Chemistry of Cooking

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 26.05.10

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale
  3. Hearne Independent School District[2]
  4. Student Demographics
  5. Special Education[4]
  6. Content Objectives
  7. Taste And Smell: The Chemistry Of Flavor
  8. History And Culture Of Food
  9. Teaching Strategies
  10. Classroom Activities
  11. Kitchen Brigade: Leadership Roles And Responsibilities
  12. Implementation Resources And Estimated Budget
  13. Chemistry Of Cooking To Independence
  14. Annotated Bibliography
  15. Appendix: Implementing District Standards
  16. End Notes

Chemical Transformations: Merging the Science of Food and Culture for Independent Living

Vickie Young Weatherspoon

Published September 2026

Tools for this Unit:

End Notes

[1] Butler, Nicholas Murray. These United States: An Address Delivered before the University of California, Berkeley, California, on Charter Day, March 23, 1931. New York: Columbia University Press, 1931.

[2] Texas Tribune Schools Explorer. "Hearne ISD: Demographics." Accessed July 12, 2026. https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/hearne-isd/demographics/.

[3]Texas A&M Center on Disability and Development, Work-Based Learning Project (College Station: Texas A&M University), accessed July 2026, https://cdd.tamu.edu/

[4] U.S. Department of Education. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. §1400. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2004. 

[5] U.S. Department of Education. A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2020. 

[6] Mazzotti, Valerie L., David W. Test, Michael D. Mustian, Gary R. Fowler, Robert H. Kortering, and Susan R. Kohler. “Evidence-Based Secondary Transition Predictors for Improving Post Secondary Outcomes for Students with Disabilities.” Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals 42, no. 1 (2019): 15-28.

[7] Wolke, Robert L. What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002.

[8] OpenStax. Biology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax, Rice University, 2018. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

[9] OpenStax. Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience. Houston, TX: OpenStax, Rice University, 2024. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-behavioral-neuroscience

[10] OpenStax. Biology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax, Rice University, 2018. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

[11] McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.

[12] Twitty, Michael W. The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South. New York: Amistad, 2017.

[13] Rothman, Julia. Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Our Edible World. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2016.

[14] DK. The Story of Food: An Illustrated History of Everything We Eat. New York: DK Publishing, 2013

[15] Johnson, David W., Roger T. Johnson, and Edythe Johnson Holubec. Cooperation in the Classroom. 9th ed. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company, 2013.

[16] Carter, Erik W., Dianne S. Trainor, and Valerie L. Owens. Community-Based Instruction and Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 2015

[17] Rosenshine, Barak. Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2012.

[18] Fisher, Douglas, and Nancy Frey. Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2014.

[19] Escoffier, Auguste. The Escoffier Cookbook: A Guide to the Fine Art of Cookery. Translated by H. L. Cracknell and R. J. Kaufmann. New York: Crown Publishers, 1976.

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