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*Safety Check-In: The activities in this curriculum are intended for family-style use under direct adult supervision. Because every family’s home environment and children are unique, please use your best judgment to ensure a safe experience. Always verify materials—such as plants, food items, or chemicals—for safety and allergies before use, and keep heat sources, tools, and small parts under close adult watch. You know your children best; please adapt these activities as needed to ensure they are age-appropriate and safe for your specific family.
Looking for a playful, hands-on baking activity that your whole homeschool family can enjoy together? This family-style homemade Italian pizza fits perfectly into an international or geography theme while offering meaningful learning across science and STEM. Younger children can help measure, mix, shape, and assemble their pizzas, while elementary and middle school learners explore sourdough cells, fermentation, microorganisms, and baking measurements. Gather your ingredients and turn a simple pizza night into a creative, multi-age homeschool experience.
Full Lesson Plans
Measurement in Baking & Cooking STEM Activity
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An activity-based learning extension exploring:
- baking & cooking with volume vs. weight
- american vs. metric measurement systems
- simple conversions & baking accuracy
- tie-ins to baking activities
Yearlong Sourdough Science Curriculum Bundle
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An activity-based learning extension exploring:
- cells & their processes
- prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cells; types & examples
- cell parts, organelles, & parts of a nucleus
- cell parts related to sourdough
- tie-ins to the activity
In addition to the typical lesson plan, this 12 month inclusive plan includes sourdough tips, tricks, and notes, basic sourdough baking vocabulary explanations, themed plating ideas, and cozy recipe cards.
One Full Unit Study Lesson + 12 Monthly Themed Recipes
Begin any month, and choose the rhythm that fits your family best:
- The Year-Long Journey: Take it slow by spreading the core lesson out across the entire year, pairing it step-by-step with your monthly bakes.
- The Monthly Connection: Introduce the main concepts right away, then use each monthly recipe as a gentle review to help those big ideas settle in.
- The All-In-One Kickoff: Start with the complete core lesson in month one, and enjoy themed recipes as fun, ongoing practice all year.
Click here to see what’s included and how family-style learning works with our lessons.
What’s Included
Our curriculum is designed to foster genuine critical thinking through intentional lesson layout: a foundational introduction to core concepts, hands-on activities and play-based learning that puts ideas into practice, and a reflective discussion to synthesize the learning. Depending on the subject, features may include:
- direct connections to the featured activities
- new information & concepts
- visual charts
- practice pages with answer keys
- observation and design pages
- naturally integrated vocabulary
- warm and memorable images
- scaffolded learning
- connections to living books & stories
- higher-order discussion questions
- immersive and play-based learning experiences
- social studies units often include positive affirmations combined with play-based bilateral stimulation
Family Style Learning
Our activities are intentionally designed to grow with your family. Lessons are designed for elementary and middle school students, but toddlers and preschoolers thrive using the exact same setups, learning through play. Because learning goals develop in complexity over time, you get more bang for your buck—utilizing the exact same supplies across all ages and through many years.
How activities are used by age:
- Infancy & Toddlerhood: Focuses on hands-on sensory and play-based exploration (touching, feeling, experiencing).
- Preschool & Pre-K: Develops language, basic concepts, and descriptive vocabulary using the same activities.
- Elementary & Beyond: Expands play and sensory based activities into formal lessons with deep conceptual understanding.
Through direct sensory experience, younger children will naturally absorb basic vocabulary and be exposed to advanced language and learning alongside their older siblings.
Materials & How To
Click here for materials and setup directions.
Materials:
General:
- kitchen scale (digital, measuring lbs, ounces, and grams)
- measuring cups & spoons (including a glass measuring cup, showing ounces & cups)
- large mixing bowl
- mixing spoon or dough whisk
- damp tea towel
- clean counter or work surface
- bench scraper or sharp knife
- rolling pin
- oven-safe skillet
- spatula
- oven mitts
- pizza cutter
- serving plates
Dough Ingredients:
- ⅓ c sourdough discard (80 grams)
- 2 t salt (10 grams)
- 2 T olive oil (30 grams)
- ⅓ c + 1 T whole wheat flour (50 grams)
- 3¾ c all-purpose flour (450 grams)
- 1⅓ c + 1 t water (325 grams)
Toppings:
- Pizza sauce
- Cheese
- Any desired toppings
How To:
Italian Sourdough Pizza Recipe:
- Combine the sourdough discard, salt, olive oil, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix until combined.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature overnight.
- In the morning, complete one set of stretch and folds.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and refrigerate the dough for 8–36 hours.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
- Shape each portion into a ball.
- Cover the dough balls with a damp tea towel and let them rest for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven broiler to HIGH.
- Heat an oven-safe skillet on the stovetop.
- On a floured surface, shape one dough ball into an 8-inch circle.
- Carefully place the dough circle in the heated skillet.
- Add pizza sauce, cheese, and any desired toppings.
- Cook on the stovetop for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust begins to char.
- Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the broiler.
- Broil for 2–4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked through.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Slice and serve warm.
Find our full lesson plans above for more guidance and depth of learning.
Additional Learning Resources
Click here for additional resources, activities, & lessons.
More Lessons & Activities
- Full Lesson Plans: Browse our available full homeschool lesson plans in every collection.
- Around the World: Explore related themed activities here.
- July Themes: Discover our July page for more activities in this collection.
- Themed Learning Extras: immerse yourself in our curated resources through music & meditations, read alouds & picture books, movie night picks, and additional free curriculum.
- The Year Ahead: Visit our Monthly Collections to get ready for upcoming learning.
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