Introduction to Dining Etiquette

To prepare the students to learn from the Dining Etiquette PowerPoint slide presentation, it is important to tap into prior knowledge.  Prompting the students to recall what they know already will better enable them to synthesize the new information presented.  The Recipe Card Dining Etiquette Activity provides students with the opportunity to record existing knowledge, to identify what they need or would like to know about the topic, prior to viewing the presentation, as well as a place to list the important points they learn from the presentation.

(Note: the idea for this activity comes from Great Performances: Creating Classroom-Based Assessment Tasks by Larry Lewin and Betty Jean Shoemaker, 1998, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.)

View the Dining Etiquette PowerPoint slide presentation.

After viewing the presentation and completing the list of important points learned, the class may discuss the issue of dining etiquette to determine the behaviour that will be expected in the foods lab.

 

Information about Table Setting

A number of websites which explain the rudiments of table setting are available (availability checked February 7, 2001); they include:

Place settings  http://www.westernsilver.com/place_settings.html

How to set the dinner table    
     http://nd.essortment.com/howtosetdinne_rjpp.htm

American Table Manners  http://www.cuisinenet.com/digest/custom/etiquette/manners_intro.shtml

Note that the information available at these sites is somewhat contradictory.   Also, be aware that the written guidelines for table setting do not always correspond to the diagrams provided at some sites.

Table Setting Activity

Three different Dinner Place Settings diagrams (basic, informal and formal) are available for teacher reference (or for handouts).  Note that different sources suggest slightly different layouts.  Students should be aware that some sources suggest exact measurements for the placement of some pieces:

• if a placemat is used, the bottom edge of a placemat should be positioned 2.5 cm from the edge of the table
• the edge of the dinner plate should be 2.5 cm from the bottom edge of the placemat or 5 cm from the edge of the table
• the water glass should be positioned 5 cm above the tip of the dinner knife
• cutlery immediately beside the dinner plate should be placed 2 cm from the edge of the plate; other cutlery should be positioned 2 cm apart

No measurement were included on the diagrams.  

It is important that students understand that only dishes and cutlery that will actually be used should be included in the place setting. Students should also learn that in some situations cutlery is provided when the course is served; for example, the dessert spoon or fork would be provided on the dessert plate.

Have students explore table setting guidelines (from websites such as those available above or from other sources) for basic, informal and formal place settings.  Diagrams may be sketched for each type, including measurements.

Provide students with a (laminated) set of dishes and cutlery (see Dishes and Cutlery for Table Setting Activity ) and several menus (see Menus for Table Setting Activity ) and have the students set up the appropriate place setting for each menu.  Student work may be evaluated (see Evaluation Rubric for Table Setting Activity ) as each setting is completed or students may sketch their completed place settings, including measurements. 

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