Has anyone ever heard of a classroom assignment like this?

[Planogirl]

My son is in fifth grade and each child has had a state assigned to them the whole term. They have had to do various reports about this state.

DS's teacher left sometime back for maternity leave and his substitute has come up with an assignment to welcome her back next week. Each child is required to cook a dish that represents their state and bring it Monday. The teacher has assigned the specific dishes and will give a Social Studies grade for the dish.

My son has Minnesota and has been assigned Baked Walleye. Besides the fact that I'm not totally sure what Walleye is exactly, good fish now costs around $10/lb in our area and this recipe calls for 3 lbs. The kids are also supposed to do all of the work themselves. The teacher included a note that she would help work out any concerns or questions if we have any problems with this assignment.

Maybe I'm too picky but this seems wrong on many levels and I intend to let her know. I'm curious what others think.

 

[RitaZ.]

I have never heard of anything like that! The student has to do it all by himself/herself?

My DS (2nd grader) had to come up with an invention and it had to be original, yes original. This was due today. Only 3 kids showed up with their invention today; DS, a girl and another boy. The other boy did an experiment with cereal, instead of an invention. It's not easy to come up with an original invention idea. The teacher had to extend the deadline for those without an invention until Friday. The kids had to build the invention or a prototype, give it a name, write a paragraph explaining how it worked and also demonstrate how it worked to the rest of the class. I thought this project was above a 2nd grader's ability, but DS did come up with his own idea and he built it out of Legos.

I just wanted to add... Can you reduce the recipe? I have no idea what Baked Walleye is, but it doesn't like something that the kids will want to try or eat. I don't see the point of making such large portions.

Good luck with it!

 

[Planogirl]

Yikes! An original invention is awful too. Goodness, I wouldn't know where to start.

I don't think we'll be doing this, at least not as assigned. It's hard to bake fish IMO and very expensive for a classroom assignment.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I don't have a problem with the children having to do the cooking themselves (under parents supervision). However, I would have a real problem with being told that we had to purchase hard to find or expensive ingredients. I also think that the children should be given the option of a noncooking project that costs nothing. Some parents don't have the money/time for this kind of project. It would have been better if she gave several (inexpensive) options. At this point, if I were you, I would find another typical Minnesota dish (there must be some info on the internet) that is more reasonable to make and let the teacher know that the original request is unreasonable, but you are willing to make something else. I have to think that teachers that give this kind of assignment don't have children or a comprehension of being on a budget.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Are you supposed to bake this in the morning before school and then bring it in? What do you do with it after that?

 

[Nutsy]

Sounds a bit much for kids so young................High school I can understand, but this is bit over the top.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Having to spend $30 (and that is just for the fish, I gather there is more involved) for a class assignment is ridiculous. Ask her to reduce the recipe or change it. If she balks, appeal to the administration.
it's too bad you don't live up here, the walleye are "running" in the local river right now and there are fishermen everywhere--you could get what you need dirt cheap. I don't like walleye myself.
Robin M.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I did a search on the internet and found out

1.1496 State muffin.

The blueberry muffin is adopted as the official muffin of
the state of Minnesota.

HIST: 1988 c 657 s 1

Copyright 2003 by the Office of Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota.

I think I'd be sending in a note explaining your son will be baking Blueberry Muffins.

 

[*Fantasia*]

How is the teacher going to eat all those food!! Imagine 25-30 different kinds of food for just one person. Most of them are probably going to waste and what a waste of money! That's a lot of food for one teacher!! What she is asking for is a bit too much in my opinion. How about each child makes his/her welcoming card to give to the teacher. Or how about writing a nice note to the teacher and put them together and make a book for her. Or how about making collages (sP?) and put some pictures up of all the students.

 

[Pembo]

I don't think I'd want to eat dishes made by my students?! It sounds like a good idea but in reality, it isn't.

And I think the teacher should let the kids come up with a food from the state, not be assigned. I'd be on the phone tomorrow!

 

[Planogirl]

I love the muffin idea! I may just do that.

Robin, out of curiosity, what other fish is walleye similar to? There is more involved but not much. Just lemon juice, a few seasonings and butter.

Jenn Lynn, the teacher also mentioned microwaves in case our dish needed to be heated. She will be providing the paper plates and plastic cuttlery though.

I'm glad that I'm not the only person that thinks this is too much. DS told me that one child was assigned grilled steaks.

 

[OhMari]

Remember in the beginning of the year when your school encourages you to call teacher first, (even though it is substitute), yup, I'd be making a phone call.

I love grade school projects, around our house we always call them parent projects.

Do you have a Culver's near by, they have an excellent Walleye Meal every Friday. I would buy the teacher a gift certificate and tell the sub, she can go get it so it don't spoil the whole classroom by lunch.

 

[RitaZ.]

I just wanted to add...

Do you know if your child's school allows homemade dishes to be brought into the school? Our schools don't allow ANY homemade foods due to the possibility of food-borne illnesses (not even homemade cookies can be sent to class).

 

[buzzlady]

I can't see 5th graders eating such a variety of food. It would be a total waste.

 

[Planogirl]

Many good points here. Fish cannot be kept fresh until lunch even if it is cooked IMO. The teacher did not mention refrigerators or coolers.

Nope, we will not be making fish of any kind.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Originally posted by Planogirl
I love the muffin idea! I may just do that.

Robin, out of curiosity, what other fish is walleye similar to? There is more involved but not much. Just lemon juice, a few seasonings and butter.

Jenn Lynn, the teacher also mentioned microwaves in case our dish needed to be heated. She will be providing the paper plates and plastic cuttlery though.

I'm glad that I'm not the only person that thinks this is too much. DS told me that one child was assigned grilled steaks.

I'm sorry, but the grilled steaks made me LOL! Maybe she wants the leftovers?

Microwaved fish and steaks-YUMMY!

This Teacher needs a reality check! I would be calling her in the morning.

 

[TigerBear]

I would go with the muffins - and tell the sub that you thought the first request was unreasonable.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Yuck! I don't think I'd be eating anything made by my students either.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I think this sounds like a wonderful, creative way to welcome the teacher back. I'm sure the sub. won't mind if you substitute recipes.

At the end of every year, I asked my 2nd graders to tell me about their favorite day of the past year. Almost 100% mentioned a day where we cooked or their parents cooked. It made for great memories.

Don't be so quick to put down what the teacher is trying to do. I think she sounds like a fun teacher.

Lori

 

[sharbear]

Walleye is like a big perch or other firm white fish. I like Walleye but I've never bought it, it's something that you eat when you fish.

No way would I make 3 pounds of fish. Kids are not going to eat fish, and yuck! Old cold fish, made by a kid, I'm grossed out just thinking about it.

Have your child make the muffins and leave the teacher a voice mail.

My 10th grader did this in French class, he and a group had to make chicken with red wine sauce. I let the kids do it themselves. It was so awful, chicken with this purple globby, stuff of top! And this was 16 year olds!

BTW Walleye is the state fish of Ohio. Tell the teacher that, it's not for MN, but for Ohio, I made a MN dish!