Unpacking Ingredients

Lesson Overview

Unit: Tech-Driven Swiss Rolls
Lesson: 2 of 20
Lesson Title: Understanding Ingredients
Duration: 70 minutes
Class Size: 14 students
Year Level: Year 12
Curriculum Area: Technology Learning Area – Materials and Processing Technology
Curriculum Level: Level 7 of The New Zealand Curriculum
Big Ideas Addressed:

• Materials have characteristics and performance properties that determine how they are best used
• Decision-making in processing technologies is informed by understanding how different material properties can be combined or altered
• Past, present and future technologies reflect diverse cultural knowledge systems such as mātauranga Māori and global food technologies

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify the key ingredients in a standard Swiss roll and describe their functions in the recipe (e.g. stabilisers, leaveners, emulsifiers, etc.)
2. Analyse how changes in ingredients might affect product outcomes such as texture, appearance or shelf life
3. Begin making decisions about ingredient selection for their own future iterations of a Swiss roll, using both scientific and cultural understandings
4. Recognise how mātauranga Māori may inform ingredient use, such as traditional binding or sweetening agents

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Resources & Materials

• A3 printed ingredient function matrix handout
• Multimedia presenter or large screen
• Sample ingredient jars (flour, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, cream, baking powder, cornflour, etc.)
• Tōtara rākau biscuits and kawakawa tea for context-setting (2–3 each per student)
• Printed recipe breakdown of a generic Swiss roll
• Post-it notes and markers
• Whiteboard or digital board

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Lesson Breakdown

🔰 1. Whakawhanaungatanga & Introduction | 10 minutes

Purpose: Establish whakawhanaungatanga and re-focus students into the context.

• Begin with a karakia and quick welcoming check-in using a "two-word mood" check
• Recap learning from Lesson 1: history of Swiss rolls and culturally influenced design ideas
• Introduce today’s objectives and link to previous learning

“To design something functional and 'fit for purpose,' we have to understand the building blocks. What actually makes a Swiss roll roll – and taste amazing?”

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🍞 2. Sensory Context Setting | 10 minutes

Purpose: Engage senses and connect with traditional ingredients.

• Pass around samples of key Swiss roll ingredients in small jars — smelling/observing flour, cocoa, sugar, etc.
• Invite students to notice similarities/differences with local ingredients (e.g. cornflour vs. kūmara starch, refined sugar vs. harakeke syrup)
• Serve tōtara biscuits and kawakawa tea as a reference: “These are also processed outcomes of traditional ingredient systems.”

Discussion Prompt:

"What ingredients stand out to you? How would you describe their role in the food products you're eating/drinking?"

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🔬 3. Function of Ingredients Deep Dive | 20 minutes

Purpose: Teach the science of ingredients in Swiss roll construction.

Deliver a short interactive presentation:
Introduce and unpack the primary ingredients in a standard Swiss roll:

Ingredient	Role/Function
Eggs	Structure, leavening, emulsification
Flour	Structure (gluten)
Sugar	Sweetener, moisture retention
Baking Powder	Chemical leavening
Milk	Hydration, protein, browning
Cream (filling)	Mouthfeel, taste, moisture

Activity: Each student reviews the A3 matrix and annotates with questions or connections.

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🧠 4. Ingredient Swap Challenge | 15 minutes

Purpose: Explore systems thinking and cross-cultural substitutions.

Students in pairs choose one ingredient and complete a quick inquiry:

• “What if we had to substitute this ingredient? What factors influence our choice?”
• Can include cultural (e.g. halal/kosher requirements), sustainability (local vs imported), allergen alternatives, or mātauranga Māori-inspired choices.

Examples to prompt teams:

• Replace cow’s cream with mānuka honey coconut cream
• Swap wheat flour with kūmara-based flour
• Remove baking powder: how does that change texture?

Present back their substitutions with 1-minute pitches.

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🗣️ 5. Wrap Up & Reflect | 10 minutes

Group reflection using the whiteboard:

• “One ingredient I now understand better is…”
• “A swap I’d like to try in my own Swiss roll is…”
• “One question I still have is…”

Use post-it notes to fill up a "Next Steps / Wonderings" wall that will be reviewed in Lesson 3.

Finish with a karakia whakamutunga or waiata.

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Assessment Opportunities

Formative:

• Participation in sensory activity
• Completion of the Ingredients Function Matrix
• Contribution to Ingredient Swap Challenge
• Post-it note reflection

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Differentiation & Support

• Provide vocabulary glossary for ESOL students
• Allow oral vs. written reflection based on preference
• Provide visual diagrams of ingredient reactions for diverse learning styles
• Kaiako can facilitate swaps using local cultural experiences of learners to engage and scaffold appropriately

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Looking Ahead

In Lesson 3, students will begin prototyping ingredient combinations through small-scale baking experiments, comparing outcomes against today’s ingredient function matrix. They will carry forward today's learning about ingredient functions as they begin ideating their own twist on the traditional Swiss roll.

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Teacher Reflection Questions (Post-Lesson)

• Did students meaningfully connect with the cultural ingredient comparisons?
• Did any unexpected insights arise from the Ingredient Swap Challenge?
• How might mātauranga Māori guide deeper exploration in the food prototyping stages?

Remember: Learning in the Technology curriculum is not just about making, it's about informed decision-making driven by curiosity, values, and deep knowledge systems – both scientific and cultural.