Writing Procedures

Grade: Upper Elementary (3)

Time: 45 minutes
Objectives: Students will
learn the importance of writing clear and accurate procedures
write a procedure for making a PB& samdwih
Materials:
! loaf "read
! #ar peanut "utter $
! #ar #elly
paper plates
%nife& spoon
'tandard clean(up e)uipment
$*ind out if any students ha+e allergies to peanuts "efore "eginning,
Introduction
-e+iew with students the steps of the scientific method as they ha+e studied them, *ocus
on the importance of the e.periment and the set of directions for how to do the
e.periment& called the procedure, /ne of the reasons i he procedure is important is
"ecause other scientists must "e a"le to do the same e.periment in the same way to see if
they get the same results, 0oday they will "e writing procedures for a +ery important&
+ery difficult task,
Procedure
1. Te !roblem
1ssign students to working pairs, E.plain to students that you (the instructor) ha+e #ust
arri+ed on this planet, 2ou ha+e disco+ered the greatest thing in the entire uni+erse and
want to take it "ack to your planet& "ut don3t know how to make it& so you need their
help, 0hey will work in pairs to write the procedure& the set of directions& for making a
peanut "utter and #elly sandwich,
'how them the materials that you ha+e to work with ( a loaf of "read& a #ar of peanut
"utter& a #ar of #elly& and a knife, 4i+e students !5 minutes to work on writing the
procedure,
". Ma#ing a !eanut butter and jell$ sandwic
1t the end of the time& ha+e +olunteers read the directions they ha+e written& as you
follow them to the letter, Be e.tremely literal& for e.ample if they say& 6put the peanut
"utter on the "read7 as their first step& place the unopened #ar of peanut "utter on the
unopened loaf of "read, 8f they say& 6open the peanut "utter&7 struggle with pulling the
cap off,
9a+e students +er"ally change directions to make them more precise as you go along,
1lways gi+e the person who ga+e you the directions the first crack at impro+ing the
wording, 4i+e students a chance to rewrite their procedures& then go through a few
together,
%onclusion
:hen you ha+e successfully made a few sandwiches& split them up for all the mem"ers of
the class to eat, 1s they eat& discuss the importance of clear directions, 0he key to clear
directions is to imagine that the person has ne+er seen any of the e)uipment and has no
idea what to do with it,