My favorite scouting merit badge class ever was this one. I taught this one with a projector projecting at a chalk board so the slides looked like magic. Then dressed in my wizard cloak and a black curly wig as Severus Snape to present it as a potions class. Everyone was supposed to wear any Harry Potter gear they had. We even had nice dripping water sound effects and blue and red lighting (I forgot to take a picture). Afterward we cooked marinaded chicken on a fire and made sure to demonstrate safe handling.

It is hard to find pictures of viruses that are interesting so some of these are just cool electron microscope pictures instead of the actual germs involved…. Warning for those who are actual microbiologists.

Cooking After Potions Class

Links to presentation files

Cooking Merit Badge Presentation.key


Cooking Merit Badge Presentation.pptx

  1. Botulisikis Bates
  2. Hazards Of Potion Making
  3. Painful Burns
    1. Stop the Burn
    2. Cool the Burn
    3. Cover the Burn
  4. Gashes and Cuts
    1. Stop the Bleeding
    2. Add a Bandage If Needed
    3. Raise the Wound
    4. Clean the Wound ( after bleeding stops )
    5. Apply Antibiotic
  5. Potion Bourn Illnesses
    1. Salmonella
      1. Comes from raw meat and eggs
      2. Clean up juices
      3. Wash and cook meat thoroughly
      4. No Cookie Dough or Cake batter for you anymore
    2. Staphylococcal Aureus
      1. Multiplies in warm temperatures
      2. Cook meat thoroughly
      3. Refrigerate leftovers
    3. E – Coli
      1. Prepare and store food in a sanitary environment
      2. Refrigerate food at 40 degrees or below
      3. Wash and cook meat thoroughly
    4. Botulism
      1. Often Deadly Bacteria
      2. Watch for Damaged or Bulging Containers
      3. Avoid food with Strange Odor or Apperance
    5. Campylobacter
      1. Leading cause of food poisoning in US
      2. Wash hands
      3. No pink poultry
    6. Hepatitis
      1. Wash hands and under nails
      2. Only safe drinking water
      3. Keep bathrooms clean
    7. Listeria
      1. Most dangerous food bacteria
      2. Lives in Fridge
      3. With or without oxygen
      4. Comes from Unpasturized milk and soft cheeses, Ready to eat deli and hot dogs and raw sprouts
    8. Cryptosporidium
      1. Found in drinking water and swimming pools
      2. Shower before going in a pool after bathroom
      3. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds
      4. Wash hands after gardening and after changing diapers etc
    9. Norovirus
      1. Extremely contagious and quick acting
      2. Infects whole cruise ships of people or any other group in close quarters
  6. Safe Food Handling
    1. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Slow cooling encourages bacteria
    2. Use tightly sealed containers
    3. Clean as you go with anti-bacterial soap
    4. Cook raw fish and poultry in 2 days
    5. Discard leftovers after 3 days