“And how much salt do you really need?” A Measuring Tool Story AnnaLee Parnetta October 26, 2012

Place of Usage: Saskatchewan Curriculum PAA Food 10/30 Kitchen Basics Module 2. This is an actual story that I have added to my large collection of stories. As a “historian” and one who loves to talk, of course I enjoy telling a story or two to my students. I find that the majority of my students enjoy hearing a story every so often and that they do not forget the stories. It is these memories of a story that I will use every so often to remind my students of things they should or should not do. The purpose of this particular story is to impress upon my students in grade 8 the importance of reading recipes carefully. I also use this story to reinforce that my purpose as a teacher when I question what you are doing while cooking in the lab is not to criticize, but to make sure that you are using your reading and critical thinking skills, and that there is always success with your final food product. Introduction

About seven years ago I had a group of grade eight students doing a cookie lab. Now as the lab time was progressing I stood back to watch what each groups of students was doing. In Kitchen 3 I noticed a student walking out of the kitchen with a measuring cup. Now based on the stage of where the students were in the recipe I wondered why the student was carrying such a large measuring cup to the community grocery table. My Story

I asked the student what size measuring cup he had in his hand and what he was planning to measure. His response, “ I am going to measure the salt.” My response, “Really?, Are you sure you need that particular measuring cup to do the job?” (At this point of my story I hold up and show the students what a quarter cup measuring cup looks like.)

The student’s response was a definite “Yes”. I then quizically look at him and ask “Are you sure?” He responds a little less sure “Yes”. I then respond “I suggest that maybe you should go back and re-read your recipe just in case.”

The student agrees and returns to the kitchen to reread the recipe. Ten seconds later with a quarter measure teaspoon the student returns to the community grocery table and says nothing. (Now at this time of the story I show the students a quarter measure teaspoon beside the quarter cup measure. I wait for a reaction(physical and/or verbal) from the students in class and then continue with my story. The usual reaction is a few giggles and some wide eyes of shock.)

I looked at the student as he returns with the quarter measure teaspoon and ask him “So what did your recipe say?” He responds, “It says a quarter teaspoon.” To which I respond “So what did we learn here? “ The students looks up, his face is a bit red and he responds “Read the recipe more carefully. ” My last words as I walk to check on another group to him are “Remember I don’t question to make you feel bad I question to make sure that you always have success.”

A.Explicit and Implicit Information Explicit: read recipes thoroughly Implicit: not reading carefully causes errors in baked, teachers are there to help you be successful, that as a teacher I am watching even when you think I am not. A.What is the message/teacher goal The story’s message is to encourage students to read carefully when measuring and that if as a teacher I question what they are doing it is because I am unsure that their action is and to prevent failure. A.Reading Connection My story relates to the reading from Reynolds which looks at the role of oral tradition within culture and teaching. As teachers many of us have stories we tell our students orally. These stories are locked up in our memories and we pull them out and tell them to our students (the next generation)when needed. We use these stories to give a message to our students and empower them with a story/information that hopefully holds some meaning to them in the future. Story Summary