Code: HEC003
Title: Kitchen Capers
Pre-requisites: HEC 001 recommended but not essential. This unit cannot be selected if student has previously completed FST 002
Outcome levels: Level 5
Coordinator: Lois Cuddihy

Our lifestyle has changed in the last 20 years - more choice, new marketing tactics and new technologies. We have a complex and changing food market available both within and outside the home.

This unit explores the latest trends and issues in eating, focusing on all sections of the Healthy Diet Pyramid and the maintenance of a Healthy Weight. The myth that ‘busy lifestyles’ result in boring food is exploded as students use their creativity to select from a range of all food groups to prepare a variety of nutritious and tasty foods.

Topics

• Investigate safety and hygiene in the kitchen
• Discover healthy eating models
• Investigate consumer practices
• Use a variety of large and small equipment in the kitchen
• Produce and evaluate a variety of foods from all food groups
• Make informed decisions on what to eat

Assessment

Practical demonstration

Some ongoing assessment of practical cooking will occur as well as a practical cooking exam toward the end of the semester.

In class test

Completed at the end of each term

Research assignment

Completed at mid semester

At completion students should know

• A range of health promoting ideas related to choosing and making snack food and meals
• The influencing factors on eating behaviours and trends in the community
• How to make decisions and respond to challenges when using equipment and applying skills to choose, produce and serve food from all sections of the Healthy Diet Pyramid
• Unsafe, harmful or risky situations and behaviours relevant to food preparation and service
• How to use technology practice i.e. Investigation, ideation, production and evaluation in the production of products
• Current trends in food choices

At completion students should be able to

• Implement the food models in food preparation
• Design, make and analyse healthy foods using fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, dairy foods, eggs, and meat products to produce quality products
• Understand the need to monitor the use of salt, sugar and fat and to be able to modify recipes and food intake
• Use a variety of techniques in food preparation
• Propose and enact safe working behaviours
• Predict the impact of current trends in foods
• Use technology practice
• Judge processes and products and how they meet the needs of people

Literacy elements

• Read and interpret instructions, diagrams, recipes and consumer advertising materials
• Write work plans, reports, labels, menus, tables and graphs
• Seek and appraise information
• Oral presentations
• Use language and terminology specific to the subject area
• Observe and process knowledge, ideas and data from teacher demonstrations and to apply this to their own project
• Negotiate use of resources

Integrated technology

• Knowledge and application of Technology Practice to work technologically. Note: technology practice (as described in the years 1 to 10 Technology syllabus) involves developing and evaluating practical, purposeful and innovative products.
• Effective use of the Internet, DVD’s and VCR’s to access and analyse data
• Word Processing

Assignment guidelines

Resources

• 2 tea towels
• 1 x A4 Plastic pocket (insert to hold work plans)
• 1 x A4 2D Ring binder and reinforced refill paper OR 1 x A4 Excercise book (160 pages)
• 1 slice tin (28cm x 18cm) and 1 pie dish are often required for practical cooking
• Protective shoes must be worn for all pracical lessons

Text - “Developing Skills in Home Economics” Connell, Nutter, Tickner, Ridgwell. This book is provided by the school under the textbook hire scheme.

Students will be required to bring ingredients from home for all practical cooking. Extra detail regarding all practical work will be explained in class and teachers will give students a practical cooking schedule for all practical cooking each term. Participation in practical work is essential.

Cooking Schedule Semester 2, 2008 

Related Links

Nutrition Australia

The Heart Foundation