Hyah guys!

I KNOW! School just got out, and here I am talking about next year. . . what's up with that? But honestly, folks, before school is out one year, we're already planning the next one. . .

I've been asked to teach a home ec class next year in our high school--first time it's been offered in several years. I don't want to just teach the blah-blah-blah-food pyramid-blah-blah-five a day--blah-blah-blah-let's make cookies! routine that I think some folks expect this to be.


I'd really like to get some input so that ideas can be churning around in my brain this summer and I can hit the ground running in the fall. I figured teens who are LCing are going to be some of the most health-aware and concerned students out there--yet are often uncomfortable being seen as different even when you know your decisions are the right ones for you.

Diabetes in this region is increasing faster than anywhere else in the U.S., and the long line of vending machines in the school is where a lot of kids get their breakfast, and sometimes lunch, too. I had a student tell me a few years ago that she usually drank 6-8 sodas a day--and she was in 7th grade!

I also realize I can't just be totally LCrusader here, either, much as I would like to, and I expect my students will want to learn to make desserts--hey, they're fun, they taste good, we all like them, yes? So we'll probably do that, but I was thinking about getting CarbQuick and some of that new sugar alcohol you can bake with, and do some taste comparisons. I'm also going to contact some of the LC manufacturers, and see if they would donate product samples. I think the best I can hope for is to present alternatives to the white/white/white routine.

Does anyone have any ideas, either what they've seen that worked in classrooms you've been in, or ideas of things you've had that you really hated in home ec? What is your perception on offering an overview/comparison of LC, LF, lo-cal, etc.?

Thanks for your time and ideas.

hi ,

I am 17 and am a 11th grade this fall. i took home ec last year and we did allot of fun things.now being a high schooler i see what everyone is eatting and i do not really know if your students will want to just be doing low carb stuff. we did vegtable labs , meat labs, vegitarian labs, dessert labs , and did food peramid things too. i think your idea is a great one , i just don't know ifit is perfect yet .most high schoolers love to eat and i don't think the idea of having a lowcarb style class for a semester would go over too well.maybe a couple of classes about low carbing would be good but also talk about low fat , and low calerie foods and diets ....

I would be glad to be your sounding board. just drop me a note in my journal or on this thread.

Hi Meira,

Thanks for your response! I appreciate the offer, and will happily take you up on that. Students can be a wonderful source of feedback and ideas in teaching, and I'm surprised that more teachers don't use them as a resource.

I agree, a semester of LC would wear thin--but what do you think of this? As students learn new categories of cooking and baking, we could talk about how to modify it for all of the variations you mentioned: LC, LF, LCal? Maybe even have an LF kitchen, an LC kitchen, and a regular one--and have taste tests of the finished products. . . .

How were these labs set up? Did everyone do the same thing each day, or circulate between different centers?

We only have three `kitchens' and I'm expecting about 24 students--so clearly they're not all going to be cooking at the same time--but I hate to have people completely all over the board, with some sewing and others cooking. . . yikes. It'll work, I just don't quite have a vision yet of how.

Thanks again--I am truly grateful for your input.

Kathleen

Hi Kathleen ,

I think it is weird that my teachers don't ask as much for input on what we liked and didn't like ,so they could inprove in the next year.



I think that is a great idea . then students will get to see how people have to modifly their food but they still will get their cake with iceing , but gain knowledge in how to modifly it for low carb LF,LCal etc.



It sounds like we had more space then you . Our class had 6 kitchens and it was just a cooking class . But doing different things like cooking , sewing ,etc sounds like a great class. On some lab days we all make a cake , but each kitchen decorated it differently . then on other days like say meat day each kitchen got to choose from different recipies that the teacher had out on the table . and then each group got to taste each others food . at the end of the year we had a cook off . our class had to come up with a common theme and then "make up" a recipe. my group looked up the topic found something that sounded good and then we modified it and changed the name so we were the ones that invented it . As it turned out the intire class loved it and we ended up winning . but that was a fun thing to do . i just don't think you can do that with only 3 kitchens and 24 students.

I hope this helps some .