I can’t believe that thirteen years has gone by since I shared my first sandwich lesson!  I guess the saying is true that “time flies when you’re having fun”!  Well since August is National Sandwich month, I thought it was high time that this lesson got a makeover!  As you read through Sandwiches Lesson & Lab: Updated, you will see that some core information about sandwiches never changes, but how it’s presented and the activities and labs used has!

Set

• Introduce this lesson with hexagonal thinking. Place students into groups of 4-6. Provide each group with a large piece of construction paper and give groups the baggie of hex blocks. See below for the preprinted hex blocks. Note: If you plan to use these repeatedly, I recommend laminating them.
• Students read through each card, sorting and discussing the connections between them. Students create a large visual, linking all of the hexagons. Each hexagon should touch at least one side of another, but may connect up to as many as six. . As students connect the blocks, they should be able to justify or show the relationship between them such as explanations, cause-effect, exceptions, etc. Note: This is not done with every single hexagon.
• Give each student a marker and have them draw an arrow on the construction paper to a set of blocks that connect and have them explain the connection and then initial it. Once everyone has done that, have them take a picture of their hex block design so that it can be inserted into a Google slide to be shared as a visual with the class.
• Student groups share their visuals and explain the connections they made.
• At this point see if the class can guess the topic of study…which of course is SANDWICHES! Now that students know the food, it’s time to learn more about it!

Materials

• iPads or Laptops
• Projector & Screen
• Large Construction Paper
• Markers
• Lab Supplies

Activities

• Pass out the reading titled, “Sandwich Know How” and read through it as a class. I always liked to do it “round robin” style where each student read a few sentences and then called on someone else to pick up where they left off until the reading was complete. If you don’t like that method, just select willing volunteers to read or you read aloud and they follow along. It’s important they pay attention as they will be utilizing this information later.
• Set up your room for review by hanging the “Cruise for Clue” cards around the room. Students each receive an answer sheet with prompts. It doesn’t matter where students start so spread your students out so they aren’t all starting at the same place.
• Explain to students that the answer will NEVER be on the same card as the prompt so they need to write the “letter” that corresponds to the correct prompt answer on their answer sheet. They then read them next clue/prompt and circulate the room and cards to find the correct letter/answer.  Once they are finished, it’s an easy grade for you because the letter answers will spell out a key word associated with information students have learned. If you can’t figure it out, email me and I’ll give you the answer (sadly, due to cheating, I no longer share answers within the post).
• Optional: Show students a video on the history of sandwiches. If you are looking for a longer video, try this “The Sandwich: A Brief History” from YouTube. If you’re looking for something shorter, try this “A Brief History of the Humble Sandwich” also from YouTube.
• Now that students know the background of sandwiches, it’s time to explore some unique varieties in a project as well as labs.
• Explain & Assign the Sandwich Project and show students the list of choices. Use the “Wheel of Names” to allow students to randomly select their sandwich.
• Students will create their Sandwich Project in Google Slides and share with the class. Note: This could be done as a whole class Google Slide Show.
• Additionally, students must write clues for their sandwich using info that they learned while researching. The clues must not directly mention the sandwich. Use the prompt: What sandwich would I be if…(add 3 clues). Turn this into a review sheet or a Quizizz activity–there’s a sample of some my students did below.
• After students have shared their slides and completed the review activity, it’s time to prepare some sandwiches. Personally, I always liked to have students make sandwiches that corresponded with the various cooking methods: baked, grilled, and broiled. However, you can choose to make whatever examples you want based on your time and class size and skill level.
• Note:  This is also a good time to do a grilled cheese competition or some other sandwich competition with your students to amp up their creativity!

Attachments

• Sandwich Hex Blocks
• Sandwich KNOW HOW
• Cruise for Clues Prompt/Answer Cards
• Cruise for Clues Student Answer Sheet
• Sandwich Project & Lists
• Sandwich Clue SAMPLES
• Baked Sandwich Lab Recipe
• Broiled Sandwich Lab Recipe
• Grilled Sandwich Lab Recipe