On 28 November, creativity filled the second-grade classrooms of Shanghai United International School Qingpu Campus (SUIS Qingpu). The two-week interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning (PBL) activity, “European Food Festival: Little Chefs Career Camp,” concluded successfully. Centred around the theme “Creative Cooking and Exploration,” the activity immersed the children in an exciting journey of work experience and interdisciplinary learning, integrating the culinary cultures of Greece, Russia, Belgium, and Sweden.
Breaking Subject Boundaries: Cooking Up a ‘Flavourful’ Integrated Lesson
The activity seamlessly blended Chinese, English, Maths, Art, and Inquiry subjects into the “Little Chef” career experience, allowing children to learn in real-world contexts and grow through hands-on practice.
Chinese Skills Enhanced Through Expression: From filling out “Job Application Forms” to explaining why they chose each restaurant, children honed their logical thinking and written expression through words and drawings. Confident responses during interviews and collaborative communication within teams further advanced their oral expression and listening comprehension.
English Learning Activated in Context: The bilingual names of the four restaurants became frequently used vocabulary. While listening to foreign teachers vividly introduce each restaurant and its food culture, students were exposed to authentic pronunciation and expressions, practising listening comprehension skills in a real-life context. During interviews, they could choose to communicate in Chinese or English, attempting to use newly acquired vocabulary and sentence patterns. Language truly came “alive” through fun and practical interactions.
Mathematical Thinking Sparked Through Voting: Children participated in setting criteria for selecting the “Best Restaurant,” tallying votes, recording results, and interpreting the data.
Artistic Creation Gives Culture ‘Form and Colour’: From sketching designs to crafting “signature dishes” using colourful clay and cardboard, the children’s imagination ran free. Each “dish” was a vision of beauty and creativity.
Scientific Inquiry: Before the activity, children researched with their parents, visited restaurants, and documented their observations. During the activity, teams explored the cultural and geographical stories behind various cuisines, igniting a passion for active inquiry.
Immersive Career Experience: Every Child is the ‘Protagonist’
From “job interviews” to “starting work,” children were fully engaged, genuinely experiencing every step of a professional process.
The “Little Chef Interview” on November 21st was the first highlight. After learning about the culinary cultures of the four countries, children confidently showcased their “superpowers” using their application forms to support their expressions of interest in their preferred restaurants. The children were delighted when they succeeded in getting their preferred jobs. The newly hired little chefs quickly formed teams, clarified roles, and displayed excellent teamwork skills.
The “Food Festival” on November 28th brought the activity to its peak. Children transformed their designs into “clay cuisine.” They overcame challenges and displayed resilience by resolving difficulties through communication, trial and error, and mutual support. During the judging session, little chefs became “brand ambassadors,” passionately explaining the cultural stories behind their creations. During voting, everyone listened attentively and made fair choices, experiencing the balance between competition and cooperation amidst laughter and joy.
Visible Growth: Diverse Gifts Far Beyond ‘Food’
This “Little Chef” journey gifted the children with far more than plates of “clay food”; it was a holistic package of growth:
More Confident Communication:
From interview expression and team discussions to presenting their work, children’s verbal expression became more fluent and their demeanour more poised.
Through task division, discussions, and problem-solving, they learned to listen, respect, and help each other, fostering strong team cohesion.
Understanding the world through food, the diversity and inclusivity of cultures took root in their hearts.
From nervous interviews to bravely solving production problems, from receiving recognition to facing voting results, children’s resilience and self-confidence grew hand in hand.
Participating students shared unforgettable moments and genuine insights from their experience, their words brimming with joy:
In this PBL activity, I was most impressed by the group cooking session! I was our group leader, and I kept thinking: how can I get every child to participate? Later, I had a great idea—I drew a small square next to each dessert and asked everyone to write their name, so each person knew their task. Because we prepared in advance, our group collaboration went very smoothly. Everyone happily completed their tasks, and together we made beautiful and delicious desserts! Being the leader taught me that thinking ahead and dividing work properly can really make things smoother. I gained immense happiness and a sense of accomplishment!
My favourite PBL session was the lecture in the auditorium. I learned about the different food specialties of the four countries. I was most impressed when the teacher introduced Belgium, mentioning its famous chocolate, with many varieties, styles, and unique flavours. They even have rivers of chocolate in Belgium! I really look forward to visiting and trying my favourite chocolate there.
I loved this PBL course! The group cooking session was the most fun. Working with my classmates, we researched and developed Russian specialty foods together. Seeing everyone collaborate to create such popular works gave me a huge sense of achievement. The teamwork process was super enjoyable—we could help each other solve problems and gain lots of happiness. I really hope we have more activities like this!
Parents highly recognised the educational value of the activity, documenting their children’s growth and sharing their approval of the curriculum:
The ‘European Carnival & Best Restaurant Selection’ PBL course in Class 2H at SUIS QP immersed children in the complete process from interviews, dish development, and handicraft making to the final judging. Real learning scenarios made abstract knowledge tangible and learnable, transforming children from passive receivers into active explorers, full of enthusiasm. The course not only deepened children’s understanding of European food culture but also honed their teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through practice. The interview ‘elimination’ mechanism also taught children to face setbacks and adjust their mindset. Teachers acted as guides and supporters, leaving ample space for children’s independent exploration. Seeing children shine during exploration, demonstrate wisdom in cooperation, and gain confidence through presentation makes such a growth experience truly precious!
Walking into the second-grade classroom was a feast of vibrant colours. Desks transformed into culinary stations, piled with various foods made by children from coloured paper and clay—Swedish meatballs sprinkled with parsley, steak and fries drizzled with ketchup, salmon with beautifully clear textures, and meticulously crafted patterns on plates. Some designed tableware, some made ingredients, some arranged the plating—no arguments, only cooperation, clear division of labour, and perfect order. During voting, children observed each plate seriously and cast their votes solemnly. Through kneading, moulding, and shaping, they touched the form of European food culture. Through collaboration, they learned to listen and cooperate. Through vote counting, they learned about statistics and understood the meaning of fairness. Watching their serious faces, I suddenly felt that such hands-on, co-creative moments are the most vivid growth lessons for children.
European Carnival meets Maths! Little statisticians cheer for the best restaurant! With the European Carnival in full swing, the Best Restaurant voting activity is heating up! The maths classroom instantly became a ‘statistics lab.’ Second-grade students transformed into little data analysts, learning with their teacher to categorise and organise voting results using tables and visually present restaurant popularity rankings with bar graphs. Counting votes, filling tables, drawing charts—they unlocked data collection, organisation, and analysis skills through fun voting. Abstract mathematical knowledge blended into the joyful atmosphere, letting them experience the practical charm of maths through practice!
The “European Food Festival” was more than just a project-based learning activity; it was a delicious memory about growth. Using PBL as a vehicle, SUIS Qingpu allows children to “learn through play and comprehend through doing,” gaining knowledge, skills, and happiness through creativity and collaboration, adding a colourful and flavourful hue to their experience of education.
