This week, we started a new study series on careers. Today's work focused on the work of chefs. We learned that chefs don't just cook food... they are food artists! They must also create menus, determine menus, and research the market.

We started by doing a chef market research improvisation game. (I never thought I'd say that!) A "chef" surveyed a "customer" to determine their food likes and dislikes. Then the class helped the chef to invent a menu item based on the answers. Students practiced improvisation and cheating out to the audience in this acting activity.

We then read the book Cooking Great Cuisine with a Chef where we learned the ins and outs of the job as well as some new vocabulary such as cuisine, specialization, and plating.

The main activity of the day was for the students to put on their figurative chef hats and design an original version of nachos. They used a brace map to show the part of a whole in their recipe, they answered reflection questions and set a price for their dish, and they practiced plating their meal by drawing or creating a paper collage of their meal on a paper plate. All of this work can be seen in their Book Creator portfolios linked on the 2nd/3rd Grade homepage.

UPCOMING: There will be no GATE the week of November 29-December 3.