Scope and sequence · Practical
Grade 4 Cooking & Food
A year of real kitchen stories, from Daniel Fahrenheit’s thermometer and the sailors’ limes to Percy Spencer’s melted candy bar, the Gold Rush sourdough and Amelia Simmons’s first American cookbook, each one followed by the food science underneath and a real recipe the student cooks for the family.
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What to cover
32 of 32 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Kitchen & Food Safety
- MUST COVER 1.1 Daniel Fahrenheit and the Thermometer · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 The Danger Zone · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Cross-Contamination and the Claw Grip · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Food Allergies and the Nine Major Allergens · unit test
Unit 2: Food Groups & the Balanced Meal
- MUST COVER 2.1 From the Basic Seven to Today’s Food Pyramid · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Vitamins: The Sailors’ Lemons and Limes · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Protein from Plants and Animals · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Lewis and Clark’s Provisions · unit test
Unit 3: Taste, Smell & Your Taste Buds
- MUST COVER 3.1 The Tongue-Map Myth · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Supertasters and Bitterness · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Salt and Flavor · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Mouthfeel: Thick and Thin · unit test
Unit 4: Heat & Cold
- MUST COVER 4.1 Percy Spencer and the Melted Candy Bar · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Conduction: Iron Skillets and Wooden Spoons · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 The Mason Jar and Safe Canning · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Drying Food: From Raisins to Astronauts · unit test
Unit 5: Food Chemistry
- MUST COVER 5.1 Starch and a Smooth Gravy · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Oil and Vinegar: An Emulsion · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Eben Horsford · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Sourdough and the Gold Rush · unit test
Unit 6: Cravings, Reward & a Balanced Diet
- MUST COVER 6.1 Why We Crave Sweet Foods · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow Test · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 The Nutrition Facts Label · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Snack Planning: Full and Satisfied · unit test
Unit 7: Fire, the Grill & Spice
- MUST COVER 7.1 Columbus, the Spice Route and the Chili Pepper · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 The Passover Lamb and Grill Safety · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Herbs and Spices: Chimichurri · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Flavor Friends: Sweet, Salty, Sour and Rich · unit test
Unit 8: Meal Planning & the Family Table
- MUST COVER 8.1 Amelia Simmons and the First American Cookbook · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Ruth and Boaz: Bread and Parched Corn · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Doubling and Halving a Recipe · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 The Family Feast · unit test
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 32-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Daniel Fahrenheit and the Thermometer: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 The Danger Zone: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Cross-Contamination and the Claw Grip: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Food Allergies and the Nine Major Allergens: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 From the Basic Seven to Today’s Food Pyramid: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Vitamins: The Sailors’ Lemons and Limes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Protein from Plants and Animals: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Lewis and Clark’s Provisions: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 The Tongue-Map Myth: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Supertasters and Bitterness: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Salt and Flavor: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Mouthfeel: Thick and Thin: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Percy Spencer and the Melted Candy Bar: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Conduction: Iron Skillets and Wooden Spoons: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 The Mason Jar and Safe Canning: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Drying Food: From Raisins to Astronauts: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 17 | Catch-up and review week (no new lessons) | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Starch and a Smooth Gravy: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Oil and Vinegar: An Emulsion: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Eben Horsford: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Sourdough and the Gold Rush: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Why We Crave Sweet Foods: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow Test: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 The Nutrition Facts Label: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Snack Planning: Full and Satisfied: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Columbus, the Spice Route and the Chili Pepper: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 The Passover Lamb and Grill Safety: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Herbs and Spices: Chimichurri: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Flavor Friends: Sweet, Salty, Sour and Rich: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Amelia Simmons and the First American Cookbook: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Ruth and Boaz: Bread and Parched Corn: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Doubling and Halving a Recipe: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 The Family Feast: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 kitchen project (cook the recipe) and cook’s notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit challenge | ||
| Wk 34 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 35 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 36 | Year-end review, portfolio and records |
Grading: Kitchen projects (effort, safety, cleanliness and the improve round) 40%, Cook’s notebook (recipes in your own words, observations, taste charts, sketches) 20%, Unit reviews 15%, Unit challenges 25%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: cook the recipe or redo the review again with help.