Colonial Cooking Lesson

Well I taught the lesson in two 8th grade classes yesterday. First period class with my 8th graders was so quiet! Well behaved and I really had to push to get them talking! Thank goodness for my three students. Thanks to Rob for bring in his dried herbs from his garden. We had them hanging from a string in the classroom. Thanks to Janice for making me a mop cap to wear. Great job, and really helped to complete my outfit. one of my students made the comment that it was Halloween again! I tried to approximate the dress of a colonial housewife using my modern clothes, keeping in mind what I had learned about layering during our visit to Hartwell Tavern this summer.Appropriate since I was comparing colonial cooking and foods with what we have today.There was great give and take between Rob and myself during the lesson. I love when a fellow teacher is not afraid to join in and add to a lesson. Some teachers hate that, so you have to be careful what classes you can join in with. In another grade level class, I have tried to add to the lesson or conversation (with my knowledge of the subject) that is happening in the classroom. It is obvious that this particular teacher does not like it, so when I am in that particular class I try to stay quiet. Most of the students were willing to try the food items I had brought in. Naples biscuits(lady fingers), whortleberries(bluberries), currants, and cranberries.
So second period I once again taught the lesson to a different group of students.I was also being observed during this period. As they say, practice makes perfect! Well not perfect but smoother. This group was a little more willing to participate, and once again some of my own students were the ones who asked and answered questions.We were towards the end, of the lesson, when the person observing me was called to the office, a minutes later an announcement came over the PA saying we were in lock down mode! It was a drill but we did not know it at the time. The students were very good, but at that point the lesson was over. After the students came up to try the foods and moved on to another class. My own students went back to our classroom. They all wanted to try more of the food items, so we sat around a table and did the spice test again. They really enjoyed that. Also we sprinkled some of each of the spices and compared what their look, smell and texture was like. This was not planned but a great teaching and social moment.