Not Your Average GINGERBREAD Unit

What goes together better than winter and gingerbread? There are countless activities and units dedicated to gingerbread fun, but this is not your average unit! This unit was designed with global themes in mind! Throughout this resource, you will teach civics, history, science, geography, and sociology! We hope you enjoy this unit as much as we do!

The topics that we cover include:

S.T.E.M: There are real gingerbread houses in Haiti! After the earthquake, they were some of the only buildings to stay standing. Can your students build a structure strong enough to withstand an “earthquake?”

Sociology: Do you know who holds the record for the largest gingerbread house? Why do people enjoy record breaking? What is the Guinness book of records? Your students will dig into this fascinating world of holding and breaking records.

Civics: A group of people built a gingerbread house was SO big that it required a building permit! What is that and who gives them out? Let's learn all about local government!

Geography: Do you know where the Gingerbread Capitol of the world is located? Let's learn about the market that sells a special kind of gingerbread in Nuremberg, Germany!

History: Run, Run as fast as you can...can you catch the gingerbread man running through history? You'll start in ancient Egypt, on the Silk Road. Then you'll head over to look at a connection between gingerbread and medieval times! While you are there, you will meet William Shakespeare to see what he had to say about gingerbread. Then, you'll run to the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 to figure out her connection to gingerbread men! Lastly, you will swing by the 1800s to meet the Brothers Grimm. They might be able to explain why people make gingerbread houses!

Make SOCIAL STUDIES important again!

LaNesha Tabb & Naomi O’Brien