Lesson Plan Summary
Unit 2: Cooking Around the World
Topic: Exploring Culture Through Food
Lesson 1 of 9 - A Taste of Home (Overview)

Learning Standards: https://www.nj.gov/education/standards/
NJSLS 9.3.12.AG‐FD.1 Develop and implement procedures to ensure safety, sanitation, and quality in food products and processing facilities. 
NJSLS 9.3.12.AG‐FD.2 Apply principles of nutrition, biology, microbiology, chemistry, and human behavior to the development of food
NJSLS 9.3.12.AG‐FD.4 Explain the scope of the food industry and the historical and current developments of food products and processing. 
NJSLS 8.1.2.CS.1 Select and operate computing devices that perform a variety of tasks accurately and quickly based on user needs and preferences.
NJSLS 8.1.2.DA.2 Store, copy, search, retrieve, modify, and delete data using a computing device.
NJSLS 8.1.2.NI.2 Describe how the Internet enables individuals to connect with others worldwide.
NJSLS 8.1.2.IC.1 Compare how individuals live and work before and after the implementation of new computing technology. 

Materials:

• Teacher’s Google Slides

• Journal; pencil or pen

• Student Recipe Template

• Student Project Requirement Sheet

Technology:

• Promethean Board

• Student Chromebooks

• Google Classroom

• Google Slides

• Grammarly

• Assistive Technology recommendations (if needed)
  - Read&Write for Google
  - Livescribe Pen
  - Snap&Read 

Opening Task:
At the beginning of the year, we learned cooking basics such as kitchen safety, measuring, chopping, how to avoid cross-contamination, and how to cook some basic recipes (boxed pasta, eggs multiple ways, applesauce, and burgers).

1.     Do you eat for energy, out of boredom, for entertainment, or to bond with other
2.     Why is it important to know how to cook?
3.     What are some of your favorite homemade foods? 

Motivation:
Think of some of your fondest memories with your families. How many of those memories revolve around food?

Aim: Is it important to carry on food traditions in order to preserve our culture?

 Instructional Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1.     Research and explain their individual culture and heritage in a Google Slides presentation.
2.     Type out a complete recipe that can be shared with others.
3.     Follow a recipe and cook a meal from start to finish.

Presentation :
Our second cooking unit is “Cooking Around the World.” For the next nine weeks, we will explore each of the seven continents, spotlighting each of the countries that students in class are from.

Google Slides Presentation : An overview of different traditions, well-known food dishes from each continent, and food growing practices and regulations around the world. 

Q - What is the meaning of “tradition?”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines tradition as “the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction.”

Journal Activity

Reflection Question:

Q- Do you have family traditions that you follow?

If yes, what are they?

If no, what traditions would you like to start for your current or future family?

Q – What is a comfort food?

Comfort food is usually highly-caloric, rich in fat, flavor, and sugar and give us a sense of comfort when we eat it.

Q - How has the convenience of apps like GrubHub or Uber Eats changed the way we eat?

Although these apps are convenient and offer many choices, they can also make us lazier if we don’t leave the house and cook less. It can be expensive and it is easier to control your calorie intake when you cook a meal yourself. 

Q – Why is supporting local farmers, fisherman, butchers and markets important?

By shopping at a local market, you know exactly where your food came from and can talk to the grower yourself. Food is fresher and more nutritious. Shopping locally also stimulates the local economy. Growers can tell you what is extra fresh or special that day and how to cook that item best.

Q – Why are recipes important when cooking?

A recipe is a set of instructions that tell us what food items to bring together to create something new. It creates consistency and precision in a dish from one person cooking to another. Baking is more precise than cooking. When we start learning to cook, we should follow a recipe. As we get more comfortable in the kitchen, we begin to learn which flavors work best together and can start to experiment with different flavors.

Summary:

1.     Did the student prepare a Google Slides presentation?

Using the rubric, I can gauge that my student included items learned in class and did research on their country of origin to meet all the requirements for this presentation.

2.     Did the student use the provided recipe document & fill out all parts?

Using the rubric, I can determine that my student filled in all the information required for their recipe.

3.     Did the student successfully cook their meal?

After observing the preparation process, my student not only delegated tasks to her classmates well, but also cooked a meal that looks good, smells good, and tastes good.

Immediate Application:

Each week, students will help their classmates cook their recipes.

 Even though every student’s Google Slides presentation is due during this lesson, students will not give their presentation or cook their meal until we work our way to that continent. (Ex: Natalia is Brazilian, so she will present and cook while we are learning and diving more in-depth into South America. Other students from South America will present this week as well.)

Extension Activity:

Using the recipe provided by your classmate, recreate the recipe at home to share with your family. Make sure to tell your family about the country the recipe originates from and any other fun facts that you learned from your classmate.

Lesson Plan Reflection   

     Cooking is a vital life skill.  When you know how to cook, you can feed yourself and your family, develop healthy eating habits, connect with family and friends, and even pursue a culinary career. Since initially learning about culturally responsive teaching, I’ve always tried to incorporate it into the lessons I teach as much as possible and what better way to do that than through food? I developed this lesson because I wanted to lean into the fact that I have such an amazing group of seniors from all different cultures, religions, and socioeconomic households. I don’t want to lose this generation of kids to cell phones and the convenience of UberEats. I want them to research the country they are from and ask their parents questions to learn more about their ancestors, families, and traditions so they can keep them alive.

     At the Community High School, we offer a wide range of Assistive Technology Equipment that help students take notes more easily, get their thoughts down on paper without frustration, and language tools that help with Grammar.  The seniors in my Family & Consumer class this year are primarily mid-to-high-functioning students.  I do have a few students who read on a first-grade level and many with dyslexia. One type of Assistive Technology app I recommend using for this lesson is Snap&Read.  Snap&Read is a text reader that will read website text to students (great for reading recipes too). It is an affordable option for only $2.40 per license per year for schools. Most students in my school who struggle with reading have this app on their phone. Another great piece of Assistive Technology Equipment is the Livescribe Pen. The Livescribe Pens are a little pricier, ranging $50-150 per pen, but can read, write and record for students. Students can play back my lesson later when needed. Read&Write for Google is another amazing Assistive Technology software that tremendously helps students who have a hard time getting their thoughts down on paper. This software runs about $15 per student, which is the school rate. With Read&Write, students can speak their ideas and together with Grammarly, start to put their thoughts together in a cohesive way. This software also works seamlessly with Google Docs. We also use Co:Writer (similar to Read&Write) and Reader C-Pens (similar to Livescribe pens) at my school if any of the other technologies fail. As a last resort, I am always willing to help students read or write and so is the paraprofessional that I have with me in my classes

     One thing I always think about within my lessons that touch upon home and family life is that I know not all families look the same. Many of my students live with a guardian, grandparent or aunt. Many parents work such long hours just to make ends meet that they barely get to see their kids to sit down and have a meal together on a regular basis. My goal is to empower my students with knowledge if they want to learn about their heritage, or want to start traditions of their own.