Incredible Edibles

Social Studies

Students will work together to prepare tasty dishes with incredible names.

Incredible Edible Recipes (PDF file)
cooking equipment: cutting board, knife, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, mixing spoons, toothpicks, baking sheet, vegetable peelers
ingredients called for in recipes
aprons or other cover-ups, and pot holders
toaster oven or stove

NOTE: You may want to use teacher helpers for this activity.

Encourage students to talk about their cooking experiences, good and bad. Spark their interest in this activity by explaining that cooking can be a creative experience if the person doing the preparation is willing to experiment. Tell students that as proof of this, they are going to prepare and eat such strange things as caterpillars, bees, and bird nests.
Divide students into cooking groups and distribute copies of Incredible Edible Recipes. (You may want to have each group work with a different recipe.)
Have each group choose a recipe and decide what equipment and ingredients are needed. (You may want to review with students how to measure with measuring cups and spoons.)
Before students gather their equipment, set up some unbreakable safety rules, such as when to ask the teacher for help. Demonstrate how to use a knife, a vegetable peeler, and the oven, and how to handle hot pans.
Have groups prepare their recipes and share them with classmates.

Invite another class to share what the groups have prepared. Students may enjoy creating a humorous and intriguing invitation to send to the class.
Invite to class a cook from a local restaurant to talk about the creativeness involved in cooking and in the presentation of finished dishes.
This activity is a natural lead-in to the study of nutrition, which would involve students in the study of the food pyramid.