Pre-planning
The Value-added Noodles unit is taught within the centre's Year 7 Food Technology programme, comprising the following units:
- Kitchen Procedures - an introduction to routines in the kitchen.
- Sandwiches and Variations - where students examine the different attributes of three bread types and are encouraged to experiment by choosing from a range of foods for the fillings. This allows for a brief discussion on seasonal foods and what substitutes might be used.
- Healthy Lunches - value-added noodles
- Traditional Foods - students make bread and pizzas with a focus on using a recipe and practising skills of slicing, cutting, peeling and kneading.
- Farmgate to Kitchen Plate - the class makes meatballs, which are cooked using a range of methods (oven, microwave and frying pan).
The focus of the Value-added Noodles unit is to introduce new concepts and skills while also working towards making a smooth transition from Year 7/8 to Year 9-13 Food Technology.
The progression idea started when Jacquey and Diana Eagle of Tararua College were working in the new technology suite and discussing their learning expectations and routines in the classroom. They found their approaches matched well - for example, Jacquey's insistence right from the start on the wearing of aprons, hair nets and sanitising of work areas at the beginning and end of work reflected what Diana was doing in her workroom.
The unit evolved from here as they worked to make the transition from Jacquey's classes to Diana's as smooth as possible. Through the unit, students would become familiar with the same routines, terminology and technological processes they needed in a Year 9 Food Technology class.
Jacquey identified appropriate learning outcomes and loosely based her Year 7 programme around those. Her idea was to add value to noodles by replacing the flavour sachet with other kinds of flavourings. Along with this the class would study packaging for the first time, with an emphasis on the nutritional information and ingredients displayed.
After discussions with consulting food technologist Carol Pound, which included her suggestion that dehydrated food could be used, Jacquey reworked the unit.
At the end of Term 4 a technology programme, of which this unit is part, is sent to the 14 schools that use the centre. This provides a breakdown of the learning outcomes, a summary of curriculum links and a calendar for the new year. It is a basic outline - as work progresses through the year it may take on a different focus.
