| Reviewers Comments: | This CD-Rom compliments the original Fast Foods! curriculum, which was designed to help children in between the ages of 11 and 14 develop basic cooking skills. It includes definitions of cooking tools and cooking terms, a list of ingredient substitutions, and a teacher’s corner with additional handouts and other activities.
The CD does not require Internet Access and will not access content from the Internet, however it does require a web browser. The content will not load automatically and the initial navigation can be confusing which may make it a little perplexing to get started. After selecting the begin.html file, a welcome letter should appear in the preferred browser. Clicking on the green text that reads “Start Your Engines” will bring you to the main portal page, from which you can access all files on the CD. Clicking on the credits button at the bottom of the page will bring you back to the welcome letter. Once you are on the main portal page, navigation is logical and easy to follow.
Because of the content on the CD, it is appropriate both for educator and participant use. Portions of the CD may be used directly with participants include the Cool Cook’s Tools, which includes a picture, description and tips for use for 37 different kitchen tools in 7 different categories; the Substitutions Section, which lists substitutions for 26 ingredients; and the Cooking Terms section, which defines and shows a short video about 40 different cooking terms. The Teacher’s Corner segment is intended specifically as a resource for the educator, and includes handouts, activities, short lesson plans, and other unique and creative materials on cooking basics and food safety. The Teacher’s Corner features many materials from the Fight Bac® initiative.
Since it is self-directed, participants can spend as much or as little time as they need to view the different segments of the CD. The sound quality is adequate during most segments; however, sound is not required to use the CD as the participant can read the corresponding text. Text size is a little small and may be hard to read for some older adults. Overall, this resource is a nice supportive piece for participants learning how to cook and interested in learning more about cooking utensils and techniques.
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