Overview
Elementary learners will journey through the life of a potato – from its humble beginnings on the farm to becoming golden, crispy McCain French Fries on a fork! However, not just any potato can become French Fry worthy. Learners will discover the true standard for quality through hands-on activities, virtual tours, and a real-life factory experience.
NB Curricular Connections
English Language Arts
- Strand: Interactions – Big Idea: Exchanges – Skill Descriptor: Respond personally to presentations, oral stories, and a variety of multi-modal text.
Mathematics
- Strand: Shape and Space – Big Idea: Measurement
Personal Wellness
- Strand: Career Connected Learning – Big Idea: Experiencing Potential Career Pathways – Skill Descriptor: Engage in frequent and ongoing career connected experiential learning to learn about preferred career pathways and develop personal competencies.
What You’ll Need
- Book – The Life of a Potato (By: Vicki Hutchings)
- French Fry Creating Checklist Cards – 2 per learner (see Learning Activity download)
- Potato Peeler – 1 to 2 per class
- French Fry Cutter – 1 to 2 per class
- Wooden/Plastic knifes – 1 per learner
- Paper Plates – 1 per learner
- Plastic Gloves – 2 per learner
- Hairnet – 1 per learner
- Sandwich Plastic Baggies – 1 per learner
- Recipe Cards – 1 per learner (see Learning Activity download)
- Access to water and soap, or hand sanitizer
- PowerPoint Presentation – From Farm to Fry (see downloads)
Instructions
Read Aloud – The Life of a Potato: Before reading, ask: “How do potatoes grow?” Allow learners to share what they already know about the life cycle of a potato. Read the book and have learners confidently answer this question.
Interactive Trivia: Using the PPT slides 2-7, complete the interactive trivia questions all about potatoes through our expert growers at McCain Foods.
French Fry Creating Checklist #1: Have students wash hands or use hand sanitizer, as we are working with food. Place a variety of potatoes in the middle of tables where learners work. Pair up students and place one potato on a paper plate for them. Their task: to create 10 perfectly sized French Fries – see Slide #8. Distribute French Fry Creating Checklist #1 to each pair, along with a paper plate and a wooden knife. Be sure to go over the MUSTS first and then have pairs create 10 masterpieces. After 5 minutes, have pairs fill out the results and challenges part of their sheet, along with one thing that they would change if making French fries again. Discuss the results and challenges as a class.
McCain’s Magic Touch: Using slide 9, take your learners inside the workings of the greatest French Fry factory in the world to learn about the processes, tools, and procedures that are needed to make golden, delicious French Fries. After, ask: What tools, processes, and procedures were we missing from before? What is quality control?
French Fry Creating Checklist #2: Have pairs use another potato to create 10 perfectly sized French Fries with – see slide #10. Once learners have washed their hands (or used hand sanitizer), distribute French Fry Creating Checklist #2 to each pair, along with plastic gloves and a hairnet. Be sure to go over the MUSTS first and then have pairs create 10 masterpieces. French Fry Cutters and peelers will have to be shared. After 5-10 minutes, have pairs fill out the results and challenges part of their sheet. Have learners bag up their French fries in the sandwich baggies to take home.
Wrap-Up & Discussion: Clean up and gather together. Ask learners with Slide #11: Why does Quality Control matter? What was different about the French Fries we created first and then the second batch that we made? (Possible responses: the 2nd time: same size, better quality, faster time, better product, equal product, sanitary and safety measures in place, etc.) Why does quality control matter to companies and customers? Hand out McCain recipe card to add to the pre-cut fries in the baggies. Have learners share their favorite French Fry recipes.
Extension Ideas
- Bring in an Air Fryer – and cook the cut-up French Fries together. Experiment with amounts of salt and ketchup to perfect the right ratios. Be sure to write down the recipe as a class and share!
- Have learners write about potatoes – and create a NEW variety for New Brunswickers to try!
- Measurement – using 2-3 different kinds of frozen French fries, do a quality control check and measure the various kinds. Give them a rating!
- Leftover potatoes? Why not try to plant a few in soil and keep in your classroom to explore and investigate?
Reflection Activity
Please see the attached PDF for several choices on how you and your learners can reflect upon today’s activity.
Acknowledgements
- McCain Foods – video, 2024.
- Sustainability – trivia answers: Sustainability – Smart & Sustainable Farming | McCain Foods, 2024.
A SPECIAL THANKS to Amy Tompkins, of ASD-W’s Townsview School and her grade 3 class for piloting this activity in the Winter of 2025.
