Frugal Homeschooler: Pancake Studies

For those of you who don't know Tuesday February 5, 2008 is Pancake Day. Diane Flynn Keith explains it well:

Pancake Day is also known as "Shrove Tuesday" among Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and other faiths. The origin of the name "Shrove" comes from the old English verb "to shrive" which means to absolve people of their sins. It is common for priests to hear people's confessions on Shrove Tuesday which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent is the 40 days of penance, prayer, and fasting that precedes Easter. Traditionally, people abstained from eating eggs and fats during Lent, and pancakes were the perfect way of using up those ingredients before Lent began. Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is also known as "Mardi Gras" which is French for "Fat Tuesday."

So on to the curriculum!
PBS Parents have a pancake activity for little ones that teaches shapes. Then Diane Flynn Keith over at Universal Preschool has put together a great line up with books to get from the library (or buy if you must;), pancake recipes from around the world and free printables.

Onto a bit for those out of the preschool age. For fun and logic development there is a Flipping Pancake exercise over at Cut the Knot. Then the Straight Dope Mailbag discusses why pancakes and puddles are round. Then it is time for a science activity over at Hotchalk. You can make a Metamorphic Rock Pancake and discuss geology. They even provide a little questionnaire to help direrct you and review. It is rated 2nd grade- 5th grade but I can see us doing this with our 1st grader.

If you actually want to make pancakes, go over to my food blog and use my Almond Buttermilk Pancakes!

Have a great Pancake Day and remember learning doesn't have to be expensive!