Schools

Dr. John Barge Cooks With Cherokee Students

The state school superintendent visited Clark Creek Elementary School STEM Academy earlier this week.

Students in Sterling Hope’s class at Clark Creek ES STEM Academy welcomed a guest chef Wednesday morning.

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge spent an hour with a class of third-graders, teaching them some of the practical applications of fractions, heat and chemistry while cooking a batch of peanut brittle in the school’s STEM Cooking lab.

The peanut brittle recipe is one that has been in Dr. Barge’s family for several generations.

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Photo 1: Dr. Barge quizzes the class on the various uses of baking soda, one of the ingredients in peanut brittle.

Photo 2: The State School Superintendent talks about fractions, using measuring cups, when doubling a recipe.

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Photo 3: Dr. Barge adds sugar to the peanut brittle mixture.

Photo 4: Dr. Barge stirs the ingredients together.

Photo 5: Dr. Barge explains how the heat is changing the texture and composition of the ingredients.

Photo 6: Dr. Barge shows off the final peanut brittle product to Alauna Nelson, Annabel Wilson, Imanol Julian-Sanchez and Tania Algood.

Photo 7: Teacher Sterling Hope recorded segments of the cooking process on her iPad and showed the students what happened when different ingredients were added. From left, Joseph Settle, Naomi Williamson, Nathan McMullen, Marion VanRoten and Rey Ventura watch the mixture change as baking soda is added.

Credits: Cherokee County School District

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