- Grab a spoon and taste the milk and popcorn concoction to see if you like it.
- Compare the weight of the popped and unpopped kernels on a kitchen scale compared to the weight of the milk.
- Try the experiment with other liquids like water, half and half, soda, etc…
- Continue adding more and more popcorn and see how much you can fit in the cup of milk.
- Test other items like cut-up fruits and vegetables, bread, candy, etc.. and compare results.
- While you have the popcorn out give this Popcorn Science Mini Unit Study Which Brand Pops the Best a try as well.
- Littles will love learning how to do the Dancing Popcorn Experiment with a few more basic household supplies.
- Learn about the following terms before beginning your experiment and see how they apply throughout. Ask your child which term fits each step.
The Science Behind the Popcorn And Milk Experiment
Next, look at some of these definitions.
Scientific Method- The process of fairly establishing facts through testing and experimentation.
Mass – The amount of matter or substance that makes up an object.
Volume- The amount of space the object takes up.
Liquid displacement- When you put an object into liquid it pushes water out of the way and takes the place of the water.
The theory behind the reason that the amount of popcorn can be doubled or even tripled and added to milk is that when popcorn is heated and pops the kernel disappears.
Then you have mostly air, the moisture that was in the popcorn has dissipated into the air.
It is also very porous and pulls the milk into itself.
Now let’s get on to the fascinating and delicious science experiment!
Popcorn and Milk Experiment
Before beginning the experiment, have your child make a hypothesis as to what they think will happen.
Then take it to the next step by asking them to document how much popcorn they think it will take to overflow the cup of milk.
Be sure to have them record their hypothesis, variables, and the results.
You will need:
- Clear plastic cups
- Paper bag
- Milk
- Popcorn kernels
First, use plastic cups from the Dollar Store.
We are not about making dirty dishes here; this is all throw-away supplies to make this an easy peasy experiment for moms and kids alike.
Toss a handful of kernels into the bottom of a brown paper bag and fold the top down.
Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until it stops popping for more than a few seconds between kernels.
Fill a cup of the same size and shape to the rim with milk and the other with the popped popcorn.
Have your child place the kernels one at a time into the milk until the cup is emptied. Did it overflow?
Refill the cup of popcorn and continue adding it to the milk until no more will fit, observe, what happened, has the cup overflowed?
We added 4 cups of popcorn to the 1 cup of milk before we couldn’t add anymore and it still didn’t overflow.
This is just a fun and easy experiment that will baffle your kids and give them something to think about.
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