Montessori coffee buzz

X-tine, one of the other lovely teachers in my classroom (there are three of us all together) came up with this new practical life lesson. Coffee grinding. How fabulous is that? The children are loving it, and the whole school smells like fresh coffee in the morning. Yum!

Coffee Grinding

Materials:

• Coffee beans in a dish
• Spoon
• Hand-crank coffee grinder
• Jar for grounds
• Brush and pan (aka crumber)

Procedure:

• This is a food lesson, so wash your hands first!
  
• Put on an apron and unroll a mat at a table
  
• Place the items from left to right across the top of the mat, introducing each one by name
• Take the tray back to the shelf
  
• Bring the grinder to the front and center of the mat
• Slide lid open (or open however yours might open)
• Set the dish of coffee beans to the left of the grinder
• Pick up spoon and situate in pincher-finger grip
• Spoon a few scoops of coffee beans into the grinder
• Close the grinder lid
  
• Place the spoon and dish of beans back in their places at the top of the mat
• Start grinding!
• Open the lid every once and awhile to check the coffee grounds
• Bring the jar to the right of the grinder and open the lid
• Open the coffee grinder (on ours, the whole lid with crank twists off)
  
• Spoon the grounds into the jar
• Close the jar and close the grinder
• Reposition all the items at the top of the mat
  
• Bring the tray back to the mat and replace all the items, except the crumber
• Crumb the mat, the table, the chair, etc. and empty loose grounds into the garbage or compost

Purpose:

• Control and coordination of movement
• Organization and sequence
• Indirect preparation for math and language

Point of interest:

• Coffee grinder
  
• Coffee beans
  

Ages: 3 1/2 and up

*This lesson is a great precursor to grating lessons, like bread grating and soap grating.

I looked around online for hand-crank coffee grinders. X-tine found hers at Butterfly Herbs in Missoula, but I couldn't find it in their catalog. Cuda Coffee had the best selection that I could find, but none just like the one we're using. I'd like to find one to use at home! :)