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Cooking Low and Slow

School:: New Smyrna Beach Middle School
Subject:: Career & Technical Education
Teacher:: Jennifer Sylvester
Students Impacted:: 300
Grade:: 6-8
Date:: August 11, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

FUTURES Foundation - $540.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 250

The very generous grant allowed the culinary department at New Smyrna Beach Middle School to purchase 6 crockpot cookers, one for each instructional kitchen. It also funded the purchase of food lab supplies to create 3 different food labs to accompany 3 different learning units within the program.

The first food lab was based around using crockpots to cook nutritional meals within a family’s budget. Students worked within kitchen groups to research recipes, food budgets, shopping opportunities, and nutritional needs. They were required to work within a budget and nutritional requirement. They selected a recipe and were able to cook and eat the selected recipes. The end goal was for students to take the new skill and be able to create budget friendly nutritional meals for themselves and their family.

The second food lab was a soup unit and again they worked within kitchen groups to research and select crockpot soup recipes. They listed all ingredients and made their soups. Students got to eat their soups along with staff members. Staff members voted on the best 2 soups and these two recipes were added to our Stingray Café menu and are sold and served to staff members twice a week as a food supply fundraiser.

The third project the crockpots were used for was a food service unit. Students were learning all about the rules and safety precautions of serving food to others. For their final project they put together a holiday meal for staff and faculty at New Smyrna Beach Middle. Students were responsible for using the crockpots to keep food at the safe/correct temperature for serving.

The culinary department at New Smyrna Beach Middle School is very appreciative of the generous donation and wants the donors to know how grateful we are to have their support. The donation was able to enhance learning for over 200 students, positively impact home life for many students, build relationships between students and staff, and fill the bellies and brighten the days of many students and staff here at New Smyrna Beach Middle School.

Original Grant Overview

Goal

The goal of the project is to give students the skills to cook healthy budget friendly meals using crockpots.

What will be done with my students

Student Learning Objective: Students will understand how nutrients affect health and demonstrate how to adjust menu items for nutritional value while providing a healthy meal for themselves and their families. Students will first complete a unit on nutrients and how important they are for healthy development. Following the unit students will select crockpot recipes within their kitchen groups using their knowledge on nutrients and plan a meal to prepare. Following the prep students will prepare a meal for their kitchen group and practice using family communication skills while participating in a family meal.

Standard: CTE.10.02
Students will understand and demonstrate why cooking technique is essential to follow standardized recipes.

Standard: CTE.10.03
Students will understand and demonstrate how the use of seasonal fruit and vegetables impact menu cost.

Standard: CTE.8.01 - 8.07
Students will understand and demonstrate how nutrients affect health and demonstrate how to adjust a menu items for nutritional value.

Benefits to my students

The goal of the project is to give students the skills to cook healthy budget friendly meals using the cooking technique of low and slow heat in crockpots.