It’s hard to escape the children’s toy lesson without addressing the prevalence of Apps for Smart phones and tablets as the new toys for toddlers. Give it just a couple of years and this lesson will be obsolete as the students you’ll be teaching grew up playing more with Apps than physical toys and they will have no idea why that may be a problem. Regardless of your bias, we need to teach tomorrow’s child care workers  & parents how to evaluate Apps that are good for children from the ones that are fluff.

Time Frame: 1 block

Objectives

• 4.2.3 Analyze cultural and environmental influences when assessing children’s development.
• 4.3 Demonstrate integration of curriculum and instruction to meet children’s developmental needs and interests.

Set

• Show the YouTube video below of a baby trying to read a magazine like an iPad. Funny or sad??
• Have a mini class debate on whether toddlers should be exposed or encouraged to use smart phones and tablets at such a young age. Divide students in half and have one side list all the reasons toddlers should be encouraged to use Apps and the other side list all the reasons toddlers shouldn’t be allowed to use Apps at such a young age. Then have each side make their points and counter arguments.

Activity

• The goal of this activity is to have students find three age appropriate Apps for toddlers (ages 1-3) and analyze them. They are to defend why each app is age appropriate and what the child learns by playing with the App.
• This activity should take maybe half a block. After students are done have each student present his/her favorite App to the class.

Background for Teachers

• It is best if students actually download the Apps on their phones and play with them, however this may not work for some schools and some students who don’t have smart phones. For Android Apps, as an alternative, you can go to Google Play and preview Apps and watch videos of some of the Apps there.

Evaluation

• For homework have students write a one page paper defending their position on letting their own child(ren) use Smart phone Apps when they are toddlers.

Attachments

• Technology & Toddlers Activity (PDF)

Links

• Android Apps
• iPhone Apps

I always ask my students what they would like to make the first day of class in a survey. I hate teaching the same thing over and over again in exactly the same way….yawn yawn, it gets boring. So to change it up, I had one semester where students really wanted to learn how to make Buffalo chicken wings so I substituted cutting up a whole chicken and frying it for this lesson. I love customizing the class to the students even if it means extra work for me!

Time Frame: 1 block

Objectives

• 8.2.7 Demonstrate safe food handling and preparation techniques
• 8.5.1 Demonstrate professional skills in safe handling of knives, tools, and equipment.
• 8.5.5 Prepare various meats, seafood, and poultry using safe handling and professional preparation techniques.

Set

• I still show them how to cut up a whole chicken via a YouTube video. I also offer extra credit for any student who cuts one up at home.

• Deep Fryer
• Chicken Wings
• Hot Sauce
• Butter
• White Vinegar
• Garlic Powder
• Garnishing Vegetables like celery & carrots
• Blue Cheese Dressing

Background for Teachers

• Simply making the chicken wings is not that hard nor does it take too long so I challenged students to present their Buffalo wings elegantly. Additionally you can have students make blue cheese dressing from scratch. You can also provide a recipe for barbecue sauce if students prefer sweet over spicy wings.

Activities

• Make Buffalo wings, plate wings elegantly.
• Work on poultry lab questions.

Attachments

• Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe (Word)
• Poultry Lab Questions (Word)
• Poultry Homework (Word)
• Home Cooking Extra Credit Form (Word)

Links

• Chicken Wings National Report (National Chicken Council)
• Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
• Barbecue Sauce Recipe

High school students can be know-it-alls especially those who cook at home. However, this lab seems to keep everyone interested as it is rare to find a student, or a cook for that matter, that actually knows how to butcher a chicken. Of course some students are resistant to having to touch a raw chicken however with the right student pairing I’ve had luck keeping everyone engaged.

Time Frame: 1 block (this lesson runs long)

• This lesson runs long so it is better if everything is laid out for the students so they can get started right away. I also tell students that they need to be to class early the class before so they can not dillydally.

Objective

• 8.2.7 Demonstrate safe food handling and preparation techniques
• 8.5.1 Demonstrate professional skills in safe handling of knives, tools, and equipment.
• 8.5.5 Prepare various meats, seafood, and poultry using safe handling and professional preparation techniques.

Set

• Some semesters I do a demo on how to cut up a whole chicken and other semesters I show a YouTube video.

• Cutting board
• Wet Rag
• Sharp Knife
• Trash Can

Background for Teachers

• We only had two home style deep fryers and having every group fry up their entire chicken took too long. One way to make this go faster is to have students just make chicken tenders, have groups share an egg wash and cut the breading recipe in half.
• Fried chicken you might be thinking is not really healthy for students. I agree however, teaching in the North where students have no idea how this is made gives me an excuse to show them how to use a deep fryer. Depending on the semester this is one of only three times they use the deep fryer. So blame me for teaching unhealthy cooking if you like. I see it as learning the whole gamete of cooking techniques.

Instruction

• Before class starts it is best if all chickens are placed on a secured cutting board (wet rag under it) with a trash can next to them for leaking juices. Partner students up and walk students verbally through cutting up a whole chicken. Some students don’t like cutting up a chicken so try to make sure each pair has at least one “brave soul” to actually do the cutting.
• Also, make sure your deep fryers are preheating.
• I put the chicken cut-up instructions with pictures in a sheet protector and tape them to the cabinets so students don’t have to touch them with chicken fingers. This helps the visual learners and the students who proceed at a different pace.
• After they are done cutting up their chicken take the bones and make stock for the freezer or for other labs like Chicken Pot Pie. Freeze and save for later.
• While one partner is cleaning up have the other one prepare the fried chicken breading mixture in a  brown paper bag. I generally give an idea what should be included but let students choose whatever they want from the spice rack. Under seasoning is usually more of a problem than over seasoning.

Activities

• Cut up a whole chicken
• Make Fried Chicken out of the cut up pieces. Cut up chicken breast into tenders. Practice taking meat temperatures and identify when chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Attachments

• Chicken Cutting Instructions & Pictures (Pdf)
• How to Cut up a Chicken (Pdf)
• Poultry Lab Questions (Word)
• Poultry Homework (Word)

Similar Lessons

• Meat, Fish and Poultry: Practical Application
• Poultry Lab

Have some fun with Rice Krispie treats this Easter by using their mold-able properties to create an Easter scene. Create religious scenes or Easter bunny, spring theme scenes. Let your imagination roll.

Ingredients

• One recipe of Rice Krispie Treats
• Green Sprinkles
• Crushed Girl Scout Thin Mints (for the path)
• One Girl Scout Cookie -Tagalong (for tomb “stone”)
• Four Skewers
• Six Twizzlers
• Peanut butter Chips (used as rocks for texture)
• 1 Disposable foil pan

Directions

1. Make one batch of Rice Krispie Treats
2. Push them into the disposable foil pan
3. Mold about 1 1/2 cups of the treats into a “tomb”
4. Sprinkle crushed cookies in a path like shape up to the tomb and on the back side of the tomb
5. Sprinkle peanut butter chips around the tomb for added rock textures
6. Sprinkle green sprinkles around the path or use green colored coconut for grass
   1. Green coconut: Green Dye + 1/4 tsp of water + 1/2 cup coconut mixed together & laid out flat to dry
7. Skewer three Twizzlers approximately the same height
8. Cut a 1/4 inch skewer or tooth pick to hold the cross portion of the Twizzlers in place. Poke it together from the back of the cross being careful not to come through to the front.

After teaching several lessons on family structures, family functions, and family life cycle stages, I use this lesson/project as a way for students to review and apply information learned as well as a way for me to assess their learning. Students select a television family and create a TV Paper Plate Project using their knowledge of family to complete it.  Students use mobile labs to research any unknown information about their TV family such as names of all family members or jobs TV parents held, etc.

Time Frame: 1.5-2 Periods (43 minutes)

Class Size: 16

Objectives

• To review and apply family structure, family functions, and family life cycle stages information learned about the family through an interactive project.

Set

• Brainstorm “TV families” as a class. Here are some to get you started:
  • Prichetts
  • Cleavers
  • Andersons
  • Full House
  • Jetsons
  • Simpsons
  • Cosby
  • Cunningham
  • Brady
  • Griffin

Materials

• Paper Plate–ones you can fold and write directly on.
• Colored markers or pencils
• Scissors
• Computer Access

Background for Teachers

• Knowledge of family structures, family functions, and family life cycle stages.

Instructional Procedures

• Students select a television family (older or current)to use to complete their TV paper plate project.  Students may use their notes as well as mobile labs to gather information about their TV family to complete the project.
• Divide paper plate into 8 sections
• Glue a picture of “the family” in the center
  • Section 1: Title & Your Name
  • Section 2: TV Family Name & family structure type
  • Section 3: TV Family Member’s Names & identities
  • Section 4: Basic Roles & tasks each member is responsible for
  • Section 5: Stage of family life cycle
  • Section 6: Identify family challenges
  • Section 7: Advantages & positive characteristics of this family
  • Section 8: Family functions

Activities

• Create a TV Paper Plate Project that shows me your knowledge of family information learned within the unit.

Closure

• After projects have been completed and graded I hang them around my room.  Students from other classes enjoy viewing and reading about older and current TV families.

Evaluation

• Project grading rubric (second page of attachment)

Attachment

• TV-Paper-Plate-Family-Album (Pdf)

Similar Lessons

• Family Forms & Life Cycle
• Family Relationships
• Family Dynamics

Students learn how important goals are and learn to make their own using guidelines. This is a fun, interactive lesson to get students to think about and write down what they want from their own lives.

Time Frame: 2-4 Periods
Class Size: 5+

Objectives

• Students determine goals that meet their lifestyles.
• Students tie values and goals together with what is important to them.

Set

• Start by teaching values and how they relate to personality and their self.
• Expand on goal setting, guidelines, and vocabulary such as long and short term goals, prioritizing, resources (human, material, community) and how goals can be met.

Materials

• Lecture notes
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• String
• Tape
• Camera
• Printing service or photo lab (Like Walgreens/CVS, etc).
• Writing utensils
• Balloon stencils to trace

Background for Teachers

• I used a digital camera and told them to be camera ready the day I planned to take their pictures.

Instructional Procedures

1. Lecture on values, goals, personality
2. Create a list of goals using the guidelines for setting goals (specific, realistic, time frame, resources)
3. Have students pick three (I did mine for with a Marriage and Family class so their goals had to relate to them and their future families).
4. Using construction paper (the more colors the better) have students cut balloon shapes out (3) and write a goal on each one.
5. Using tape, secure the string to the balloon.
6. Have students pose individually as if they were holding the strings to the balloons and take their picture.
7. Print pictures out.
8. Student cut their pictures around their bodies (head to toes) and attach to the string by their hands.
9. Display around the class for a fun reminder of their goals and cute, decor too!

Attachments

• Balloon Template

Links

• SMART Goals
• Study on Writing Down Goals

Similar Lessons

• Discovering Life’s Purpose
• New Year Balloon Activity
• Goal Setting
• Goal Setting Mission Statement

One of my favorite things to do with students are taste tests. They absolutely love it if they are brave enough to give it a try. So many students never get the chance to try different fruits unless their parents expose them to them. Bring on this lesson that will be sure to be some students’ favorite.

Time Frame:1 block

Objective

• Apply food selection and preparation guidelines related to fruit.

Set

• Introduction to fruit taste test. If you are short on time have each fruit ready to eat. If not show the class how to cut up/prepare each fruit.

• Pomegranate
• Passion Fruit
• Mango
• Guava
• Star Fruit
• Dragon Fruit
• Black Currant
• Cranberries
• Prickly Pear
• Persimmon

Materials

• Lab ingredients
• Food for Today Fruit Worksheet

Activities

• Each lab group will make a different kind of fruit dish.
• When the dishes are finished everyone will taste all the different recipes.
• While the fruit dishes are cooling students are to work on a fruit worksheet using their Food for Today textbook.

Evaluation

• Graded Fruit Taste Test Questions
• Graded Fruit Textbook Worksheet

Extensions

• Ask your local grocery store if they can have a produce team member come and talk to your class about fruit selection (how to tell if a melon is ripe, etc).

Attachments

• Fruit Recipes (Word)
• Fruit Taste Test (Word)

Links

• Classification of Fruits
• Fruit A-Z YouTube Video
• How to Eat a Prickly Pear Video

Similar Lessons

• Grains Lab
• Potato Lab
• Vegetable Lab

This lesson is all about cooking potatoes four different ways–broiled, fried, mashed, and skins. Each lab group cooks up a russet potato and a sweet potato. This lesson includes potato lab questions to do during the down time using Food for Today textbook.

Time Frame: 1 block

Objectives

• 8.5.2. Demonstrate professional skill for a variety of cooking methods including roasting, broiling, smoking, grilling, sauteing, pan frying, deep frying, braising, stewing, poaching, steaming, and baking using professional equipment and current technologies.

Set

Activities

• Break students into four lab groups. Each lab group will cook a russet potato and a sweet potato using a certain method. While students are waiting for their potato to cook or after they are finished they are to work on completing their potato lab worksheet using the text book.
• The whole class will taste test each of the different labs potato dishes. Have students portion their potatoes so there is enough for everyone to have a taste.

Extensions

For something super old fashioned and extremely different have your students make potato candy. It is super easy and has its roots in the depression era so its good for a little history lesson to boot. Potato Candy This could also be an extra credit assignment.

Attachments

• Potato Lab (Word)

Links

• Idaho Potato Food Service Toolkit (PDF)

Similar Lessons

• Blue Chips Appetizer Recipe
• Introduction to Vegetables

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Just in time for the Superbowl, this super easy appetizer is not only delicious, but a crowd pleaser too! The idea came from a local restaurant that serves something similar as an appetizer, however they make their own potato chips instead of using waffle fries. That’s definitely an option for the ambitious cook who wants to mess with a deep fryer on Superbowl Sunday. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 Large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup scallions, diced
• 2 Fresh jalapenos, diced (the more seeds the hotter it will be)
• 4oz blue cheese crumbled
• 2 Tbsp Milk
• 1 Bag waffle fries
• 1/2 lb bacon, crumbled

Directions

1. Bake french fries according to package instructions
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon. Let cool slightly and crumble.
3. Dice vegetables, toss together and set aside.
4. Mix blue cheese with milk and microwave for 1 minute or until warm. Stir add more milk if needed should be a slurry consistency but not too runny–you still should have some chunks.
5. For assembly, put french fries on plate first, top with bacon crumbles, vegetable mixture and finally pour on blue cheese sauce.
6. Serve hot.

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