Colonial Grains and Cooking Unit

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OBJECTIVE

By researching, harvesting, and cooking grains with a colonial recipe, students will learn where grains come from and feel empowered to cook their own foods.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Where does food come from? How does food inform identity? How have our relationships to food changed over time and how have they stayed the same? What were the positives and constraints of cooking in early America?

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Colonial Chopped Cooking Challenge

MATERIALS NEEDED

Chopped Challenge Intro PowerPoint

Books on colonial cooking

Laptops

Research packet for each team

PROCEDURE

Introduction: Welcome to the Colonial Chopped Cooking Challenge! Go through an introductory slideshow and review rules of the competition. Divide students into teams: corn, rice, and barley. Have students read aloud “Colonial Chopped Research Packet.” Take Questions.

Activity: In teams, students begin to research their crop.

Wrap up: Go over the timeline. 

Provide a few days for classroom research. In between lessons, check in with teams to go over cooking plans and material needs. Plan to bring necessary materials to school the day before the challenge for students who will prepare dishes at home.

Lesson 2: Grain Harvest

MATERIALS NEEDED

Grain seeds

Grain stalks with seed heads

PROCEDURE

Introduction: 

Activity: Harvest and thresh grains in the garden

Wrap up: Show traditional and present day harvesting and milling machines

Lesson 3: Colonial Chopped Cooking Challenge Day!

MATERIALS NEEDED

Crockpots or griddles for each team

Ingredients

Chopped Cooking Challenge Competition slideshow

PROCEDURE

Introduction: review rules of the day with “Chopped Cooking Challenge Competition” slideshow

Activity: Students prepare or heat their meals in 25 minutes in the classroom. Each team then presents their research and dish to the judging panel. Judges taste and review dishes and announce the winner at the end. 

Wrap up: Students taste each other’s dishes. All teams are congratulated for their hard work. 

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