Measuring Salt Student Activity

It's easy for students to think a tablespoon of salt is a tablespoon of salt. Not so! Due to an incredible range of sizes in salt granules, a tablespoon of a fine grained salt is a lot more salt than a tablespoon of a flaked sea salt. Have students use the exact same measuring utensil and measure the same volume of table salt, coarse Kosher salt, coarse sea salt, sea salt flakes (like Maldon), and popcorn salt.

To start, ask students to draw a grid so a sheet of paper is divided into 5 sections. Label each section for one type of salt. Students are to place each measured salt in the proper section. Once all salts are on the paper in their own little mounds, it's amazing to see the difference in size from salt to salt. To take the activity to the next level, have students weigh each pile of salt and record the weight of each salt. Then list the salts from lightest to heaviest. 

A lesson for life: A good recipe writer will give readers a heads-up on what salt the recipe is tested with, but that doesn't always happen. As a cook, it's always best to start out with the least amount of salt since more can always be added. Once students realize that not all salts are equal, they are more prepared to be in charge of any recipe.