Lesson Plan: Food and Cooking
**Level**: Intermediate (Can be adapted for beginner or advanced students)
**Duration**: 60 minutes
**Objectives**:
1. Expand vocabulary related to food and cooking.
2. Practice using verbs and adjectives related to cooking.
3. Explore cultural diversity through food and cooking traditions.
4. Encourage speaking and listening through interactive activities.
Materials Needed:
- Pictures of various foods and cooking utensils
- Whiteboard and markers
- Recipe handouts or digital copies
- Cooking video or cooking demonstration (optional)
- Ingredients for a simple, no-cook recipe (optional)
Lesson Outline:
1. Warm-up (10 minutes)
**Discussion Question**: "What is your favorite food and why?"
**Activity**: Have students work in pairs to discuss their favorite dishes and share one
interesting fact about their food preferences.
**Vocabulary Brainstorm**: Ask students to list as many foods and ingredients as they can
on the board. Include categories such as fruits, vegetables, spices, and meats.
2. Vocabulary Building (10 minutes)
**Food Vocabulary**: Teach essential vocabulary related to food categories (fruits, grains,
dairy, spices) and cooking methods (bake, boil, fry, steam).
**Cooking Verbs**: Write verbs like *chop, slice, boil, bake, grill, stir* on the board and have
students practice pronunciation and understanding by giving examples or demonstrating
each verb.
**Adjectives for Food**: Teach descriptive words such as *spicy, sweet, salty, bitter, sour,
crunchy, soft, fresh*. Have students create sentences with these adjectives.
3. Listening Activity (Optional) - Cooking Video or Demonstration (10 minutes)
**Cooking Video**: Play a short cooking video in English. Ask students to take notes on
ingredients and steps.
**Discussion**: After the video, have students discuss the cooking steps and answer
questions like "What was the first step?" or "What ingredient was used?"
4. Pair Activity: Recipe Sharing (15 minutes)
**Instructions**: Ask students to choose a recipe from their home country or one they
enjoy.
**Task**: In pairs, students will describe the recipe to their partner, using the vocabulary
learned. They should explain the ingredients and the cooking process.
**Presentation**: Each pair shares their recipe with the class. Encourage them to use
cooking verbs and descriptive adjectives.
5. Group Activity: Create a Recipe Together (10 minutes)
**Instructions**: Divide students into small groups. Ask each group to invent a recipe using
at least five ingredients and three cooking steps.
**Presentation**: Each group presents their “recipe” to the class, explaining the steps
involved and describing the dish's taste and appearance.
6. Wrap-up and Reflection (5 minutes)
**Discussion**: Ask students to reflect on what they learned and which cooking words they
found most interesting.
**Homework (Optional)**: Have students write a short paragraph about a memorable meal,
including ingredients and cooking methods.
Adaptations and Extensions:
- **Beginner Level**: Focus on basic food vocabulary and simple phrases like “I like…” or
“This is….”
- **Advanced Level**: Introduce complex vocabulary such as “season, marinate, sauté” and
have students write their own recipes.
- **Cultural Extension**: Have students research traditional dishes from different cultures
and present them in the next class.
