Cooking Video
Step in front of the camera and teach your class to cook one dish — clearly, in order, and all in English. You'll practise giving instructions, speaking to a camera with confidence, and making every step easy to follow.
What you'll do
In this project you are both the chef and the host. You'll choose one dish you can make, then film a short video — 3 to 5 minutes — where you introduce it, show the ingredients, and walk your audience through every step in clear English.
You'll also hand in the script you wrote to plan your talk. Think of yourself as making one episode of a cooking show: friendly, easy to follow, and confident in front of the camera.
The food doesn't need to be fancy. A simple sandwich explained brilliantly beats a five-course meal explained badly. What matters is how clearly you guide your viewer from the first ingredient to the finished plate.
How to make your video
Work through these six steps in order. The two that students skip most — research and watching your video back — are exactly the two that lift a good video to a great one.
Choose your dish
Pick one dish you can actually make and explain. Simple and clear always beats complicated and confusing.
- Choose something with 5–8 steps — enough to talk about, not so much that you run over time.
- Pick a dish you like or that means something to you — a family recipe or a dish from your country works beautifully.
- Make sure you can film it safely and finish it in the time you have.
Research the recipe
Even a simple dish deserves a quick check. Good research means your steps are correct, your quantities are right, and you can say one interesting thing about the dish.
- Find two or three reliable recipes and compare them — if they all agree on a step, you can trust it.
- Write down exact quantities (grams, millilitres, spoons) and convert them if you need to.
- Learn one fact about the origin of the dish — where it's from or when people eat it.
- Note any tricky vocabulary in English (the name of a tool or a cooking action) before you film.
Write your script
Plan what you'll say so your video has a clear shape. You hand this in with your video, so make it tidy.
- Introduction — greet your viewer, name the dish, and say where it's from or why you chose it.
- Ingredients — list everything with quantities, the way a recipe does.
- Steps — write each step as a short instruction, in order, using sequencing words.
- Closing — show the finished dish, say something warm, and sign off.
Set up your shot
You don't need fancy equipment — a phone is perfect. You just need your viewer to see and hear you clearly.
- Light: face a window or a lamp so your hands and food are bright, not in shadow.
- Sound: film somewhere quiet — background noise is the number-one problem in student videos.
- Frame: point the camera at your workspace so viewers can see the food, not just your face.
- Mise en place: lay out all your ingredients and tools before you press record.
Film your demonstration
Now cook and talk at the same time, just like a TV chef. Speak to the camera as if you're teaching a friend.
- Say each step out loud as you do it — show and tell together.
- Use imperatives ("add", "stir", "pour") and sequencing words ("first", "next", "then", "finally").
- Hold ingredients up to the camera and point to what you mean.
- If you make a mistake, don't panic — pause, breathe, and film that part again.
Watch back, then submit
Watching your own video feels strange the first time — but it's the fastest way to improve. Be your own first viewer.
- Check the basics: is it 3–5 minutes? Can you hear every word? Are the steps in the right order?
- Re-film any clip that's unclear, too quiet, or too fast.
- Join your clips together if you filmed in parts (your phone's gallery or a free editor can do this).
- Upload your video and hand in your script as your teacher asks.
Your video must include
Use this as a final checklist. Tick each one off before you upload — every item here is something your teacher will be looking for.
Grading rubric
Your video is marked on four areas, each from 1 to 4 points. Read the "4 points" column first — that's exactly what a top video looks like.
| Criterion | 4Excellent | 3Good | 2Developing | 1Needs work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content & InstructionsClarity & completeness | Every step is clear, complete, and in the right order; nothing is missing or confusing. | Steps are mostly clear and complete, with only small gaps. | Some steps are missing, out of order, or hard to follow. | Hard to follow; key steps missing or in the wrong order. |
| Language & VocabularyImperatives & sequencing | Strong use of imperatives, sequencing words, and precise food vocabulary; accurate grammar. | Good vocabulary and linking words; a few minor errors. | Basic or repetitive language; errors sometimes affect meaning. | Very limited vocabulary; errors make it hard to understand. |
| Delivery & PresenceSpeaking to camera | Confident, clear, friendly speech; talks to the camera with good pace and energy. | Clear delivery with a steady pace; mostly confident. | Understandable but hesitant, rushed, or flat in tone. | Very hard to hear or follow; reads the script with no eye contact. |
| Video & VisualsSound, picture & length | Clear sound and picture; we see every action; well-lit and the right length. | Good sound and picture; most actions are easy to see. | Sound or picture problems; some actions are hard to see. | Poor sound or picture; actions off-screen, or far too short/long. |
Everything you need to succeed
A model script you can open part by part, the vocabulary to sound like a real chef, and the phrases that link your whole demonstration together.
Sample script — classic pancakes
Click each part to open it. Notice how the script moves from a warm welcome, to the ingredients, to clear steps, to a friendly goodbye — borrow this exact shape for your own dish.
Introduction Welcome & name the dish
"Hi everyone, and welcome to my kitchen! Today I'm going to show you how to make classic pancakes — a simple breakfast that people enjoy all over the world. They take about fifteen minutes, and you only need a few ingredients. So let's get started!"
Ingredients List everything with amounts
"For this recipe, you'll need:
- 200 grams of plain flour
- two eggs
- 300 millilitres of milk
- a pinch of salt
- a little butter for the pan"
Steps Cook it, in order
"First, put the flour and salt into a large bowl. Next, make a hole in the middle and crack in the two eggs. Then, slowly pour in the milk while you whisk, until the mixture is smooth. After that, heat a little butter in a pan over medium heat. Now, pour in some batter and cook for about a minute, until the bottom is golden. Finally, flip the pancake and cook the other side."
Closing Show the result & sign off
"And there you have it — delicious homemade pancakes! Serve them with fruit, sugar, or syrup. Thanks for watching, and enjoy your cooking!"
Cooking vocabulary
Reach for these instead of vague words like "do" and "put". Precise verbs and amounts are what earn marks for vocabulary.
Cooking verbs
Sequencing words
Quantities & amounts
Describing the action
Useful phrases for your video
Phrases that guide your viewer from hello to goodbye. Learn one or two from each group and use them on camera.
Welcoming your viewer
- "Hi everyone, welcome to my kitchen!"
- "Today I'm going to show you how to make…"
- "This is one of my favourite dishes because…"
Listing the ingredients
- "For this recipe, you'll need…"
- "Make sure you have… ready."
- "You can add… if you like."
Giving each step
- "First, take… and…"
- "Next / Then / After that, …"
- "Be careful not to…"
Describing what's happening
- "As you can see, …"
- "Keep stirring until…"
- "It should look like this."
Closing your video
- "And there you have it!"
- "Serve it with…"
- "Thanks for watching — enjoy!"
If something goes wrong
- "Don't worry if… — just…"
- "Let me show you that again."
- "A little tip here: …"
Become a better presenter and researcher
This project is really about two skills you'll use for the rest of your life: speaking with confidence, and knowing which information to trust. Here's how to grow both — starting today.
Speak like you mean it
A camera is the kindest audience you'll ever have — it waits patiently and never laughs. Use these habits to sound calm and in control.
- Talk to the lens, not the floor. Imagine the camera is a friend who really wants to learn your recipe. Look right at it.
- Slow down on purpose. Nerves make everyone speak faster. Add a small pause between steps — it sounds confident, not slow.
- Use the 3-second restart. Make a mistake? Stop, count to three in silence, and say the sentence again. You'll cut that pause out later.
- Energy beats perfection. A warm, interested voice covers small grammar slips. Sound like you enjoy this dish and your viewer will enjoy it too.
- Let your hands talk. Hold ingredients up and point. Gestures make your instructions clearer and keep your hands from fidgeting.
Time your run-through
Practise your whole video out loud — no reading from the script. Press start and aim for the green zone: 3 to 5 minutes.
If you land outside the green zone, you know exactly what to fix before you film.
Pick a recipe you can trust
Good researchers don't believe the first thing they read — they check. These four habits work for a recipe, a school essay, or anything you look up online.
- Compare three sources. Open three recipes for your dish. Where they all agree, you've found the truth. Where they disagree, look closer.
- Check who is behind it. A known cooking site, a chef, or a food brand is safer than an anonymous post with no name.
- Watch for missing amounts. "Add some flour" is a warning sign. A reliable recipe gives you real quantities and times.
- Keep your source. Note where your recipe came from. You may need it for your script — and it's a habit that protects you from copying.
Can I trust this recipe?
Found a recipe online? Tick everything below that is true about it. Your verdict updates as you go.
Time to start cooking
You've got the steps, the script, the language, and the rubric. Choose your dish, set up your shot, and press record. Your kitchen, your rules — make it delicious.