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Day 1: Hospitality Cluster + Culinary Twist

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Tour the Hospitality & Tourism cluster in H&L; complete the H&L "Culinary Twist" creative dish design activity; experience the creative side of culinary careers
TEKS d(1)(B), d(1)(C)
Deliverable Completed Culinary Twist dish description + menu sketch
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts, H&L Workbook Ch 10 (pp. 158-161), printed menu template, colored pencils/markers, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: What is the best meal you've ever had at a restaurant? What made it special, the food itself, the way it was served, the atmosphere, or something else?

Take 3-4 student responses. Use this to bridge: hospitality careers exist because people care about the EXPERIENCE around food, not just the food. Today they get a taste (literally) of being a chef.

Activity 1: Hospitality & Tourism Cluster Tour (10 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 10: Hospitality and Tourism, pp. 158-159, "Exploring the World of Hospitality and Tourism"

Direct students to open Hats & Ladders and navigate to the Hospitality & Tourism cluster page. The workbook (Ch 10, p. 159) lists three pathways:

  • Culinary Arts: Plan, lead, and prepare food while learning the ins and outs of running a food-based business
  • Lodging and Resort Management: Explore the operational side of lodging and resorts (HR, finance, marketing)
  • Travel, Tourism, and Attractions: Plan, market, and sell travel-related services and visitor experiences

[H&L PLATFORM] The workbook (Ch 10, p. 159) instructs: "Go to the Hats & Ladders platform and click on the 'Hospitality and Tourism Cluster.' Spend some time exploring the cluster and pathways." Students click the cluster, watch any embedded video, and skim the three pathway cards.

Students do the "Making Connections" pair discussion from the workbook (p. 159): pair up and talk about a place or experience they would like to have if they took a trip. What would make it special? Spend 3 minutes in pairs.

Activity 2: H&L "Culinary Twist" — Plan Your Dish (15 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 10, pp. 159-161, "Culinary Twist" (Career Climb activity)

Read aloud the workbook background (Ch 10, p. 160): Students step into the role of a chef and create their own dish, but with a twist. A partner will choose a special "secret" ingredient that the dish must include creatively.

Step 1: Plan Your Dish (from workbook p. 160)

Students work with a partner. Each student picks 4-5 main ingredients from the workbook ingredient list:

  • Flour, Onion, Pasta, Eggs, Steak, Bell Peppers, Mayonnaise, Green Potatoes, Salt and Broth, Pork, Mushrooms, Lemons, Beans, Pepper, Olive Oil, Butter, Tomatoes, Chicken, Beans, Soy Sauce, Honey, Garlic, Rice, Cheese, Ground Beef, Jalapenos, Milk, Ginger

Then their PARTNER picks ONE special ingredient from the workbook special ingredient list:

  • Pomegranate, Orange Peel, Chocolate, Chili Oil, Tofu, Vinegar, Pickled Eggs

Students write their dish's name and describe how they'll prepare it, including how they will creatively incorporate the special ingredient.

Facilitation Tip

Some students will pick obvious combos (chocolate + flour = brownies). Encourage stretching: chocolate + chili oil + steak = mole. Vinegar + cucumber + soy sauce = quick pickle. The point is creative problem-solving, which is exactly what professional chefs do.

Activity 3: Showcase Your Dish — Menu Design (15 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 10, p. 161, "Step 2: Showcase Your Dish"

Distribute the printed menu template. Students draw a menu listing for their dish that includes:

  • Dish Name (creative and memorable)
  • Description (2-3 sentences in restaurant menu style, appetizing language)
  • Special Ingredient Highlight (sentence calling out the special ingredient)
  • Tagline or Hook (optional 1-line marketing phrase)
  • Optional: Drawing or icon of the dish

After both partners finish their menu, they present their dishes to each other. The workbook (p. 161) prompts:

"Present your dish to your partner. Explain the dish and the menu design, be sure to explain how you creatively used your special ingredient!"

The class discussion question from the workbook: "How do people with culinary art careers incorporate creativity into their jobs? What other skills would a chef need in order to be successful?"

DOK 2: A chef needs creativity AND skill. Which skill from this activity (creativity, working with constraints, presenting your work) connects most to a NON-cooking career you could imagine yourself in?

Exit Ticket (5 min)

EXIT TICKET (Mini-Case / Scenario Application) · Printable PDF:

Scenario: A new family-friendly restaurant is opening on the Singley Academy FireBird Cafe model. They need ONE hire from the 3 Hospitality pathways (Culinary Arts, Lodging & Resort Management, or Travel/Tourism/Attractions).

  1. Which pathway does the restaurant most need to hire from FIRST?

My pick: _____

  1. Name ONE specific career in that pathway and describe in one sentence what that person would do Day 1 on the job:

Career: _____

Day 1 task: ____________

  1. My Culinary Twist special ingredient (from today) was _____. In one sentence, how would my dish fit a family-friendly restaurant menu?

(d(1)(B), d(1)(C))

Submit your menu sketch and dish description with this ticket.

Differentiation

  • Support: Pre-fill the menu template with the dish name and category labels. Provide an example dish description as a model.
  • Extension: Design a 3-course meal (appetizer, entrée, dessert) all using the same special ingredient. How does the ingredient work differently in each course?
  • ELL: Pre-teach: Dish = Plato, Ingredient = Ingrediente, Menu = Menú, Chef = Chef. The menu can be designed in English, Spanish, or bilingual. Many real restaurant menus in Texas use both languages.