“ALIENS” IN THE KITCHEN
A Cookbook for Teachers of Teens.
NOTE THIS E-BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com with photographs included in several sample student project cookbooks. See LINK: “Follow me on Twitter.”
DEDICATION.
This course book is dedicated to all my students at WBAIS.
We had fun with foods and learned an important life skill.
Keep cooking and choose mostly healthy options.
Your teacher
MRS. FELDMAN
INTRODUCTION.
This exploratory or mini course is primarily a guide for Middle School Teachers to promote teaching this important life skill to teens in a school environment.
However, this basic course can be applied successfully as an after-school enrichment program, for home schooled teens under adult supervision and at summer school camps.
Constraints to take into account are the diets of your student population who may be vegetarian or have religious reasons for not eating certain foods.
This course has a vegetarian and fish emphasis in order to allow most students to participate.
The teacher needs to decide whether to cater for individual student needs as it entails far more work and organization. Examples may be students who are diabetic, gluten intolerant or do not eat eggs.
GUIDELINES.
This course is runs over 6 to 7 weeks and is held twice a week followed by three times a week and then repeats this sequence. The time frame for 10 students working individually is 60 to 80 minute blocks.
Two students to a table have individual hotplates and share a mini oven and sink.
Class has a dishwasher.
Supplies for each table include the following:
Work mats and cutting/chopping boards.
Knife for cutting vegetables.
Spatula, potato peeler, whisk and set of basic kitchen utensils.
Set of pots and pans
Baking dish.
Cutlery and plates for presentation.
Dishcloths, sponges and soap.
Aprons.
HYGIENE:
Hygiene in your designated “kitchen” must adhere to your School District and Educational Department requirements as this is crucial for your student’s
well being.
As a general rule students wash their hands with soap, don their aprons and make sure long hair is tied back or in a net/cap before they set up their stations.
STUDENT ROUTINE:
Once the students have seen to their personal hygiene as stated above and have set up their stations according to basic supplies listed on the board they should physically write or type up the recipe of the lesson as the teacher reads aloud. This helps them focus on what the need to accomplish. The recipe can be projected onto a Smartboard or shared on their devices thereafter.
These recipes will become part of a digital recipe book that students will share with the teacher as part of the course requirements.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Expectations – please see the Assessment Rubric.
Recipe book in a digital format will be a record of the class and includes personal photographs of recipes. Students design a cover and table of contents. See Assessment Rubric. PERSONAL PROJECT:
Student led class on their choice of recipe which may be a family favorite or a recipe from their country of origin.
The teacher has set up a class calendar, a month into the course, to ensure that all students have a date when they will run the class with the teacher as assistant.
The student will discuss their project at home with a parent or family member to come up with recipe options. There after the student will consult with the teacher to approve the recipe and discuss how best to proceed.
The teacher will advise re supplies and whether the family will provide or the school budget depending on circumstances as supplies are needed for 9 students.
The student practices the recipe at home with a responsible adult before running the class.
This project has been highly successful and a great learning experience over the years and my students always looked forward to the responsibility of running the class and having a successful outcome. The teacher is there to problem solve and make sure that the class runs smoothly and that includes the preparation and clean up.
The students love taking on my role having learned the method in the first month of the course.
Grading is optional otherwise “complete” or “incomplete” is sufficient.
See Rubric for Personal Project.
FINAL PROJECT:
The Final Project can take one of two forms. Either all students receive the same package of ingredients and equipment needed with and open instruction to use the ingredients in order to plan, make and present a breakfast of their design. This is the option that I used in later years or I did try a plan whereby each student receives a different package of ingredients with a new recipe to follow and the necessary equipment. The result was also successful and the fun part was that we had 10 different dishes to taste! The second option requires much more planning and work for the teacher. If you are giving a grade, then some students may feel others had easier recipes. The teacher can decide on random distribution or suiting the recipe to the student’s level without them being aware.
See Rubric for Final Project.
PHOTOGRAPH OF FINAL PROJECT BREAKFAST:
SAMPLE STUDENT RECIPE BOOK.
EXPECTATIONS ASSESSMENT RUBRIC SUGGESTIONS.
EXCELS/GOOD/NEEDS WORK.
1. Hygiene: Hair tied back, apron, hands washed.
2. Working with others: Cooperative, helpful, encouraging, friendly and positive attitude to peers.
3. Job completion: Room responsibilities such as set up and clean up. Recipe book updated. Fulfilled recipe and cooking
requirements.
4. Effort: Did your recipe succeed? Why? Why not?
Where could you improve?
What did you learn?
5. Tasks: What was your contribution to the class?
Were you an initiator or did you need to be asked?
EVALUATION RUBRIC/CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE.
RECIPE OF THE DAY: ———————————–
TABLE PARTNERS:
1.——————-
2.——————-
TASKS:
1. Wash hands, tie hair back and put on apron.
2. Set up table.
3. Record recipe.
4. Prep.
Kitchen utensils and ingredients on work table.
Recipe followed during cooking.
Presentation of completed recipe.
Clean up completed.
Final check and hand in evaluation.
Note that you can add #4 and #5 from Expectation Rubric Suggestions above to this form.
RUBRIC FOR PERSONAL PROJECT.
1. Recipe chosen and discussed with parent and teacher advising.
2. Recipe and ingredients list submitted for teacher approval with evidence of recipe practiced at home. Note from parent or photograph/video clip.
3. Organization and running the class on the day:
a. Instructions and recipe clearly articulated?
b. Supplies correct?
c. Monitors and helps guide all students during the cooking process?
d. Presentation of final product checked and photographed?
e. Outcome and taste test of dish met expectations?
f. Clean up supervised and completed?
g. Recipe book updated and evaluation form handed in to teacher?
Creative Science Teaching. 