This lesson is the second lesson of the grains unit. It is a grains cookery lab where each lab group makes a different grains dish and the class samples and taste tests them all.  It is a great way to have students try a variety of grains without breaking the bank or spending too many days on it.

Time Frame: 1 block

Objective

• Apply food selection and preparation guidelines related to grains.

Set

• Review from Introduction: What are the three most common grains in the US? What is the difference between short and long grain rice? What is the ratio of water to rice? Name some uncommon grains.

Materials

• Food for Today or other text book worksheet on the grains unit
• Bran
• Pearled Barley
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat Flour
• Bulgar

Background for Teachers

• A few notes on the recipes. First of all the recipes finish a different times. I usually assign a book worksheet (I use Food for Today) along with the lab worksheet so as individual groups finish cooking or are waiting for something they work on book work. As taste test samples are done students sample and fill out the lab worksheet.
• I also have a maximum of 20 students per class. I have students only make one recipe (recipe serving sizes vary)….these are taste test samples not full meals. That being said I have the bran muffin group make mini muffins and the buckwheat pancake group make enough small pancakes so each person can have one.
• Note there are several ways to deal with the Tabbouleh recipe. The first is to soak the Bulgar for the students (1 hour) or at least start it so there is 15 minutes remaining. The second is to have them taste this recipe the following class since the flavor deepens with time sitting in the refrigerator. I would suggest the later if you are going to give a quiz on grains the next class…then they also get to eat. I don’t know about your students by mine like to eat every class!

Instruction

• Go over the standards of quality for grains. Have students write them down in their notes.
  • Grains should not be so soggy/mushy that they become clumpy in most circumstances. Distinct particles, granules or flakes.
  • Pasta should not be over cooked so that it turns into a  slimy, sticky, clumpy mass. Instead it should have distinct strands or pieces and be tender but not mushy to bite.

Activities

• Each lab group will make a different grains recipe. 
  • Barley Soup
  • Buckwheat Pancakes
  • Quinoa Pilaf
  • Tabbouleh
  • Bran Muffins
• When everyone is complete, have students sample each of the recipes and fill out the taste test lab sheet.
• While grains are cooking or while groups are finishing cooking students should work on textbook grains worksheet.

Closure

• Class Oral Evaluation: Take a vote on the class’ favorite grain recipe. Was anyone surprised that they liked a grain that they wouldn’t have normally thought they would like? Why is eating whole grains important?

Evaluation

• Graded Grain Lab Worksheet (below)

Attachments

• Grains Lab Recipes (Word)
• Grain Lab Worksheet (Word)

Similar Lessons

• Grains Unit: Day 1 Introduction
• Cereal Grains
• Grains and Rice Lab
• Preparing Pasta, Grain and Rice Lesson Plan (PDF)

Print PDF

Need ideas for your grains unit? Look no further! Taste tests, power points, videos, labs, and unit quizzes.

Time Frame: 3-4 blocks

Objectives

1. Apply food selection and preparation guidelines related to rice, grains, and pasta.
2. Identify types of rice (brown, instant, long grain and short grain), and cooking methods for rice.
3. Identify cooking methods for pasta.
4. Identify the functions and food sources of fiber.
5. Identify foods high in natural fiber, and how to increase the bulk in low-fiber foods.

Set

• Class Questions: What is a grain? What is the difference between whole grain, multi-grain, and white bread? What are the health benefits of grains?

Materials

• Projector/Computer
• Cooking at the Academy (DVD)
• 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains
• Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook: Whole & Healthy Grains for Every Meal of the Day
• Betty Crocker Whole Grains: Easy Everyday Recipes
  • Grains (for samples, taste tests, and grains cooking lab)
    • Kamut
    • Quinoa
    • Buckwheat Flour
    • Amarantha
    • Rye Berries
    • Oat Grouts
    • Triticale Rolled Flakes
    • Bulgar
    • Jasmine Rice
    • Couscous
    • Polenta
    • Instant Rice
    • Wild Rice (actually a grass not grain)
    • Long Grain Rice
    • Barley
    • Arborio Rice

Instruction

• PowerPoint lecture
• Taste test most grains that are discussed in the lecture (prepare these ahead of time and/or pass around bags of them for students to look at)

Activities

• Day  1: Introduction PowerPoint & Grain tasting and/or handling
• Day  2: Grains Lab (Quinoa pilaf, Barley Soup, Bran muffins, Buckwheat pancakes, Tabbouleh)
• Day  3: Rice Lab
• Day  4: Pasta Fundraiser (lasagna, stuffed shells, chicken Alfredo)
• Day  5: Quiz/Test & Cooking at the Academy Video

Background for Teachers

• Depending on your time frame for this unit you can either have samples prepared of each of the unusual grains or you can have the class make these grains by having each lab group (3-4 students) make a different grain recipe.

Evaluation

• Grains Unit Quiz
  

Attachments

• Grains, Pasta, Rice PowerPoint (PPT)
• Grains PowerPoint Fill-in Notes (Word)
• Grain Taste Testing Chart (Word)
• Grains Quiz Version A (Word)
• Grains Quiz Version B (Word)
• Grains Quiz Modified Version (Word)

Links

• Cooking Whole Grains Information Packet (PDF)
• Fiber Basics and Beyond: More to Know About Fiber
• Printable Nutrition Resources from Kellogg

Similar Lessons

• Cereal Grains
• Grains and Rice Lab
• Preparing Pasta, Grain and Rice Lesson Plan (PDF)

Print PDF

Ever seen the television show “Chopped”?  My students love to watch it and have been bugging me to let them compete in our class.  However, with large classes, short bells, and limited budget, it was proving to be a bit difficult.  However, I think I have figured out a good way to go about it.  I think it’s a great and of the year project as well, because it helps get rid of extra food in a good way.

Time Frame: 3Periods
Class Size: 20

Objective

• The students will compete together and against other kitchen groups in style of the TV show “Chopped”.

Materials

• Kitchens, secret ingredients, pantry and fridge of other ingredients.

Background for Teachers

• If you haven’t seen the show then you may want to watch it.

Instructional Procedures

1. First day watch chopped and plan.  Elect half of team to be in charge of entrée, half of team to be in charge of dessert.  That team is also in charge of your own clean-up.
2. Second day, is day of entree cooking, 3rd day is dessert.  Can only take ingredients from demonstration table (including spice drawer and white bin), and designated fridge.  Can’t take ingredients back to table though, you must measure them out at demo table.
3. On days students aren’t cooking, students are in charge of judging; can’t vote for their own team. Vote for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place
4. To determine winner – at the end of both days, count up points.  Each 1st place vote = 3 pts, 2nd place = 2 pts, 3rd place = 1 pt.  Team with most points, after both rounds, wins!

Activities

• Since the food needed to be somewhat simple and quick, but also fun, this is what I came up with, but feel free to create your own secret ingredients.

(Wednesday) Day One:  Entrée – 35 minutes
-       Need samples for roughly 12 people
-       Secret Ingredients:

• ½ lb. chicken  (7 lbs chicken)
• 1 Red peppers (13 peppers)
• 1 Zucchini (13)
• ½ c. Orange Juice (2 jugs)

(Thursday) Day Two:  Dessert – 30 minutes
-       Need samples for roughly 12 people
-       Secret Ingredients:

• 1 can Manderian Oranges (13 cans)
• 1 tubes of biscuit dough (13 biscuits)
• 1 container strawberry yogurt (13 strawberries)

Other things for pantry:
-       Onions (1 bag)
-       Salsa
-       Lemons (6 lemons)
-       Chocolate
-       Whip Cream
-       Cream Cheese  (4 bars)
-       Marshmallows (2 bags)
-       Pasta
-       Cans of tomato
-       Eggs (2 containers)
-       Pretzels
-       Graham Crackers
-       Peanut Butter
-       Ramen noodles (13 packages)

Attachments

• Chopped Rules (PPT)

Links

• Chopped Casting

Works Cited

• Chopped: Food Network

Print PDF

The holiday season can be stressful for us as the students get riled up in anticipation of school break, classes get shorter making it hard to cram our lessons into half days, and our personal lives get busy. I personally view holidays as a way to celebrate with students and take some of the pressure off of the normal academia pacing that at this time of the semester can leave us all exhausted. Here are a few holiday ideas to either help your department raise money, fit in some extra holiday excitement, or comply with a half day schedule.

Fundraisers

• Thanksgiving Pie Fundraiser

Baking & Pastry

• Tiny Turkey Dinner Cupcakes
• Nutter butter Turkey Cookies
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

Hospitality

• Turkey Placeholders

Sewing

• Felt Turkey Pins
• Turkey Chair Covers
• Soft Pumpkins These can be made into pincushions

Preschool

• Foot & Hand Turkey Craft
• Turkey Songs

Community Service

• Find a Local Food Bank
• Thanksgiving Food Baskets (PDF)

Life Skills

• Collage Family Tree

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In many parts of the world people eat insects as part of their daily diets. Insects are high in protein and have even been stated as possibly being the answer to the world’s hunger problems. Let your students decide for themselves by exploring entomophagy (bug eating) through this fear facing food lesson.

Set

• Start this lesson by watching this YouTube clip of the launch of a bug food cart and Americans’ reactions to this absurd food choice

Materials

• Insects As Food, including: Casu Marzu, Bombyx Mori, Mezcal, Honeypot Ant, Cordyceps, Mealworm, Grasshopper, Witchetty Grub, Bogong Moth, Milbenk se, Huhu Beetle, Entomophagy, Maguey Worm, Gonimbrasia Belina, Hypopta Agavis, Chapulines, Belostomatidae
• Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio
• Insects as food: Bombyx mori, Mezcal, Casu marzu, Locust, Cochineal, Entomophagy, Cordyceps, Grasshopper, Gonimbrasia belina, Belostomatidae
• Eat-a-Bug Cookbook: 33 Ways to Cook Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes, and Their Kin by David George Gordon.
• Bug Snacks like dried crickets, chocolate covered worms, etc.

Instruction

• Taste test- provide bugs to taste like dried crickets
  
• Bug cooking demonstration. Purchase live insects at a company like Grubco. I suggest demonstrating recipes like chocolate cricket cookies or Grasshopper kabobs (recipes below)

Activities

• Using the internet students will pair up and answer the questions found on the entomophagy worksheet
• Students will then present their findings and recipes to the class. You can have students create a glog (online poster) on the subject or simply hand in their worksheets depending on how much time you have.
• You may also choose to assign an edible insect to a group of students to research, find recipes, figure out how to raise, etc and present a poster on that subject.

Extensions

• Make this lesson a mini project by having students create a menu of insect dishes including pictures, descriptions, pricing, etc.

Attachments

• Entomophagy Worksheet (Word)
• Entomophagy Key (Word)
• Cricket Biology Guide (PDF)
• Meal Worm Biology Guide (PDF)
• Chocolate Cricket Cookies (PDF)
• Grasshopper Kabobs Recipe (Link)

Links

• The ‘ick’ Factor: Bugs Can be Hard to Swallow (Article)
• Nova: Master of the Killer Ants: Bugs you can Eat (Country Data)
• Glogster (Online Poster Creation)
• FDA Food Defect Levels
• How to Raise Mealworms
• Insects and the American Indians
• InsectsareFood.com
• Insect Recipes
• Grubco (Purchase Live Insects)

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Tired of messy physical posters? Introducing Glogs–virtual, interactive posters that don’t take up physical space and are a blast to create. Use this new virtual poster technology with any subject! This lesson is a fast, fun way to teach students about sandwiches and incorporate technology all at the same time!

Time Frame: 1-2 blocks

Objective

• Apply food selection and preparation guidelines related to sandwiches.

Set

• Ask students to pair up and take out a blank sheet of paper. Give them one minute to list as many sandwiches as they can. The team that wins will get first pick for their sandwich project.

Instruction

• After going through a lesson/ppt on sandwiches, students sign up for a specific sandwich.
  • Club
  • Monte Cristo
  • Reuben
  • Pulled Pork Sandwich
  • Po’ Boy
  • Submarine
  • Philly Cheesesteak
  • Dagwood
  • Cuban
  • Gyro
  • Sloppy Joe
  • Tuna Melt
  • Hamburger
  • Hotdog
  • Taco
  • Runza
  • Caprese
  • BLT
  • Muffuletta
  • Lobster Roll

Activity

• After researching the information required on the rubric about their sandwich students create a GLOG (a virtual poster) at www.glogster.com
• Sample:

Extensions

• Day 2: Various types of sandwiches can then be prepared in the lab to demonstrate different types of sandwiches as well as cooking methods. You can make this into a graded cooking demonstration or have every student make their sandwich, plate it then present how they were made to the class along with their glog.
• Glogsters can be used to incorporate technology into the curriculum and can be used with any subject. Links to articles and videos can be embedded into the glog as well. Students really enjoy making these and they are much neater than paper posters.

Attachments

• Sandwich-Glog-Project (Word)

Links

• Sandwiches (PPT)
  
• Outline for Notes (Word)
  
• Sandwich Test (Word)
  

Websites

• Gloster
  

Print PDF

Vanilla is expensive and vanilla beans even more so. This is a great lesson to teach students about vanilla without breaking the bank. One vanilla bean required!

Time Frame: One Block + Eating Creme Brulee the next class
Objective The student will describe the process of making vanilla and the steps of making creme brulee.
Set

• Have students partner up and complete the vanilla trivia game. Time them to see who can come up with the most correct answers the fastest.
  

Materials

• Projector & Computer
• One vanilla bean
• Ingredients for Creme Brulee

Instruction

• Short lecture on the history and process of making vanilla

Activities

• Creme Brulee demonstration. Have students take notes on the process of making the dish. Offer extra credit for any student that makes it at home.
• Alternative – show this YouTube video in place of a live demonstration.

How to download a YouTube video

Background for Teachers

• My favorite recipe is from Alton Brown but you may have your own. Note you will demonstrate how to make creme brulee but the students won’t be able to sample the finished product until the next class as it requires 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Alternative for classes back to back is to premake some creme brulee so each class can sample and use each classes demos for another class’ samples.
• Don’t have a blow torch or not going to get away with using a blow torch in school? No problem use the broiler just keep your eye on them. I also find that Sugar in the Raw works good to add the crunch if you can’t use a blow torch.

Attachments

• Vanilla PowerPoint (PPT)
• Vanilla Trivia Game (Word)
• Vanilla Trivia Key (Word)

Websites

• Alton Brown’s Creme Brulee Recipe
• How to Make Vanilla at Home
• A Century of Flavor: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas

Similar Lessons

• Taste Bud Test

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This lesson follows a case study of a busy couple that is challenged by one of their coworker’s to figure out whether it is cheaper to make sandwiches or buy them from Subway. Students get a chance to apply their critical thinking & problem solving skills to a practical problem as well as get a chance to learn basic math in Excel.

Time Frame: 1 block

Set

• Ask your students how much lunch costs them everyday. Is there a price difference between brown bag lunches and buying it from the cafeteria?

Materials

• Computer Lab
• Shop for Back to School + Spend $50, Get Free Shipping on Select Items at Target.com

Instruction

• If you have a smart board you’ll definately want to set it up to walk through how to use Excel to do math. Don’t know how to use Excel? Click here for a tutorial – it’s easy!
• Read through the case/problem with the class.
• Depending on the level and brightness of your class you may want to walk through the basic problem solving steps asked in question #1 on the Subway Economics Worksheet.
• You may also want to assign students a partner. (optional)

Activities

• Students will work on completing the worksheet using the internet and Excel.

Extensions

• You can also have your students figure out if it is cheaper to eat at your school’s cafeteria or make the equivalent product at home and bring it for lunch.

Closure

• What did you find was cheaper for this couple? Were you surprised? Why or why not?
• Does anyone work at Subway? How does Subway keep its costs down?
• Is eating out always economical?
• What other factors are we not considering in this price comparison? (Opportunity Cost of Time)

Attachments

• Subway Economics Worksheet (Word)
• Subway Economics Answer Key (Word)
• Subway Math (Excel)

Websites

• Subway Online Ordering
• Peapod
• Netgrocer.com
• Target's Printable Grocery Coupons

Print PDF

This is an investigative project for students to research specific food borne illnesses in depth and then visually showcase them.  In class we just talk about the food borne illnesses and briefly discuss why they are bad so this lesson goes beyond the discussion.  This also brings technology into the Family & Consumer Science classroom which students love!

Time Frame: 3 – 43 minute periods

Set

• Introduce the food safety lessons with a game that shows how food borne illness can spread and/or a case study scenario.
• Case studies – articles can be found on FoodSafetyNews.com

Materials

Instruction

• This project utilizes the Animoto, a website for making slideshow video presentations. Walk students through signing up for an account. *Note: Students work with the free Animoto segment for this project, however, educational accounts are available for a free trial for 50 students.
• Assign students a (food borne illness) to research.

Activities

• Use in class resources and the internet to fill in the information about your assigned food borne illness (FBI) on the “Most Wanted” form.
• Use the information gathered to create an “Animoto” slide show about your FBI.  It must be 12 slides (30 seconds) in length and include the following:
  • FBI Name
  • Photo(s) of FBI (even if invisible to the naked eye)
  • Hideouts
  • Crimes
  • Prevention

• Provide your email address for students to send their completed Animoto slide shows. Make sure they put their names in the message box so I know who created the Animoto.

Background for Teachers

•  I give students about 3 days (43 min. periods)–one to intro FBI/project and 2 to work on project with a partner.  If you have less time you can always have students work on and/or finish the project at home since all they have to do is log in.
• As far as the content for the Animoto slideshow, students use googled images.  It’s best for students to create a folder to hold the pictures they think they want to use and then access them from there.  Music is right on the Animoto site, the third step. Animoto also has a whole library of songs but students can upload their own too, but may have to do it from home.

Attachments

• FBI-ANIMOTO-PROJECT (Word)

Websites

• Animoto
• FoodSafetyNews.com
• New: Kitchen & Housewares Shop – visit Barnes & Noble.com today!

Similar Lessons

• Be Safe Not Sorry Cartoon
• Foods II Food Borne Illness

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Time Frame: 1.5 Hour block

Objective

• The student will prepare and evaluate a recipe of meatballs according to the skills and techniques they have learned in meat cookery.

Set

• Show a short video on how to make meatballs like this one from YouTube.
  

Materials

Instructions

• Each lab group will be making a different type of meatball.
• As the groups finish each student will taste each  meatball and analyze it answer the lab questions.

Activities

• Each lab group will make a different recipe. Here are the ones I use:
  • Honey Garlic
  • Cajun
  • Oriental
  • Sweet & Sour
  • Swedish

Attachments

• Meatball Lab Questions (Word)
• Meat Ball Lab Market Order (Excel)

Similar Lessons

• Meat Lecture
• Meat Test

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