Introduction
“There are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen, people who wonder what happened.”[1]
The quote, “There are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen, people who wonder what happened, originated with Nicholas Murray Butler, who served as the President of Columbia University. He delivered the speech on Charter Day at the University of California in March, 1931. He used it in his group activity and in the earliest quote, as he coined the phrase: “those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and the overwhelming majority who have no notion of what happens.” This is the perfect segue into my curriculum unit, because the chemistry of cooking will teach students to recognize how their actions during the cooking process affect the chemical and physical properties of food.
This 14-week interdisciplinary science curriculum unit for high school students in grades 9–12 receiving Life Skills special education services is much more than a cooking class. I designed this unit to prepare students for independent living through the science of food by transforming the kitchen into a classroom where chemistry, life skills, and transition education come together. Every recipe, experiment, and shared meal becomes an opportunity for students to investigate scientific concepts while developing the confidence and practical skills they need for adulthood.
Using authentic culinary experiences, students explore how chemical and physical transformations change ingredients during food preparation. As they observe, question, predict, and experiment, they discover that chemistry is part of every meal they prepare. Throughout the unit, students investigate concepts from chemistry, biology, Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC), and environmental science while connecting science to nutrition, food safety, history, culture, sustainability, and everyday decision-making.
Learning extends beyond the classroom through community-based instruction and work-based learning experiences. Students develop grocery budgets, compare prices, create shopping lists, read Nutrition Facts labels, purchase ingredients, prepare recipes, and explore careers in the culinary and life sciences. These authentic experiences strengthen communication, teamwork, financial literacy, problem-solving, and workplace readiness while helping students recognize that the skills they practice in the kitchen prepare them for success at home, in the workplace, and in their communities.
The curriculum unit follows a backward design model that begins with the end in mind. Students work toward a culminating capstone experience in which they collaboratively plan, prepare, and serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal for their families and invited guests. Along the way, they maintain science journals, create a student cookbook and workbook, develop multimedia presentations, and reflect on their learning. The Thanksgiving celebration serves as more than a final assessment—it is a celebration of each student's growth in scientific understanding, confidence, teamwork, and independence.
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