Jam and Scones

What do students need to know / be able to do at the end of this Unit of Work? What is the topic of the Unit? (Learning Intentions / Success Criteria / Achievement Objectives / Assessment / Links to NZC)

Learning Intentions: Understand how ingredients such as chia seeds, sugar, and fruit contribute to jam-making. Develop practical skills in preparing jam and scones safely and independently. Compare traditional jam with a lower-sugar chia seed jam. Evaluate how recipe modifications can impact nutrition, texture, flavour, and preservation. Success Criteria: Follow recipes safely and hygienically with minimal teacher support. Work collaboratively to prepare chia seed jam and scones. Explain how chia seeds help thicken jam. Identify differences between traditional jam and chia jam in terms of sugar content, texture, flavour, and preservation. Participate in class discussion using appropriate food technology vocabulary. Achievement Objectives/Standards: (Check with Delwyn) Assessment/Links to NZC: (Check with Delwyn)

Time: 60 Minute Lesson Lesson Plan/Content

5 mins

30 mins

15 mins

5 mins

Chia Seed Jam Scone Recipe (Scan Recipe)

Students enter, put aprons and hairnets on, wash hands and wipe down tables (they know how to do this). Welcome students as they enter

Take roll/absences

Memory Verse for the week:

Introduce what they will be baking: Chia Seed Jam and Soda/Lemonade Water Scones

Clean up

Talk them through the recipes briefly (at this level students are expected to be able to follow the recipe without too much guidance from the teacher) All groups will make a recipe We (the teachers) will prepare the scone recipe. Once they have completed making the jam/left it to sit they can help with the scones. Leave the dishes till the scones are in the oven.

Students work in paris to complete recipe (Scones need to be in the oven by 9:25am at the latest - needs 25 - 30 mins to cook)

While scones are baking and jam is resting students clean up…

Then as a class we go over class discussion points:

What is the standard sugar content of most blueberry jam? To legally be defined as "jam" in many regions, the product must contain a minimum of 60% total sugars (natural fruit sugar + added sugar). Commercial and traditional jam recipes usually require a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar by weight. Is this as healthier version of jam? Why? Chia seeds Blueberries Low sugar Would this jam preserve as well as standard jam? Why or why not? What is the textural difference between this and standard jam Thick texture What helps this jam to set (clue: no pectin, very little sugar)? Sugar This high sugar content is crucial for setting, acting as a preservative, and ensuring the characteristic. What is the difference in the flavour profile between this and a standard jam?

Jam put into jars

Scones are served with butter and the jam

Learning Intentions

By the end of this unit, Year 13 Technology students will:

Understand how ingredients such as chia seeds, sugar, and fruit each contribute to jam-making.
Develop practical skills in preparing jam and scones safely and independently.
Compare traditional jam with a lower-sugar chia seed jam.
Evaluate how changes in recipe ingredients impact the nutrition, texture, flavour, and preservation of the product.

Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

Follow recipes safely and hygienically with minimal teacher support.
Work collaboratively to prepare chia seed jam and scones.
Explain the role of chia seeds in thickening jam.
Identify and articulate the differences between traditional jam and chia seed jam regarding sugar content, texture, flavour, and preservation.
Participate in class discussion, employing appropriate food technology vocabulary.

Achievement Objectives and Curriculum Links

This unit aligns with the following strands and achievement objectives from the New Zealand Curriculum Technology learning area:

Technological practice: Developing, planning, and communicating ideas and plans.
Technological knowledge: Understanding characteristics and properties of materials and ingredients.
Nature of Technology: Understanding how technological outcomes relate to societal and environmental contexts.
Technological outcomes: Developing capabilities to modify and evaluate technological outcomes (e.g., food product development).
Health and Safety in technology practice: Safe and hygienic food preparation in accordance with health regulations.

The unit supports the development of key competencies: managing self (safe food practices and time management), relating to others (working collaboratively), thinking (evaluating recipe modifications), and using language, symbols, and texts (tech terminology in discussions).

Assessment can include observation of practical skills, class discussion participation, and a short written or oral evaluation of jam differences and recipe modification impacts, aligned to Level 3 Technology Achievement Standards (teacher to confirm specific standards with Delwyn).

Lesson Overview (60 Minutes for 5 Students)

Time	Activity Description
5 mins	Entry and Setup: Students enter, don aprons and hairnets, wash hands, wipe down tables. Roll call and welcome. Introduce the day's cooking tasks: making chia seed jam and soda/lemonade water scones. Briefly go over hygiene and safety expectations. Recite and reflect on the weekly memory verse linked to food technology values (e.g., care, patience).
5 mins	Recipe Briefing: Teacher briefly explains recipes with emphasis on the function of chia seeds, sugar, and fruit in jam making, and how scone ingredients contribute to final texture. Students are expected to follow recipes independently with minimal guidance. Teacher prepares scone dough separately to speed up process.
30 mins	Practical Cooking: Students work in pairs to prepare the chia seed jam recipe. While jam is resting to thicken, students assist teacher with scone presentation and preparing to bake. Maintain a focus on safe handling, hygiene, and teamwork. Scones to be placed in oven by 9:25 am at the latest for 25-30 minutes baking.
15 mins	Clean-up and Discussion: While scones bake and jam sets, group clean-up and tidying kitchen. Class discussion including guided questions: - What is the usual sugar content in traditional blueberry jam (approx. 60%)? - Is chia seed jam a healthier option? Why? - What roles do chia seeds, blueberries, and sugar play in jam texture and preservation? - How does sugar content affect jam setting and shelf life? - What are the differences in flavour and texture between traditional and chia seed jam? - Discuss vocabulary: preservatives, thickening agents, pectin, hydration, texture, sugar content.
5 mins	Serving and Evaluation: Jam is jarred; scones served with butter and chia seed jam. Students taste and articulate their observations about taste, texture, and flavour differences. Wrap-up with reflection on what was learned about recipe modification and nutritional considerations.

Key Teaching Points and Activities

Understanding Ingredients in Jam-Making

Sugar’s role: preservation, flavour, and setting via pectin activation.
Chia seeds: natural thickener through gel-forming when hydrated, reducing need for added sugar.
Fruit contributes natural pectin and flavour.

Practical Skills Development

Safe food handling: hygiene, temperature awareness.
Accurate measurement and following recipe steps independently.
Working collaboratively sharing tasks and responsibilities.

Comparative Evaluation

Contrast sugar % between traditional jam (typically ~60%) and chia jam (lower sugar).
Texture differences: chia gel vs. cooked sugar-set jam.
Flavour profile differences due to less sugar and presence of chia seeds.
Preservation considerations: traditional jam’s high sugar acts as preservative; chia jam may have shorter shelf life.

Vocabulary Integration

Encourage use and understanding of key food technology terms during discussion and evaluation.

Health & Safety Considerations

Ensure all students wear aprons, hairnets, and wash hands before handling food.
Emphasise hygiene during preparation and clean-up.
Use temperature safe practices when handling ovens and hot items.
Monitor allergy considerations (chia seeds, dairy in scones).

Assessment Suggestions

Teacher observation checklist on practical skills, hygiene, and collaboration during cooking.
Participation rubric for discussion contributions and terminology use.
Short reflective writing or oral feedback on the differences between jam types, nutrition implications, and recipe adjustments.

New Zealand Curriculum Alignment Summary

Technological Practice: Implementing procedures to prepare technological outcomes safely and independently.
Technological Knowledge: Understanding material properties (food ingredients) and their interaction in food processing.
Nature of Technology: Evaluating the effects of technological outcomes (recipe modifications) on nutrition and consumer health.
Key Competencies: Managing self, relating to others, thinking critically, and using language appropriately.
Health & Safety Education: Embedding food safety principles in practical technology processes.

This lesson plan aligns with the Level 3 Technology curriculum expectations, developing students' practical food technology skills, critical thinking on recipe modification, and fostering an understanding of food science principles relevant to jam-making and baking.

If desired, teachers can contextualise this into assessment standards covering product development or technological practice involving interdisciplinary links to health/nutrition and science.

This plan is tailored for a small group (5 students), allowing for hands-on engagement and discussion reflective of Year 13 student capabilities and cognitive development in Technology learning in New Zealand schools.

Teaching Instructions