MOUNT VERNON – Fourth- and fifth-graders at the Knox Learning Center learned this week that you can, in fact, make soup with a pot of water and a few stones.
The secret? Just add shared vegetables, broth, seasoning and other ingredients.
The entire building shared in the delicious results.
Students in Carolyn O’Brien’s classroom created the soup Wednesday – with some adult help – after reading the Stone Soup story about three hungry soldiers returning from war in a strange country with nothing more than a large, empty cooking pot.
As they approached the village, the soldiers filled the pot with stones and water, then assured the skeptical villagers that they could in fact make stone soup.
It would be even tastier, the soldiers suggested, if they could add a few ingredients.
One by one the curious villagers brought vegetables and milk to add to the pot until they had created a delicious soup that all shared.
“As we planned for our stone soup and actually made it, the students were communicating and collaborating – skills they will need throughout life – and they didn’t even realize it.”
“The students understood that this was a lesson about working together and sharing,” teacher Carolyn O’Brien said. “With all the violence that is occurring in the world we used this story to ask: What could we do to help make our small corner of the world better?
The Learning Center, operated by the Knox Educational Service Center (ESC) is a K-12 alternative school for students who have difficulty succeeding in traditional school environments.
It is located in the former Mount Vernon West Elementary building.
Working under adult supervision, O’Brien’s students helped to chop, slice and peel vegetables for their stone soup.
The potatoes, onions and magic beans – which change color from purple to green when they are cooked – the students grew at the Arch Park Community Garden with the help of garden coordinator Erin Salva.
Mrs. Salva, a retired educator, was on hand Wednesday to share the Stone Soup book with the class.
Lisa Jacobs, owner of the Happy Owl Mobile Bakery in Gambier, added vegetable broth and seasoning and stirred the soup as Mrs. Salva read.
Assistant teacher Amy Scott and classroom aide Shelly Parker helped O’Brien develop the stone soup project.
When the soup was finished the students agreed it was delicious. Then they carefully delivered bowlfuls to other classrooms.
ESC Superintendent Dr. Timm Mackley praised the stone soup activity.
“We want our students to have the same rich, rewarding experiences they would have in their home districts,” he said. “The stone soup project is an excellent example of important lessons learned with students’ hands-on participation.”