tlp_11_mdorsi

Maria D'Orsi Teacher Lesson Page (Student Side)
Maria's Primary Source Page Teacher Side

Link to the WebQuest of your lesson: Medford's Fannie Farmer: more than a girl with a candy store!

Student Side Lesson Plan

 * State Standards:** **USI.15 - Explain the varying roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local governments in the United States.**


 * Grade Level: Vocational High School, Culinary Arts, 9-12**


 * Essential Question:** How has immigration contributed to the narrowing and expansion of American civic ideals?


 * Lesson Question:**How did the Progressivism Movement affect the burgeoning U.S. food industry in the late 19thC and early 20th C.


 * Lesson Title:** Medford's Fannie Farmer; more than a local girl with a candy store!

Throughout the 1800s, immigration to the United States not only significantly increased the population but also brought with it enormous need and opportunity for the production of basic human requirements such as food, housing, clothing and medical supplies. These new "industries" were not regulated and news travelled very slowly at the turn of the 20th century so safety issues were difficult to control. The book, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, brought to light the danger to workers in the Chicago meat packing industry and also revealed the uncontrolled contamination of food that resulted in sickness and, in some cases, death. There was outcry heard all the way up to the highest office in the land, where President Theodore Roosevelt answered with the Progressivism Movement, instituting regulations in such areas as child labor, unsafe working conditions and tenement housing.
 * Introduction:**

Immigrants renting apartments in the major cities had neither the time, money, or the land to build housing of their own, or grow their own food, or even stable a horse, so they were forced to live in unsafe, cold and cramped tenements, purchase whatever food was available from their local stores, and send their children to work. It's almost difficult to comprehend what that meant that during the early part of the peak immigration years (1850s to 1910s), when transportation was mostly on foot or by horse and wagon, and when refrigeration meant storing foods in a "cold cellar" or packing items in salt for future use. But in the tiny, cramped city apartments these options were not available. Can you imagine what problems presented themselves regarding the availability and safety of food?

At the same time an effort was under way to teach immigrants what was considered the "American" way to feed their families. Medford's Fannie Farmer was at the forefront of this effort, teaching cooking classes and writing her cookbook, The Boston Cooking School Cookbook, first published in 1896. Several laws were enacted at that time, which contributed to the effort to teach people to eat "healthy" and also to oversee the safe production and transport of both perishable and noperishable food.

Using online and print recipe resources from the 1890's through 1910, students will compare traditional immigrant recipes to the suggested recipes from the progressive-era cooks and culinary teachers. Students will design similar recipes using the influence of today's immigrant groups.
 * Task:**


 * Lesson Experiences:**
 * Day One**: Background information:
 * Introduction of the web site and primary source materials
 * Powerpoint presentation featuring:
 * 1) The Jungle
 * 2) The Chicago Meat Packing
 * 3) Theodore Roosevelt and Progressivism
 * 4) The Pure Food Act and the USDA
 * 5) Settlement Houses
 * 6) Fanny Farmer - Medford's connection to the Progressive Movement and "Eating like Americans"


 * Day Two:** Working in groups, student will examine both online and print resources and develop new immigrant-inspired recipes.


 * **Part 1**: Using a templatestudents will explore different online and print cookbooks and websites from the 1890's to 1910's to understand how recipes may have been changed to reflect progressive era ideals.


 * **Part 2:**


 * Conclusion:**


 * Assessments:**

Assessment Rubric


 * You will be able to.... || Strong || Good || Adequate || Inadequate || Weighting ||


 * Resources:**

Hull House -- Hull House Kitchen and Cooking/Nutrition sources

Jane Addams, //Twenty Years at Hull House// -- [|discusses kitchen project origins and immigrants]

JSTOR, The New England Kitchen and the Origins of Modern American Eating Habits

= The New England kitchen := a monthly journal of domestic science, Volume 1 (Google eBook)

RESEARCH
BPL Research Day - 11/8/11