Lesson Idea 5: Eating in the renaissance - An examination of renaissance diet and cookery

Lesson Idea and Outline:

Students will examine the food available during the Renaissance. They will look at the quality of diet and general healthiness of the eating habits of the time. Students will consolidate their knowledge by preparing Renaissance foods.

Overview

This unit of work is designed to allow students to explore the culture of the Renaissance, with particular reference to the diet and nutrition and the styles of cooking at that time.

Objectives

To develop students research skills. To foster an understanding of the Renaissance through the examination of it's foods. To extend students cooking and presentation skills. To develop students awareness of the variety of cultural food styles.

Time required

10 hours 4X intro/research, 2X planning and preparation, 4X cooking and presentation.

Materials and Equipment

Worksheets on diet and nutrition. Books, Web access for research, Kitchen, Foodstuffs as per recipe(s), Dining area.

Procedures

• Introduce topic: Discuss the Renaissance in terms of foods. What was available?
• Discuss the regional and seasonal nature of food at the time.Discuss the problems of storage and preservation of foods. Refer to the main methods available at the time.
• Discuss the expansion of trade and travel and its impact on the eating habits of the time (ie. Marco Polo and pasta, Maize from America,)
• Look at the diet of the time. Discuss whether it was balanced. How healthy was it?
• Hand out research task: Students are to examine the foods of the time and assemble a balanced menu using recipes from the Renaissance.
• Prepare a menu for a "feast".
• Divide students into small groups of 2 or 3. Give each a recipe. Get them to make preparatory notes on what they will need, in terms of materials, equipment, skills/techniques they may not know, and time required.
• Students cook and present their recipe to the rest of the class. Each group sharing in the feast.

Student Presentation Options

This plan has been designed to allow for a range of presentation options depending on age/skill level of students, and the resources available. The students could display their knowledge through:The obvious, written report for the research and preparation. The food presented to their peers and teachers. Presentation of information through Director, PowerPoint or Hyperstudio using audio and visual information. A Website of their presentation based on the data collected. A Renaissance day where each group presents their food and knowledge to their own class and the wider school community, which would allow for a combination of these elements.

Extensions

An examination of other foods throughout history. Could be focused on type ie cheese, or region ie Middle East.

Cross-curricular Options

English

• An examination of Renaissance language, it's development, grammar, and usage.

Arts

• An examination of Renaissance painting, looking at the Similarities and differences of work from the Northern, Italian and Elizabethan schools. An examination of the symbolism used in their work .

LOTE

• An exploration of the Renaissance through the language studied.

Maths

• An examination of the mathematics of the time, with reference to it's current usage.

Music

• Look at the instrumentation of the times, perform music from that era. P.E: Renaissance games. Look at the sports of the time draw parallels between then and now. Play some Of the Sports.

Science

• An examination of the science of the time. Their knowledge and theories. i.e. DaVinci's flying machines, which ones might work? why?

SOSE

• An examination of Renaissance history. Why Florence? Why then? An exploration of Renaissance Society, It's structure, mores, and organisation.