Chocolate


 * We read and learned about chocolate. We tasted some, too! After we had read and researched, students created outlines and generated chocolate reports with an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Report writing was challenging as we had to be more formal and make decisions about what information to include and how to organize it. Read the two versions below. Remember your constructive feedback for these young authors is most welcome!**
 * WHAT IS CHOCOLATE? **

** by Jake ** **
 * What is chocolate? Where does it come from? How is it made? A lot of people eat chocolate, but they don’t know the answer to all these chocolate questions.
 * Chocolate is old and has a history. At the time of 1000 B.C. the Mexicans found kakawa. Now kakawa is called chocolate. The beans were used as money by the Mayans. The Mayans drank the chocolate, instead of eating it. In the 1500’s Spanish Explorer took the chocolate of the Mayans and introduced it to the rest of the world. **


 * It takes a long time to make chocolate. First you have to plant a tree. Cacao trees grow in the rainforest and like some shade. Cacao bean pods are as big as footballs and can be three different colors when ripe. Workers or farmers use machetes to harvest the beans. Finally you let the beans ferment. Then they are dried and then finally roasted. **


 * This tasty treat has some interesting facts. About 40% of the chocolate you eat is slave made. Some of our rainforests are being destroyed just to get the cocoa beans. But some of the chocolate we eat is fair trade. That means that workers get paid and it is not made around pesticide. **

**Now you know chocolate has some history and that it takes a long time to make it. The next time you eat chocolate think, think and think what you have learned.** **// All About Chocolate by Justine //** **// Do you want to learn about chocolate? Well here’s most things about chocolate. Maybe even everything! //**


 * // Have you ever heard of the Mexicans? Well in 1000 B.C. they called chocolate kakawa, but now we call it cacao. They were the first to find chocolate. The Mayans drank chocolate but only the rich did because it was a luxury. It was also used for currency. Around 1500’s, Spanish exploreres took chocolate to share it with the rest of the world. //**


 * // Now to see how it’s made. It all starts with a little sprout. Is gets Bigger and Bigger and Bigger. Then finally you see the cacao tree. The cacao tree grows in rainforests. Normally trees need a lot of sun right, but the cacao trees only need a little sun, mostly shade. Let’s see how it is harvest, shall we. First thing they do is cut open the cacao pod. In that pod is cocoa beans. Now they have to process the beans. They first ferment the cocoa beans, then they roast them. Mmmm, sounds good already! //**


 * // Did you know 40% of the chocolate is made by slaves? It’s painful for me to say this, but the rainforest have been destroyed just to get the cacao beans. Think about these things when you decide what chocolate you will buy. There is fair trade chocolate that you can get that isn't made by slaves. //**