Around the World Cookbook for Elementary Classes

With a free printable to use for your class cookbook

One of my first years teaching, I had a new student join my classroom from Puerto Rico. He was the most amazing, brave first grader! While we were already a diverse group of dual language students from native Spanish and native English homes, he was my very first student who didn’t know one word of English.

One of the ways I worked to appreciate and celebrate our unique cultures was through a classroom cookbook we created together. It was such a fun, meaningful writing and social studies activity that we worked on at home and at school. Families were encouraged to choose a favorite family recipe that represented their cultural heritage to share with the class.

Students worked diligently to write out their recipes, I created a cover, and I made copies for each of us to take home and share with our families! Of course, you can see that I still have and cherish our class cookbook today. I hope that my students do, too.

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Around the World Cookbook for Elementary Classes - free printable from Bilingual Balance — *My copy of our classroom cookbook*

Creating a Class Cookbook

I’ve created a cover for your class cookbook that includes both English and Spanish text. I hope you’ll download it for free at the end of this post!

I also have a complete version of this fun activity on Teachers Pay Teachers – with English and Spanish versions, four writing paper options, and a parent letter.

*Full activity set on Teachers Pay Teachers*

This would be an excellent curriculum integration during a social studies unit relating to diversity, communities, or our world. First, you might choose to read aloud a book celebrating food and cooking from around the world. Take a look at my recommendations:

English Around the World Food Books

Spanish Around the World Food Books

Next, explain the project to your students and encourage them to choose a recipe they love that they’d like to share with their classmates. A recipe that is a tradition in their family or is unique to their cultural background would be an excellent choice! It would also be helpful to select a short, kid-friendly recipe their classmates can make easily.

Students could copy their recipe down in their best handwriting at home. Or, they could bring the recipe (or a copy of it) to write it out on paper at school. I suggest using the same writing paper for all students to provide a cohesive look. Modeling exactly how you’d like the recipe written is always a good idea.

Around the World Class Cookbook: Ideas & Free Printable from Bilingual Balance.

Recipes to Take Home

When everyone has finished writing out their recipe, editing for neat handwriting and correct spelling, have them submit a final draft for the cookbook.

Now you’re ready to make the cookbooks! Make double-sided copies of the recipe pages in black-and-white or color. Then, print out the cover on white cardstock and in color if possible. I laminated the covers to make them extra durable (I use and love this laminator at home).

Staple or bind the pages all together and give each child a beautiful class cookbook full of their unique family recipes! I used a binding comb machine like this and plastic comb binding spines. By the way, this could make a memorable gift for parents at the end of the year. And you might consider keeping a copy in your classroom library to be enjoyed at school!

Around the World Class Cookbook - ideas and free printable from Bilingual Balance. — *One of my students’ recipes in my first class cookbook*

Please encourage families to find helpful language learning tips and ideas in my post about Language Learning with Kids in the Kitchen! Did you know Bilingual Balance can be translated easily to a variety of languages with “Choose Language” at the top of the right sidebar?

I’d love to be a partner for your students’ families as they support their langauge learning at home! They’ll find practical ways to encourage language use at home, fun Spanish resources, and free printables to support their child’s learning.