Sparkling Lemonade

Objective

Students discover different ways to produce rotational motion and how this movement translates into cooking activities. Objects that turn on a central axis exhibit rotational motion. There are different ways to initiate rotational motion.

CA Standards--Second Grade

Spinners Balance and Motion Module--Foss

CA Standards--Third Grade

Materials

Activity requires electricity so a good blender and an extension cord if needed. Fresh lemons and several juicers are required for this activity. It may be cheaper to purchase a basil plant or raid a garden instead of purchasing the fresh basil leaves in the produce section of the grocery store.

• Hand mixer with blade
• Egg beater
• Whisk
• Metal spring whisk (scrambled egg boinger)
• Long handled stirring spoon, strainer, bowls
• Cutting board, knife, bag for rinds, cups, 2 qt pitcher
• Lemon juicer and/or lemon squeezer
• Ice in a small cooler
• Blender, extension cord

Ingredients: 3 fresh lemons, frozen lemonade concentrate, club soda, ginger ale, fresh basil

Procedures

1. Start by describing rotary motion as movement on a single axle. Use a car axle as your example. Ask how it moves. Show that it moves both clockwise and counter clockwise.
2. Have kids investigate rotary motion by looking at the hand mixer, the egg beater, and the whisks. Then tell them you are going to do a test and see if they can show you where you are using rotary motion. For example:
   • Spoon stirring liquid in a bowl (rotary)
   • Lemon press (direct pressure)
   • Lemon juicer (rotary)
   • Blender (rotary)
3. Give kids 1/2 a lemon per kid if possible. Allow them to juice their lemon and collect juice into a bowl. Don’t worry about seeds since you will be straining the juice prior to using.
4. Prepare the Sparkling Lemonade recipe below.
5. Give each kid a cup, a leaf of basil and 2 ice cubes. Pour lemonade over ice. (Almost all the kids prefer it with basil and several will eat the leaves after tasting this).

Sparkling Lemonade with Fresh Basil

(From the Ninja Blender book)//Serves 6-8, makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

3 lemons, juiced and strained through a sieve

6 oz canned frozen lemonade concentrate, undiluted

28 oz club soda

1 liter ginger ale

Fresh basil sprigs for garnish

Ice

Directions:

Place the lemon juice, lemon concentrate and 2 cups club soda into the pitcher of the blender. Blend about 10 seconds. Pour juice into a large pitcher (2 qt) and add the remaining club soda (12 oz) and ginger ale. Stir well to combine. Pour the juice over ice and garnish each serving with basil.