To help you navigate our curriculum, we have created a comprehensive set of resources outlining everything from chef’s tips and teaching advice to the connections between lesson plans. The documents were created to answer questions that educators had when using our curriculum, so we hope you find the resources useful.

How do I interpret and read the lesson plans?
Our lesson plans are developed to facilitate easy instructor use. They contain symbols for important learning moments, safety hazards, and more; they contain suggested examples, instructor background knowledge, and more. The following document describes the overall layout of a lesson.
Document link: Lesson Plan Overview: How and What

How do I choose the lesson plans and in what order?
All our lessons are adapted to the national Next Generation Science Standards and Minnesota K-12 Science Standards, and address specific culinary and scientific skills and knowledge. Additionally, most lessons are connected to each other both in terms of the scientific and culinary focus. This document shows you how.
Document link: Curriculum Overview: Standards, Skills, and Connectivity

What equipment do I need to get started?
Not all lesson plans require a full kitchen space, and only some require general laboratory materials.  Many lessons can be done in a simple classroom. To get a better idea of the minimum equipment requirements for the lesson, see the following document.
Document link: Equipment Lists

What is your best advice for teaching the curriculum?
STEAM Chefs relies on the collective work of many organizations and individuals, including a large group of volunteers who help develop and test our curriculum. We decided to ask them about why they joined the program, how they understand our mission, and what they perceive to be the best practices for the curriculum. This document outlines their answers and contains some invaluable advice for getting started. Enjoy!
Document link: Volunteer Voices

We’ve also provided a vocabulary list of words important for cooking and science that may be unfamiliar.
Document link: Vocabulary List

Where do we look if I would like to learn some more culinary skills (chef’s tips, unit conversions)?
To help you get started, we have explained some relevant unit conversions and useful cooking skills or “Chef’s Tips,” both of which are used in all of the lessons. If you are interested in learning more about specifics, refer back to these explanations for questions on within the individual lesson plans.
Document link: Culinary Resources