Scripture: Exodus 11-12
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review God’s instructions to the Israelites to prepare them for the exodus.
- Students will learn to cook meat thoroughly to prevent parasites and diseases.
Guiding Question: How should we cook meat so that it is safe to eat?
Materials: fire and metal rack or foil, meat thermometer, knife, forks, paper, crayons or other writing utensil. An oven can be used as an indoor alternative.
Procedure: Review the story of the First Passover, focusing on the lamb that was cooked, eaten, and the blood that was spread on the door frame. God wanted His people to be healthy which was why he had many rules regarding food. This includes cooking meat and not leaving it out too long. Explain that animals may have diseases and parasites. These are killed when heated thoroughly.
Explain that a special way to tell if the meat is cooked is by looking at the color. Poultry and pork should be white, beef should be brown. There should be no pink unless it’s salmon. For salmon, take a fork and test that it is flakey and not slimy. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F or 72 degrees C. Explain how to insert a thermometer halfway through the meat to get it close to the center. Cook a piece of meat using one or more of the following methods:
- Oven
- Stove top
- Outdoor Fire with food wrapped in foil
- Outdoor Fire with metal rack
Cut the meat half way through the cook time to show how the pink slowly disappears. While waiting for the food to cook, students can draw a reference chart to use at home and put on their fridge to know how to cook meat. They can write and then draw a border to add a creative touch. Include the time and temperature for common meats that are eaten in your community.
Discuss that meat cannot be left out or it will get grow bacteria and rot. God knew this before people even knew of microscopic germs and he was protecting His people from disease. Meat should not be left out for more than two hours. Then it should be stored below 40 degrees F. Israelites did not have refrigerators or ways of storing it safely for their quick exodus trip so they burned leftovers.
Note: If you’re limited on time or money, students can roast marshmallows. Talk about how the outside cooks much faster than the inside; that is why you need to cut it to check the color of the inside when preparing meat.
Additional Questions:
- Obeying God’s rules for cooking helped keep the Israelites healthy. How did the blood of the lamb protect them too?
- What are other easily perishable foods that should not be left out after cooking?
- What are the health effects of food poisoning from meat?
Supplemental Activities:
- Try multiple methods of cooking and compare and contrast the cooking time and taste.
- Let student create a recipe for their version of foil wrap meals. Students chose a meat and vegetables to place in foil and cook. Wrap it up and place in the fire until cooked. Let dents share ideas for cooking. Enjoy eating.
Written by: Savannah Negas