Cocoa Museum Sweetens Our Learning!
To wrap up our IPC unit 'Chocolate', our MP2 students had an exciting visit from Henk-Jan from the Cocoa Museum, Amsterdam.
By Chantal Lenferna, Teacher Group 5
This hands-on experience made the learning come to life!
Henk-Jan told us all about how cocoa plants grow, starting from a tiny seed to a big, colorful pod. The kids were fascinated to hear about the care needed to turn these pods into cocoa beans and, eventually, delicious chocolate.
We also learned how chocolate was made, step by step. From fermenting and drying the beans to roasting and grinding them, the process was like a chocolatey adventure. Henk-Jan explained the difference between fair trade and direct trade, highlighting how these practices help ensure cocoa farmers get fair pay and support for sustainable farming.
And the best part...
Our students got to design their very own chocolate wrappers! They put their creativity to work and came up with some amazing, colorful designs. Then, they even made their own mini chocolate bars to take home – all wrapped up in their custom creations.
“I liked making my own wrapper; it was called ‘Vitoria’s avoCATo Chocolate,'” shared Vic from Group 5B. Lia from Group 5A added, “I also learned something new. I thought that Brazil produced the most cocoa beans, but it’s Africa, the middle of Africa! And when we made our wrappers, I named mine Lili Bee.”
Delia from Group 4A said, “My favorite part was coloring my chocolate wrapper. It was blue and pink and named D-Chocolate.“. And Tess from Group 4A mentioned, “I used the fair trade symbol because it is important to give the farmers equal pay as the people who make the chocolate.”
Henk-Jan also brought a real cocoa pod, cocoa beans, and a traditional harvesting tool for the kids to see and touch.
This visit was such a fun and engaging way to finish our IPC chocolate unit. We’re so thankful to Henk-Jan and the Cocoa Museum in Amsterdam for making this day so special and memorable.
Here’s to more sweet adventures in learning!
