Did you know there are six types of picky eaters? I think we’ve all been exposed to at least one of them in our classrooms, especially when trying foods prepared in
the lab! So, what’s a parent to do when they have a picky eater? This Picky Eaters lesson has student groups exploring the six types and perform skits as they present the information on why it occurs and what parents can do.
In my younger years, the first section of the newspaper I would go for was the comics…especially the Sunday paper as they were in color! Even now, when I get the
chance to read an actual newspaper, I enjoy reading the comics (although it’s not the first section I go to). Why did I like them so much? Well, they were fun, humorous, interesting, thought provoking and left me curious with anticipation to see what the next strip would divulge if there was an ongoing storyline. As a teacher, I have used Comics in the FACS Classroom on numerous occasions, in many ways, to excite, engage and assess my students. Read on to learn how.
To help reinforce the information and content you are teaching about, have students help create fun, interactive games with Truth & Fib Activities that are student created reviews. OR teacher created review Truth & Fib Activities as a way to connect students to the materials you want them to work with interactively.
In the past, I’ve shared some of the EduProtocol teaching strategies and templates such as the Iron Chef Non-Cooking Challenges, Thin Slides and the Amazing
Race that were well received by students. Today, I want to share how I used the # Mania Infographic strategy with you. The Fiber-Full Food Choices: # Mania Infographic was created for use in my nutrition unit. This strategy incorporates technology and has students very engaged as there’s a lot going on simultaneously within small groups of students to create one infographic about fiber filled foods.
Several years ago I learned about the teaching strategy called Hexagonal Thinking. There are many variations on how to utilize the concept in class, but the one I want to focus on is the Hexagonal Keyword Links for FACS Content. This is a great brainstorm, review or assessment activity to use with your students to see how they apply the information related to topics you are covering. Read on to see how Hexagonal Keyword Links works and all of the ready to use examples. As always, if you have ideas for others, please let me know.
What’s not to like about rice? It’s got a lot going for it such as versatility, affordability, nutrition and let’s not forget easy preparation! With this Exploring Rice lesson, students learn more about this unique grain including history, varieties available, nutritional contributions as well as proper cooking techniques before heading to the lab.
Canned soup may be viewed as a quick and easy meal, albeit boring, generic, and bland. However, who says that canned soup has to be eaten as is? With a bit of creativity and a few extra ingredients, possibilities are endless when it comes to kicking up a little ‘ole can of soup. Why not show your students how to do this by assigning them the Canned Soup Challenge and then let them loose in the kitchen? To round it out, bring in judges to taste and evaluate their final products.
Do your students sit and stare at you? Is getting them to talk a challenge–especially at the start of a new semester or unit? One way to combat that and include
some friendly competition is to incorporate the Fishbowl Game! This game has become one of my favorite activities to engage students and get them to relax and open up. This minimal prep game can be used to introduce new content, vocabulary words, holiday fun and more. It’s a great team building exercise that can also be used with adults if you have to share teaching ideas among your faculty!
Cookies, Cakes & Pies, Oh My! is a subscription box template project. The original cookie subscription box idea came from Anna Hall, an Ohio FACS teacher. Upon receiving it, my brain immediately thought this project could extend to other desserts or foods and Anna graciously gave me permission to expand the project. So, if you’re looking for an extension project when teaching about desserts or other foods, this may be just what you’re looking for!
This Soul, Creole & Cajun Foods lesson, activities and lab is a collaboration of ideas from me and Arlene DeJoy-Meckes (from Teachers Pay Teachers). We teamed up to create this cross-curricular resource as a way to add ethnic diversity to your food classes. There are many teaching possibilities for this as it could be taught as a stand alone lesson, connected to a regional foods unit, when exploring the South, or even as an example of a cultural influence when teaching about food choices.
