How to Prepare for Your Tastebud Trekkers Classroom Visit

We are so excited to visit your class! In preparation for your upcoming visit, we ask that you read through this information carefully.

Sample Tastebud trekkers Schedule

15 Minutes - Introduction, Cooking Demo in the classroom

15 Minutes - Students will work together to peel & chop apples to make applesauce

20 Minutes - While applesauce is cooking, students will be led through a movement activity (outside if possible), discovering what “local” means

10 Minutes - Transition back to classroom, serve applesauce & have class discussion as it cools

15 Minutes - Students will taste applesauce & clean up

Classroom Visit Structure

The RVF2S educator will start by introducing themselves and lead a class discussion about what kinds of foods are seasonally available this time of year. Then they will bring out some locally sourced apples and share where they came from.

Next our educator will walk your students through the process of making InstantPot applesauce. We would like to have 4 or 5 tables/work stations set up with clusters of desks. Each workstation will be given one Johnny apple peeler/corer. Within each of these 4 or 5 groups, we will pair students up with a buddy. Each pair will be given one apple to share, along with a cutting board and a crinkle cutter. At their workstations, pairs will take turns peeling their apples with the Johnny apple peeler/corers and then once they are peeled, students will slice their apples up using the crinkle cutters and then add their slices to the InstantPot. Once all of the students have completed this, we will have them clean up their workstations and the educator will start cooking the apples.

While the applesauce is cooking, we would like to do a movement game (outside if possible) to delve into the meaning of "local" and discuss the benefits of eating local food. Then we will return to the classroom, pass out samples of the applesauce and do some mindful tasting together!

Each student will receive a handout with the recipe and other fun apple activities to take home!

What We Need:

  • Desks to be arranged in 4-5 workstation groups (depending on the size of your class).

  • It would be helpful if desks could be sanitized before we start, so that we can make sure our cooking surfaces are clean. We will be bringing cutting boards and wipes to clean up after chopping the apples.

  • Projector so that we can show some pictures from the farm where the apples came from (we will send you a Powerpoint/PDF before your visit)

  • Hand washing sink is best, but if your classroom doesn't have a sink, we can use hand sanitizer

  • Access to an outlet for us to plug the InstantPot into. We will bring an extension cord with us.

  • Access to an outside area for the game while the applesauce is cooking - we can talk about what that looks like at your school.

  • Access to a sink in between classes for some quick dish clean up and prep for the next class.

Payment

The Tastebud Trekkers fee is $350 ($175 per class), each class can be up to 30 students. You will be receiving an invoice after your visit.

If you have any questions or concerns about your upcoming classroom visit, don't hesitate to contact us!