Fun in the Kitchen

Inquiry-based project for learning

the basics of cooking and baking

Inquiry-Based Learning:

Project Approach Inquiry-based curriculum and learning is important so that

our young students can learn about what interests them.

This is a great way to foster learning and develop a love of

learning in our students.

The P oje t App oa h efe s to a set of tea hi g st ategies that enable teachers to guide students through in-depth studies of real-

o ld topi s, (The Project Approach, n.d., Par. 2). These teaching

strategies have proven very affective in engaging students and

making them active learners. Active learning is very important and

will help our students to retain the information better.

Whe tea he s i ple e t the App oa h su essfully, stude ts feel highly motivated and actively involved in their own learning, leading them to produce

high- uality o k a d to g o as i di iduals a d olla o ato s, (The Project

Approach, n.d., Par. 2). Teaching our students to work together and learn

together is important because it is a skill we will need all our lives.

Kitchen Basics Learning the basics of how to cook and bake, and even

getting hands-on experience makes for a fun filled lesson

that the stude ts a e eage to sta t. What kids do ’t lo e fresh baked cookies, cakes, and all sorts of other delicious

foods?

Learning how to cook and bake are two life-long skills

that sadly do not get enough attention in our schools

today. I today’s lass oo s of di e t i st u tio a d test after test, some important life skills are over-

looked.

When students show an interest in something, like dogs, insects, the weather, or

like this project, cooking and baking, we should encourage our students to learn as

much as they can about the topic. The Project Approach is an excellent way to help

our students do this. We can help our students to not only learn the basics about

baking and cooking, but also important things to remember such as checking for

allergies, how to find recipes, and also the business side, such as restaurants and

delicatessens.

What we know When starting a project, we must first find out what

the students already know about the topic and if

they have any past experiences that would be

beneficial to the learning.

The teacher can do this by asking questions,

initiating a class discussion, or by separating the

students into smaller groups to answer questions

about the topic. A concept map, like the one

below, is a good way to record what students

already know.

Fun in the Kitchen:

Cooking and Baking

Cookies are

delicious

Baking is just

following

instructions

Homemade food is

usually healthier

than fast-food

Kitchen safety

is important

What we want/need to

know about cooking Before starting on a project like this, there are some

topics that must be covered first, like safety and proper

hygiene. Kitchen safety is important so our students do

not hurt themselves or others, and hygiene is important

so that we do not contaminate the food.

After covering these topics, we can then find out what our students want to learn. To do this,

we should ask questions and keep a record of these questions so that we can answer them as

they o e up. Most uestio s ould e like Ho do I ake … o What ould happe if … . It’s i po ta t that e ask these uestio s e ause i ui y-based learning allows students

to learn about their interests, and these questions show us what our students want to learn.

We want our students to be excited about the project so that they apply themselves. This

way the knowledge they gain will last them a life-time.

Sample Questions:

How do I make peanut-butter cookies? How do I make a chocolate cake?

What would happen if I used too much flour? How do I crack an egg?

How do I measure the ingredients? How do I convert measurements?

Research

After we cover what the students already know, and

what they want/need to know, we can move on to the

next step, which is the learning.

We can conduct research a number of ways, using both

primary sources and secondary sources. Guest speakers

and field trips are great ways to learn more about a

topic. Cookbooks, online recipe databases, and cooking

videos will also provide a lot of helpful information.

Guest Speakers

and Field Trips Inviting guest speakers to your class is a great way to

learn more about cooking and baking. We can invite

local bakery and restaurant workers. The school kitchen

staff would also be able to provide lots of important

information, as well as a tour of the school kitchen.

Field trips are another great way for your students to

gain first-hand knowledge about the topic. We could

tou the s hool’s kit he a d isit lo al ake ies a d restaurants.

Cookbooks, Online Resources,

and Apple/Droid Applications There are many types of secondary sources that can be used

to help students learn about a topic.

We can use cookbooks or online recipe databases to find new

recipes, and instructions on how to prepare the food.

Youtube videos are another great way to learn, students can

watch people cooking or how-to videos on cooking/baking

basics.

Plus, there are plenty of Droid and Apple applications that

can help as well, like cooking games, or even a kitchen timer.

Applying Knowledge and

the Finished Results The last step in a project is to apply the knowledge the

students gained and to do a culminating project, like bake

cookies or make a pizza. Another culminating project could

be to set up a school bake sale, and sell the treats the

students have made to raise money for a class party. This

would be the students very excited and they would fully

engage in the activity. These projects demonstrate that the

students have gained the knowledge sought forth in the

project and that they can move on to something harder,

like making a cheesecake or cooking a dinner.

References Bake sale [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.willistonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ABS-Bake-Sale3.gif

Bakery field trip [Photograph]. (2011). Retrieved from

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hcKke18RT5Q/ Tn3inHfo8oI/AAAAAAAACYo/PQ-a0DVmsVo/s1600/publix%2Bfield%2Btrip%2B009.JPG

Bakery worker [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/images/lisbon_pasteis_de_belem_worker_w_trays_of_tarts_p9274535.jpg

Baking supplies [Illustration]. (2011). Retrieved from http://whatsdoingtampabay.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cooking-clip-art.jpg

Bistro Cook 2 [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved from

http://myandroidchief.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/best-cooking-games-bistro-cook-2-screenshots-120714.jpg

Classroom kitchen [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.solaripedia.com/images/large/1811.jpg

Cookbook clip art [Illustration]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://engine2diet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/cookbook-color.gif

Decorating for kids [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.justcakes.com/gallery/ main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&

g2_itemId=5143&g2_serialNumber=2 Kids cooking [Illustration]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/kids-cook-

20165692.jpg

Estes,LA., Krogh, S. (2012). Pathways to teaching young children: An introduction to early childhood education. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint

Education, Inc.

Kids in the kitchen [Photograph]. (2011). Retrieved from

http://disabilitiesnews.blogspot.com/2011/11/students-sharpen-life-skills-in-kitchen.html

Kids making pizza [Photograph]. (2011). Retrieved from http://static.eatwell101.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Cooking-Classes-For-Kids-

Culinary-Courses-Children-Children-Cooking-Training.jpg

Kitchen safety [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cmsimg.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=G1&Date=20130703&

Category= LIFESTYLE&ArtNo=307030003&Ref=V1&MaxW=300&Border=0&Budding-chefs-Kids-learn-lifelong-skills-summer-cooking-

class

Kitchen worker [Photograph]. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2013/02/FoodWorkerKitchenMain.jpg

Making omelets [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fcoefoundation.org/sites/fcoefoundation.org/files/styles/

case_study_main/public/case-study-images/MonroeCooking.jpg?itok=XeeBI0Jo

Pre-kindergarten classroom [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.stphilipelc.org/wp-content/gallery/facility/pre-kindergarten-classroom.jpg

Recipe book [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/images/recipe_book.gif

Spark recipes [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.applatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Healthy-Recipes-App-by-Spark-

Recipes.jpg

The Project Approach. (n.d.). Project approach. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http://www.projectapproach.org/project_approach.php