Recipes for Success
Project Summary
Students will read the Recipe For Success Copy Change activity. In groups, students
will list the ingredients necessary for a successful person. Students will then follow the
Recipe For Success format substituting their ingredients and directions for a successful
person. Finished recipes will be exchanged electronically and the best ones will be
published in a literary magazine.
Suggested Grade Level and Audience
4th through 12th
Estimated Time Required
2-4 weeks
Student Learning Objectives
- To improve creative writing
- To improve telecommunications skill
- To participate in a cooperative writing exchange with distant audiences
- To improve word processing skills
- To improve self-concept
Writing Prompt
Step 1: Read the sample Recipe for Success.
Step 2: In small groups brainstorm the ingredients necessary for a successful person.
Step 3: Choose the seven top ingredients.
Step 4: Assign a unit of measurement for each one. (Use metric if you like.)
Example:
1/4 pound, 1 tablespoon, 1/8 teaspoon, 1 cup, 1 ounce, 1 pound,
1 can, 1 package, 1 slice, a pinch, a dash, 1 bunch, 1 bushel.
Step 5: Substitute ingredients and units of measurement for the ones in the sample poem.
Step 6: Using ingredients, write directions for a successful person.
Step 7: Type finished product on a word processor.
Step 8: Save it to a disk.
Step 9: Send your recipe electronically to distant audience.
Step 10: Receive Recipes for Success from partner schools.
Step 11: Read, display, and publish best ones in literary magazine.
Sample Recipe For Success
From the Kitchen of April Gardner
Ingredients:
1 person, 1 cup of self confidence
1 pound of preparation, 1 life filled with experience
1 bushel of friends, Dash of help
Dash of imagination, Pinch of risk
Bake at body temperature
Very simple recipe, really. Mix experiences, preparation, and a strong person until blended. Draw generously from life's experiences. Add a dash of help or imagination, whichever you have a need for at the time. Mix friendships carefully. Throw in a pinch of risk. Pour self confidence in a glass container and take a close look at it. It may take vigorous blending, but believe in yourself. Bake at body temperature.
Serves one beautifully, but dish out to more people depending on if you like it. If you love it, give copies to your friends.
