Poem and Apple Cake 17 IV 20

Today is Day 35 of our stay-at-home time.

Keep reading to learn about an amazing poem and how to use what you know about capacity and fractions to help you bake a delicious apple cake!

HEAD + HEART

There is a tradition in my class at this time of year when the children learn about the poem, Salutation to the Dawn by the Indian Sanskrit poet Kalidasa (7th century CE). The students usually memorize the poem to recite at the annual Spring Concert. Here is the poem:

Salutation to the Dawn

Look to this day,                           A
For it is life,                                  C         
The very life of life,                      Da
In its brief course,                        Dhak
Lie all the verities,                        Dhan
And realities,                                E
Of our existence.                          G
The bliss of growth,                      J
The glory of action,                       K
The splendor of beauty.                 M
For yesterday is but a dream.         N
And tomorrow is only a vision,       P
But today well lived.                      Ra
Makes every yesterday,                  Re
A dream of happiness,                   Sal
And every tomorrow,                     Sam
A vision of hope.                            Sh
Look well therefore,                       Sm
To this day,                                     So
Such is the Salutation,                    T
To the dawn!                                   V

In past years, the class would work together to talk about what the poem means, the meaning of new words and who the poet Kalidasa was. We then use the reciting of the poem as a way to start our school day.

These words were written over 1,000 years ago, but the message is still worth knowing. Doing your best each day means that your memories of the past will be happy and your vision for the future will be hopeful.

ART CHALLENGE

I would like each child to take part of the poem and write the words in BIG colourful letters. (Please only use the words on the same line as the initial of your first name.) Take a photo and email it to me. I will take the photos and make a collage to create the complete poem. Even though we are apart, we can still do things "together".

HANDS

Did you know that when you make a recipe you use math? Cooking uses capacity measurements and fractions! When I was a child, my mother and I used to make a recipe she called a "one egg cake". It's a simple recipe that uses basic ingredients that most people have in their kitchens. When my children were little, we made the same cake together, but they chose what to mix in it, like chopped apple, nuts or chocolate chips! Here's how to make it:





APPLE CAKE

1 cup (250 ml) flour
1/2 cup (125) sugar
2 teaspoons (30 mL) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (8 mL) salt
1/2 teaspoon (8 mL) cinnamon

1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
1 egg
1/3 cup (80 mL) vegetable oil or melted butter

1 apple, peeled and chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a square 20 cm by 20 cm baking pan. First, in a medium bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Next, in a small bowl mix together the milk, egg and oil. Then, mix together the dry mixture and wet mixture and the chopped apple pieces until combined. Finally, pour the batter into the greased baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. The cake is done when the middle springs back when touched. Cool.

You can try adding other ingredients like coconut, raisins, nuts or chocolate chips instead of apples.

If you make this cake, please email you a picture and show me what you made!