Final Project

OBJECTIVES

This project aims to promote cultural aspects of countries all around the world through the preparation of typical cold dishes in class in order to raise cultural awareness and opening up to different types of food. It will also help students practise the vocabulary they have learnt in class (the ingredients and adjectives on how to describe food). It will moreover teach them about nutrition as we will encourage them to prepare healthy dishes only. They will be able to do their research in the computer room, which will enhance their IT skills. Furthermore, they can practise collaboration as they will be working in teams. Also, making a list with the ingredients will help them with math-skills (counting and measuring). Finally, they will be able to practise their speaking and presentation skills as they will be presenting their creations to the rest of the classroom. Students will be preparing different cold dishes which are typical from all around the world. Since our school does not provide a kitchen for the students, nor any designated area where students can cook, cold dishes which do not need any cooking are a perfect option. We will of course have to take into consideration any allergies that kids may have in the class before starting the project. 

The project is mainly aimed at students' grades 3 and 4 but of course can be adapted to the different needs of any other grades. 

TIMING

The timing for this project is about a week. It would be ideal to have two consecutive hours on the main project day, so that students will have enough time to prepare the dishes and make a small presentation at the end.

ACTIVITIES

Before starting the project, I will introduce and explain the students what this project is about by showing them a short powerpoint presentation:

The project consists of different stages: 

1. Choosing a cold dish (in groups of 3 or 4)

2. Researching about the origin of the chosen dish, its main ingredients (why are they healthy?) and looking for an appropriate recipe online (this  the computer rooms

3. Creating a shopping list (students will have to organize amongst themselves in order to decide what each team member will contribute)

4. On the main project day, all students will bring the ingredients and elaborate the dishes using the chosen recipes. It will have to be enough food so that at the end of the lesson, all the students in the class will be able to taste the different creations. We can furthermore encourage to bring non-disposable plates or biodegradable cutlery, in order to raise environmental awareness. 
5. For the final presentation the groups will have to make a short presentation about the chosen dishes in front of the class.  
6. The students can furthermore fill-in a questionnaire I created where they describe the food (taste and texture) to enhance their learning experience:

Here is a list of healthy cold dishes which can also be prepared by children:

- Hummus (likely originated from ancient Egypt) 

- Gazpacho (Spain)

- Greek Salad (Greece)

- Guacamole (Mexico and Central America)

- Sushi (Japan)

- Cold-cut Sub Sandwiches (New York, U.S.A.)

Of course, the students can suggest any other cold dish, as long as its origins are clear. For example, if a child has different origins, it could also suggest making a dish from the country of its origin. A special drink/beverage (for example, mango-lassi from India & Pakistan) would also be an option. The recipes can be simplified and specific ingredients may be left out so that they are easier for children to make/buy.

MY ROLE AND THE TEACHER'S ROLE

The role of the teacher and me in this project would be to accompany the children in every step. Furthermore, as I am a passionate about cooking and already have tried out doing all the suggested dishes myself, I would take a hands-on approach during the process of the creation of the food and would be there supporting the children on the presentation day, and also ensuring safety during the process.

HOW WILL THE STUDENT'S KNOW THEY HAVE ACHIEVED THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES? HOW WILL WE EVALUATE THEM?

At the end of each presentation, there will be time for discussion with the whole classroom. The teacher and myself will evaluate each group by asking them different questions about their learning process. As this is a very creative exercise, I do not believe that the evaluation should be solely based on giving out grades. Maybe, if possible, grades should be skipped completely and other aspects should be taken into consideration.

On a personal note, I chose this project because I consider myself a global citizen, having lived in 7 countries before. I have always loved experiencing other countries and cultures through food, and also enjoy cooking and trying out new food myself. Furthermore, I love cooking with my own child at home and I believe that it is a fun and educational way for children to learn different skills. I am convinced this project will offer students an interesting and practical approach to the topics they learned in class.