Lesson #3: KNIFE HANDLING SKILLS

Lesson Overview: Students will learn how to properly handle a knife to dice tomatoes, onion,
and mince herbs, as well as general knife safety.

Materials Needed:

□ ‘The Lost Art of Cooking’ DVD

□ Audiovisual equipment

□ Chef hat, hair band or ball cap (per student)

□Chef’s knife

□ Cutting board

□ Bowls, 3

□ Onion (1 per student)

□ Slicing tomato (1 per student)

□ Oregano (1 bunch per student)

Performance Objective 3: Given a kitchen knife, student demonstrates proper

position of dominant and non-dominant hands.

Performance Objective 4: Given a kitchen knife, cutting board, and food items,

student dices a tomato and onion and minces oregano.

TIME: 60 minutes.

Step 1: Pre-instructional activities:

Discuss the different types of injuries that can occur when a knife is used in the kitchen, i.e. stabbing
themselves and other, cutting themselves and others. Discuss consequences that will be given in the
event of any type of misbehavior when handling a knife.

Step 2: Content presentation:

a) Students will watch The Great Courses “The Lost Art of Cooking” module on knife handling skills
(running time approximately 20 minutes).
 b) Instructor will demonstrate the proper technique for the dominant hand.
c) Instructor will demonstrate the proper hand position for the non-dominant hand.
d) Instructor will demonstrate the proper method to exchange a knife between partners.
e) Instructor will demonstrate dicing onion, tomato, and mincing oregano.

Step 3: Learner Participation

a) Students will be divided into pairs, with an adult supervisor present with each pair.
b) Student #1 will dice onion and place in bowl #1.
c) Student #2 will dice onion and place in bowl #1.
d) Student #1 will dice tomato and place in bowl #2.
e) Student #2 will dice tomato and place in bowl #2.
f) Student #1 will mince oregano and place in bowl #3.
g) Student #2 will mince oregano and place in bowl #3.

Step 4: Assessment
Parent supervisor will verify proper knife handling, mincing, and dicing skills for each student
pair and record results using the assessment form in Appendix D.

Step 5: Follow-Through Activities

Students will utilize these skills when preparing the final home meal.