A lesson in breadmaking teaches these PS 64 students some important lessons they 'knead' to know.
Students at PS 64 in Manhattan got an English, science, math and history lesson this week, all while baking loaves of bread.
Second-graders participated in a program called the Breadmaking in the Schools Project, run by Gary Gomer, or “Professor Bread.”
During his hands-on classroom workshops, Professor Bread makes bread from scratch, while covering topics like vocabulary, calculations and conversions, the fermentation of yeast, and the role of food throughout history for various cultures.
“I’m trying to encourage families to start baking bread,” Gomer explained. “It's the perfect food to share: it has the added benefit of bringing people together.”
Professor Bread, who has a Ph.D. and a background in social work, developed his passion for breadmaking in college. He started baking bread in the classroom ten years ago as a way to engage students he worked with on the Lower East Side. He currently works in about 30 elementary and middle schools in four boroughs.
Jyasia Miranda, a second-grader at P.S. 64, said her favorite part of the workshop was kneading the dough. “I can’t wait to try it!” she said.
“There’s something very real about baking bread. It’s hands-on, relaxing. It brings out the best in everyone,” Gomer said.
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