Chocolate Through Time

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ST Name: Kym Fox

ST Number: 40036679

Class Level: 2nd & 3rd Class

Date: /5/25

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Subject: History

Duration of Lesson: 40 Minutes

No of Pupils: 27 pupils

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Strand(s):

Continuity and change over time

Strand Unit(s)/Element(s):

Food and farming

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Learning Outcome(s) / Content Objectives:

• Identify some of the factors which have caused or prevented change in food production and consumption over time.

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Learning Objectives:

1. The child should be enabled to describe the origin of chocolate and recognise how its use and availability have changed over time.
2. The child should be enabled to identify key historical events and people involved in the history of chocolate.
3. (Optional) The child should be enabled to appreciate the impact of farming and trade on the spread and popularity of chocolate.

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Assessment:

1. Method: Teacher-led questioning and paired discussion reflection.
2. Assessment of: Understanding of chocolate’s history, key events, and changes over time.
3. To be recorded: Observations of pupil responses and participation during activities.

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Teacher Questioning:

Lower order questions (Closed Questions):

1. Where did chocolate originally come from? (I)
2. What plant is used to make chocolate? (I)
3. Can you name one way chocolate was used in the past? (D)

Higher order questions (Open Questions):

1. How do you think chocolate’s availability changed as people learned more about it? (C)
2. Why do you think chocolate was so important in ancient civilisations? (C)
3. How would life be different if chocolate had never been discovered? (C)

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Language Development Opportunities:

• Introduce and reinforce vocabulary: cacao, Aztecs, colonists, trade, farming, farm-to-table, chocolate bar, innovation
• Use story language and sequencing terms: first, then, next, after that, today.

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Literacy Development Opportunities:

• Reading aloud of a short historical story about the discovery and use of chocolate.
• Writing simple sentences about the history of chocolate in their own words during follow-up activities.

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Teaching Methodologies:

Talk and Discussion, Collaborative/Co-operative Learning, Active Learning, Skills Through Content, Using Local Environment

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Lesson Structure

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Introduction (10 minutes)

Stimulus:

Show children a small bag of cacao pods (real or images) and a variety of chocolate products (e.g., chocolate bar, hot chocolate). Ask:

• “Have you ever wondered where chocolate comes from?”
• Brief chocolate story teaser: "Long ago, chocolate was very different — and we’ll find out why!"

Elicit Prior Knowledge:

• Ask pupils to briefly share what they already know about chocolate — Is it natural? Where do we get it?

Share Learning Intention:

• “Today, we will learn about the history of chocolate, where it comes from, and how people’s use of chocolate has changed over time.”

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Development (20 minutes)

Activity 1: Story Time with Visuals (10 minutes)

• Read a short animated story (or use illustrated cards) about the history of chocolate:
  • Origin with the Aztecs and Mayans (cacao as currency and drink)
  • Arrival to Europe in the 1500s
  • Changes in how chocolate was made and eaten (from bitter drink to sweet treat)
  • Modern-day chocolate making and farming

Pause with key questions to engage pupils after each segment.

Activity 2: Group Timeline Creation (10 minutes)

• Split children into 3 groups; each group arranges illustrated events and pictures on a timeline on the board or large paper:
  1. Cacao farming and use by indigenous people
  2. Introduction of chocolate to Europe
  3. Modern chocolate production and consumption

Groups discuss changes they observe and place the cards in order. Teacher facilitates and scaffolds thinking about “continuity and change.”

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Conclusion (10 minutes)

Cognitive:

• Whole class discussion revisiting the learning objective.
• Ask pupils to share one new thing they learned about chocolate history.

Social:

• Encourage pupils to explain their timeline choices to their peers, promoting cooperative learning and communication skills.

Transition / Wrap-up:

• Link chocolate history to the week's baking theme: “Next time, we will explore how chocolate is used in baking – from cakes to cookies!”

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Pupil(s)	Reason(s)	Method(s)	Additional Comments
Visual learners	Need pictorial support	Use pictures, realia (pods, bars)	Display timeline visuals clearly
EAL learners / Language delay	New vocabulary and concepts	Pre-teach vocabulary, repeat terms	Use clear, simple sentences
Pupils with attention difficulties	Structured activities & movement breaks	Group work + hands-on timeline activity	Move around timeline cards to engage movement

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The Learning Environment:

• Seating in clusters to encourage group work and discussion.
• Clear whiteboard or display area for timeline.
• Visual aids: Cacao pod replica or photos, chocolate product samples, illustrated event cards.
• Story script or book with simple historical narrative.

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This lesson plan closely follows the IE Curriculum Framework strands of Continuity and Change, focusing on Food and Farming, with active engagement and meaningful content to develop pupils’ historical understanding in a relatable context. It supports language and literacy development, collaborative learning, and differentiation for diverse learners. The integration of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning ensures all pupils access the content effectively.

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End of Lesson Plan