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“The dinner party was the biggest turn out for families all year. Parents I’d never seen were hugging me. It was fabulous for our school community.”
—Miranda Millage, teacher, P.S. 116
What is The Dinner Party Project?
The Dinner Party Project ®engages children in classroom activities that involve the following curriculum items.
The following schedule is an example cirriculum followed for a five-week project.
Week One: “What is a Dinner Party?”
- Discuss the importance of sharing of meals with family and friends
- Design an invitation to invite their family members to a dinner party
- Homework on recent family meal-sharing experiences
Week Two: “Designing a Menu”
- Introduce the Food Pyramid ~ the recommended American plan for healthful eating
- Create a balanced meal
- Introduction to ingredients and cooking techniques
- Discuss safety and sanitation practices when cooking
- Homework on tracking family meal patterns
Week Three: “Etiquette”
- Introduce concept of “etiquette” and how hosts behave toward guests
- Discuss good table manners
- Explain the correct way to set the table
- Homework on etiquette and family meal-focused activities
Week Four: “The Dinner Party”
- Discuss how to follow a recipe
- Preparation for the dinner party: including cooking, decorating, setting tables, etc.
- Children greet parents and they all enjoy the meal
- Homework on evaluating the dinner party experience
Week Five: “'Bread & Butter' and End Notes”
- Discuss comments by parents and siblings about The Dinner Party Project
- Make a list of people to thank (principal, parents, sponsors, custodian, etc.)
- Write thank you letters, address and send to all who helped
- Design a class photo-essay about The Dinner Party Project