American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Top Chef

Top Chef

Details

Author
Suzanne Wells
Topic/Subject Area
Food, Cooking, Beverage, Alcohol; Home Life, Household Items, Furniture
Historical Era
Colonial settlement, 1620–1762, Revolutionary America, 1763–1783, The New Nation, 1784–1815, National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860, Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2012
Last Revision Date
2024

Related items

About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

During this lesson, the students will understand that cooking utensils have changed over time. The materials are different but the end result is still cooking food. The children will examine the photographs from the American Centuries website and compare them to pictures of today’s cooking utensils used for the same end result. After examining the photographs and today’s modern equivalent tools the class will create a Venn diagram to show differences and similarities.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items

Teaching Plan

  1. Show the class one collection item image at a time and ask the class to describe what they see and how the item may have been used and what source of heat would make these items work. For example: Toasting iron. Make a chart of their descriptions.
  2. Show the class a photo of a toaster of today. Ask the class what this is and how it may be used and how it would be powered. Then show them the picture of the Toasting iron and discuss how this would work and how it is different from the toaster of today. Add comments to chart.
  3. Then show the class the other photos from the web site: Long-handled frying pan, Bake Kettle, Lidded Hanging Pot, Bread Peel, Bulge Pot, and Milk Pan.
  4. Then show present day equivalents. The photos will include a picture of a modern day Dutch oven, a crock pot, a frying pan, a container of whipping cream, and a pizza paddle.
  5. Finally create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the tools.
  6. As a follow up, create a soup in the crock pot to be enjoyed at the end of the day!