Course - Food Technology

Food technology is a fun and exciting unit of study for anyone who loves learning about food and how to cook it. It gives them the skills to design, select and cook ingredients to make delicious meals - a skill everyone needs throughout life.

We look at food from various perspectives and see how it impacts our lives.

Students will develop confidence and proficiency in their practical interactions with food. They will learn to explain wise food selection and prepare food safety and hygienically and make informed and healthy food choices. Students will learn to relate the nutritional value of foods to health and identify the factors that influence food habits.

Students will learn practical skills in preparing and presenting food that enable them to select and use appropriate ingredients, methods of cookery and equipment use. 

The study of Food Technology provides students with a broad knowledge and understanding of food properties, processing, preparation and their interrelationships, nutritional considerations and consumption patterns. It also provides students with a context through which to explore the richness, pleasure and variety food adds to life.

Each unit comes with a wide variety and unique set of practical menus to cook from which will enhance skills and learning. 

1. Food Selection and Health - The health of communities is related to the nutritional content of the food eaten. Students examine the role of food and its nutritional components in the body. They explore the nutritional needs of individuals and groups and explain the effects of poor nutrition. They select, plan and prepare safe and nutritious foods to reflect national food guides.

2. Food in Australia - Migration has had a dramatic effect on the food eaten in Australia. Students examine the history of food in Australia, including bush tucker prepared in the past and present by Aboriginal Peoples, the influence of early European settlers, together with continuing immigration from a variety of cultures, and examine the subsequent effects on contemporary Australian eating patterns. Students plan and prepare safe foods, which reflect the eclectic nature of Australian cuisine and develop knowledge of cultural protocols associated with food and its preparation.

3. Food for Specific Needs -Foods for specific needs arise for a variety of reasons including age, health, lifestyle choices, cultural influences or logistical circumstances. Students explore a range of foods for specific needs and the means to satisfy these. Students plan and prepare safe and nutritious foods to meet specific food needs in various circumstances.

4. Food Product Development - An ever-increasing variety of food products are available in the marketplace as a result of food product innovations. They explore the processes in food product development and develop, produce and evaluate a food product.

5. Focus area: Food Service and Catering - Food service and catering are important areas of the food industry. They provide people with both food and employment. Students examine food service and catering ventures and their ethical operations across a variety of settings and investigate employment opportunities. Students plan and prepare safe and appealing foods appropriate for catering for small or large-scale functions.

6.Focus area: Food for Special Occasions - Food is an important component of many special occasions. Students explore a range of special occasions including social, cultural, religious, historical and family. Students plan and prepare safe food for special occasions, demonstrating appropriate food-handling and presentation skills.

In Year 9 we have 4 lessons – 2 are theory based and 2 are practical.
In Year 10 we have 3 lessons – 1 is theory based and 2 are practical.

We cook a wide range of dishes - both savoury and sweet. We start with simple dishes and as your skill level develops, we cook more complex dishes. We cook a range of different foods from different cultures. We learn how to plate, style and photograph our cooked creations. We also cook for a variety of functions throughout the course to give students the experience of developing skills to cooking for an event. Their final cooking challenge will be designing, cooking and decoration a fondant covered Christmas cake.

Yes, in both Year 9 and 10 we have three assessment tasks – one for each unit of study. The assessment tasks have both written and practical sections to them -you will answer food-based questions about the topic and then design, create and produce a dish that you can cook at school. You will also have practical cooking tests throughout the course.