My students need cooking supplies and appliances, so that they are able to integrate math, science, measurement, social skills, and practical life skills.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My students need to learn to create healthy snacks that are inexpensive and easy to make on their own. My students live in a district which is 85-90% below the poverty line. Diabetes and obesity are epidemic in our community.
My class consists of grades K, 1, 2, and 3.
We are a "resource room" type setting for special education. Most of my students spend most of the day with me to receive their core academic instruction. My students range from moderate needs to extensive/pervasive needs. My students have various types of disabilities. I have students with autism, Down Syndrome, specific learning disabilities, and learning and behavior issues that have arisen from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and/or methamphetamine addiction at birth. Our elementary school instructs students in grades Pre-K (3 year olds) through sixth grade. My students are eager to learn and they learn and retain information through repetition and hands-on activities. My students are absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, due to their disabilities, people may not have high expectations for them. I try to find creative ways to reach my students and help them become the highest achieving person they can be!
My Project
I currently incorporate cooking into the math curriculum every Friday. We have a theme every week and the cooking relates to the theme (i.e., our book discussed Thanksgiving and cooking apple pies so we made little sugar free, apple turnovers to pull the content of the book into real life). I try to pick foods that are low in sugar, are healthy, and are easy to make because diabetes is epidemic in our community and because our students need to be able to make their own food for frequent times when a parent or caregiver is absent. My students absolutely love the cooking activities. They constantly ask, "When is Friday coming?" They are learning to measure, read labels, follow a sequence, use fine motor and gross motor skills, learning kitchen/food safety, and trying new foods that they may have never have had a chance to try otherwise. Since I teach cooking on Friday, I send the extra food home with the students because they may not have food for the weekend at home.
My students need a cooking set so that they are able to integrate math, science, measurement, social skills, and practical life skills.
Cooking in the classroom will teach my students skills that they will use their entire life. This activity also incorporates multiple subjects into a multisensory activity that truly reaches my students in a meaningful way. In the past, parents of my students tell me that after cooking in the classroom and practicing manners for a few months, they are able to go to a restaurant and enjoy a meal together. This was not possible before due to behavioral issues and anxiety from student and parent.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Winfrey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
