Skip to main content

New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom

  • Photo by Lyndsey Garber
  • Photo by NM Department of Agriculture
  • Photo by NM Department of Agriculture
  • Photo by Jay Hill
  • Photo by NM Department of Agriculture
  • Photo by Lyndsey Garber

Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix

Companion Resource

Print
California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

Food Safety from Farm to Fork: Operation Kitchen Impossible

In this activity, students become the head chef in a virtual kitchen. They will use mathematical knowledge, problem-solving skills and food safety guidelines to prepare a safe and nutritious meal. This activity can be used to supplement lessons on food safety.

Time to Complete
Two 45-minute activities
Materials

For class:

  • Share sheet
  • Markers
  • Safety tips, cut out (4)

For each student:

  • Operation Kitchen Impossible handout
  • Personal sheet of paper
  • Pencil
  • Calculator (if desired)
Procedures

Part 1: Introducing Food Safety

  1. Brain Dump! Ask students, “What can we do to keep food safe?” Give students 30 seconds to capture their ideas on a personal sheet of paper. Capture thoughts on a common share sheet.
  2. Give each student one copy of the handout, Operation Kitchen Impossible. Instruct one student to read Chef Al’s recipe card out loud.
  3. Divide students into four collaborative working groups. Assign each group one of the four safety tips below. Each group is to develop and present a 30-second song, rap, or poem sharing important information about their safety tip. Divide a large class into eight groups and feature each tip twice. 
  4. After each presentation, have the class identify an anchoring movement to recall the important concept presented. For example, students may make a motion with their hand like they are opening the refrigerator door to represent the First In, First Out (FIFO) principle.

Part 2: Applying What We Know

  1. Lead students in a review of safety tips and anchoring movements.
  2. Have students work individually or with a learning partner to complete the scenario-based problems on the Operation Kitchen Impossible handout. Students should use a separate sheet of paper to solve problems and record answers.
  3. Don’t forget it! Have one student read problem 10 of the handout about farmers and ranchers’ commitment to food safety. Challenge each student to share with the class one personal commitment to food safety.
File, Map, or Graphic
https://cdn.agclassroom.org/media/uploads/2016/01/11/Operation_Kitchen_Impossible.pdf
Author
California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Sources

This activity was sponsored by the Alliance for Food and Farming and the California Beef Council

Lessons Associated with this Resource