Art Explorer 7: Cheese Please

One food item that I cannot go without is a precious thing we call CHEESE. Cheese is categorized as a dairy product and dairy products come from cows. SO, thank you cows for all the wonderful foods that include cheese!!

Feta Cheese (my favorite!!)

Kefalotyri (Cyprus cheese)

Cheddar Cheese (old, mild, medium)

Tyrokaftyri (Greek cheese)

White Cheddar

Cottage Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese

Gouda

Marble Cheese

Brie

Blue Cheese

Oazis (Smoked Cheese in Hungary)

Swiss Cheese

Nacho Cheese

Gouda Cheese

Cream Cheese

Havarti Cheese

Cheez Whiz
Ricotta Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

You probably know the majority of these cheeses, however there are a lot more that did not make the list.  The 18 cheeses that made the list, are ones that I have tried!!

 YUM.

When comparing these cheeses, I not only think of taste, but I also think about texture, smell, shape, color and sizes. Some cheeses, such as blue cheese and feta smell a little worse then mozzarella and Swiss cheese (but, feta tastes WAY more delicious than blue cheese, or any other cheese for that matter). On the other hand, some cheeses have different textures. Cottage cheese and fresh ricotta have a much "gooier" texture compared to Gouda and Havarti. And, like all things, cheese comes in different shapes and sizes.  It generally comes in circles, squares (blocks and slices) and triangles. The customer can either buy pre-packaged (size is determined) cheese or not.  When not buying pre-packaged cheese, the size is not determined; the customer chooses its mass. Mass is weight and can be portrayed as, heavy and light, hard and soft, large and small, or block-like and open (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009). So...When picking the style/form of cheese it ultimately depends on its purpose (dip, sandwich, pizza, cake, etc.).  For example, when I want cheese and crackers, I choose a hard cheese (cheddar or marble), but when I want toast I choose a spreadable cheese (cream cheese).

Whatever the food, I usually add cheese. Hence, CHEESE PLEASE!!

At this point you may be asking, "how does this relate to art or future educators?" Well...

**Note to Future Educators**

Remember that art materials are not limited to paint and crayons. Instead, try incorporating food items! For instance, using potatoes as stencils instead of sponges or using berries instead of paint (blueberries= blue paint, strawberries= red paint, blackberries= black/purple paint).  It's possible that incorporating food items may cause children to become more engaged in art activities, as they show interest in new materials and get to explore new creations!