Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply arithmetic skills to cook dinner.

Materials and Prep

• Cooking ingredients and utensils
• Calculator (optional)
• Basic knowledge of measuring units (cups, teaspoons, etc.)

Activities

1. Activity 1: Recipe Conversion

   Choose a recipe that you would like to cook for dinner. Practice converting the measurements given in the recipe to different units. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, calculate how many teaspoons or tablespoons that would be.

2. Activity 2: Ingredient Substitution

   Imagine you are missing one ingredient for your chosen recipe. Research and find a suitable substitute. Use your arithmetic skills to adjust the measurements accordingly. Calculate the new quantities needed for the substitute ingredient.

3. Activity 3: Recipe Scaling

   Experiment with scaling a recipe up or down. Choose a recipe and calculate the measurements needed for different serving sizes. For example, if the original recipe serves 4 people, calculate the measurements for 2 people or 8 people.

Seventh Grade Talking Points

• "Arithmetic is a fundamental skill that we use in our everyday lives, including cooking."
• "When converting measurements, we need to understand the relationship between different units. For example, how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?"
• "Ingredient substitution requires us to adjust the measurements based on the properties of the substitute ingredient."
• "Scaling a recipe involves proportional reasoning. We need to maintain the ratios of ingredients when adjusting the serving size."
• "By practicing arithmetic through cooking, we can become more confident in our math skills and enjoy delicious meals at the same time!"