Print one set per station and cut the cards apart. Each card has two columns: read the column for the recipe your class is cooking. Four core roles run at every station. Expansion roles turn on at five, six, seven, and eight students. At seven students, the Station Manager keeps time.
The four phases, every lab, every year: PREP 0 to 10 | COOK 10 to 28 | PLATE AND EAT 28 to 35 | CLEAN 35 to 40
Every role, every phase: wash hands first, apron and hair tie on, handles in, say "behind you" and "hot" out loud, and the burner is off before the pan leaves the stove. [Sal: add "behind you," "hot," "done," and "help" in Turkish, Portuguese, and Spanish from Vocabulary 01.md on the back of every card.]
Role Card 1: Station Manager (CORE, always on)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Check the drawer map. Lay out 8 paper bowls, 8 spoons, and paper towels. Tape the numbers 1 to 4 on the mugs. Clear the trash the moment it appears. | Check the drawer map. Set both skillets on the stove with a spatula each, handles in. Lay out 8 plates, 8 forks, napkins. Clear eggshells and bags the moment they appear. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | Wash the measuring cups and spoons as they free up so the sink is clear. Watch the clock and call each five-minute block out loud (you are the Time Keeper at seven students). | Same: wash prep dishes as they free up, call the five-minute blocks, and tell the Head Cook when it is minute 17 (eggs off). |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Eat. Your big job is next. | Eat. Your big job is next. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Lead the clean-up zones. Walk the station check with the card: microwave wiped, surfaces wiped, dishes dry and in the drawer per the map, floor swept, trash out, fridge closed. Report "done" to the teacher. | Same, plus: both burners off, skillets washed and dry, stovetop wiped. Report "done" to the teacher. |
Why your role matters: You are the one who keeps the station from turning into a pile. A clean sink at minute 20 is why the station passes the check at minute 40.
Tag-in note: You work with the Time Keeper on the final check. At seven students, you are the Time Keeper too.
Role Card 2: Head Cook (CORE, always on)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Read the whole station card out loud to the team. Check each of the four mugs after the Prep Cook fills them: five dry ingredients, scraped to the bottom. | Wash hands. With the Helper Cook, crack 8 eggs into the large bowl on a flat surface. Pick out shell. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Beat until no white streaks. Put the butter in skillet 1. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | Add the wet ingredients to each mug (the Helper Cook hands them to you). Stir each mug 30 seconds; no dry spots, scrape the bottom. Microwave mug 1 for 90 seconds, then 2, then 3, then 4, one at a time. Carry each hot mug with the folded paper towel to the cooling spot. Cool 2 minutes each. | At minute 10, turn skillet 1 to MEDIUM-LOW and melt the butter. At minute 12, pour in the eggs. Wait 30 seconds. Push from the edges to the center. Wait 20 seconds. Push again. When the eggs are cooked but still look a little wet (about minute 17), take the skillet off the heat and turn the burner off. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Tell the Plate Builder which mug is coolest. Eat. | Spoon eggs into each tortilla on the assembly line. Eat. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: microwave and mugs. Wipe the microwave inside and out. Wash and dry the four mugs and the stirring spoons. | Zone: stove and skillets. Confirm both burners are off. Wash and dry skillet 1 and its spatula. Wipe the stovetop. |
Why your role matters: You run the heat. The cake is a brick or a cloud, the eggs are rubber or silk, depending on you watching the clock and the card.
Tag-in note: The Helper Cook is your prep partner. The Second Cook works next to you at the same time; you finish together.
Role Card 3: Second Cook (CORE, always on)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Get the chilled bowl and the whisk out. Do NOT get the cream yet; it stays in the fridge until minute 15. Set the powdered sugar (measured by the Toppings Chief) next to the bowl. | Wash hands. Open the bag of frozen pepper and onion. Measure half the bag into a bowl. Put a small pat of butter or a spray in skillet 2. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | At minute 15, pour 1/2 cup of cold cream into the chilled bowl. Whisk hard. Every teammate takes a 30-second turn; you keep the count and keep the bowl steady. When soft peaks show (about 4 minutes), the Toppings Chief adds the powdered sugar; whisk 30 seconds more. Cover and set aside. | At minute 10, turn skillet 2 to MEDIUM. Pour in the vegetables. Stir every minute. They sizzle and steam; that is normal. Cook until soft and the liquid is gone, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the burner off. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Hand the cream to the Toppings Chief. Eat. | Spoon vegetables onto the eggs in each taco. Eat. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: dishes and sink, with the Prep Cook. Wash and dry the cream bowl and whisk. | Zone: stove and skillets, with the Head Cook. Wash and dry skillet 2 and its spatula. |
Why your role matters: Cold cream and a fast wrist are what make whipped cream stand up. On the tacos, your skillet takes longer than the eggs, so you are the one who sets the pace.
Tag-in note: You work at the same time as the Head Cook and you finish together. Pass the whisk around; everyone gets a turn.
Role Card 4: Prep Cook (CORE, always on)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Measure the dry ingredients into each of the four mugs: 3 Tbsp flour, 3 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp cocoa (pre-measured cup), 1/4 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt. Level every spoon. Stir each mug and scrape the bottom. Hand each mug to the Head Cook to check. | Wash hands. Stack 8 tortillas on a plate. Wet a paper towel, wring it out, and lay it over the stack. Set the plate near the microwave. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | Wash the dry measuring tools and put them back per the map. Take your 30-second turn at the whisk when the Second Cook calls you. | At minute 20, microwave the tortilla stack for 30 seconds. Keep them covered. Take the paper towel off only when the tacos are being built. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Eat. | Hand a warm tortilla to the Plate Builder for each taco. Eat. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: dishes and sink, with the Second Cook. Wash and dry the measuring cups and spoons. | Zone: counters and supplies, with the Toppings Chief. Wipe all counters. Put away leftover tortillas and cheese. |
Why your role matters: Measuring is the recipe. Your level spoons are the reason four mugs come out the same.
Tag-in note: The Helper Cook measures the wet ingredients while you do the dry. The Head Cook checks your mugs.
Role Card 5: Helper Cook (EXPANSION, turns on at 5 students)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Measure the wet ingredients: 3/4 c milk and 3/4 c oil into the liquid measuring cup (read at eye level), 1 tsp vanilla into a small cup. The eggs are already cracked into a bowl for you. | Wash hands. Help the Head Cook crack the eggs: one of you cracks, the other checks for shell. Then whisk together. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | Hand the Head Cook the wet ingredients for each mug: 1 egg, 3 Tbsp milk, 3 Tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp vanilla per mug. Take your turn at the whisk. | Help the Prep Cook with the tortillas. Then stand by the Head Cook and call "still wet" or "done" as the eggs cook, using the station card picture. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Eat. | Eat. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: floor and trash, with the Time Keeper (or alone at seven). Sweep. Take out the trash and replace the liner. | Same. |
Why your role matters: The wet ingredients are half the recipe, and eye level is the only way to read them right.
Tag-in note: You are the Head Cook's prep partner. If you are not here, the Prep Cook measures the wet too.
Role Card 6: Toppings Chief (EXPANSION, turns on at 6 students)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Measure 2 Tbsp powdered sugar into a small cup and 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips into another. Set them by the cream bowl. | Wash hands. Measure 1 cup of shredded cheese into a bowl. Set it at the end of the assembly line. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | When the Second Cook says "soft peaks," add the powdered sugar to the cream. Take your turn at the whisk. | Help the Station Manager clear and wash. Set the assembly line: plates, then the cheese bowl at the end. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Spoon whipped cream onto each bowl of cake. Sprinkle chips. Eat. | Sprinkle cheese on each taco while the eggs are hot. Eat. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: counters and supplies, with the Plate Builder. Wipe every counter. Put away leftover chips and sugar. | Zone: counters and supplies, with the Prep Cook. Wipe every counter. Put away leftover cheese. |
Why your role matters: The topping is the last thing anyone sees and the first thing they taste.
Tag-in note: You follow the Head Cook and Second Cook down the line and finish each plate. If you are not here, the Second Cook adds the toppings.
Role Card 7: Plate Builder (EXPANSION, turns on at 7 students)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Tape a number 1 to 4 on each mug with the Station Manager. Line up the 8 paper bowls with a spoon each. | Wash hands. Lay out 8 plates in a line with a fork and napkin at each. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | Set the cooling spot: a folded towel or a trivet, out of the walking path. Take each cooled mug from the Head Cook and put it by its two bowls. Take your turn at the whisk. | Stand at the assembly line. At minute 20, help the Prep Cook uncover and count the warm tortillas. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Spoon each cake out of its mug into two bowls (the mug is hot; use the paper towel). Pass the bowls to the Toppings Chief. Eat. The eighth half is for the teacher or an absent teammate. | Hold each tortilla open while the Head Cook adds eggs and the Second Cook adds vegetables. Pass to the Toppings Chief. Eat. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: counters and supplies, with the Toppings Chief. Wash and dry any serving spoons. | Zone: dishes and sink. Wash and dry plates, forks, the bowl, and the whisk. |
Why your role matters: Seven people, four mugs. You are why everybody gets a fair share and nobody grabs a hot mug.
Tag-in note: You bridge the cooks and the toppings. If you are not here, the Station Manager splits the cakes or holds the tortillas.
Role Card 8: Time Keeper (EXPANSION, turns on at 8 students; at 7, the Station Manager does this)
| Phase | Mug Cake with Hand-Whipped Cream | Scrambled Egg Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| PREP (0 to 10) | Wash hands. Set the timer to 40 minutes. Announce each phase start out loud. Give a two-minute warning before prep ends. | Same. |
| COOK (10 to 28) | Call the time every five minutes. Call "cream" at minute 15 so the Second Cook gets it from the fridge. Count the 90 seconds for each mug with the Head Cook. Give a two-minute warning before cook ends. | Call the time every five minutes. Call "eggs in" at minute 12, "tortillas" at minute 20, and "eggs off" when the Head Cook shows you a little wet. Give a two-minute warning before cook ends. |
| PLATE AND EAT (28 to 35) | Help carry bowls. Make sure every teammate has a bowl before you sit. | Help carry plates. Make sure every teammate has a taco before you sit. |
| CLEAN (35 to 40) | Zone: floor and trash, with the Helper Cook. Then the final walk with the Station Manager: every line on the station check. | Same. |
Why your role matters: Forty minutes goes fast. You are the reason the station is eating at minute 28 and not minute 36.
Tag-in note: You and the Station Manager run the final check together. At seven students, the Station Manager carries your card.
Clean-up zones (post at every station)
| Zone | Roles | What "done" looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Heat: microwave, or stove and skillets | Head Cook and Second Cook | Burners off. Microwave wiped inside and out. Skillets and mugs washed, dried, and in the drawer per the map. Stovetop wiped. |
| Counters and supplies | Toppings Chief and Prep Cook (Tacos) or Plate Builder (Mug Cake) | Every counter wiped. Leftovers wrapped and in the fridge or the pantry bin. Nothing left out. |
| Dishes and sink | Prep Cook and Second Cook (Mug Cake) or Plate Builder (Tacos) | Every bowl, cup, whisk, spoon, plate, and fork washed, dried, and put away per the map. Sink rinsed and empty. |
| Floor and trash | Helper Cook and Time Keeper (or Helper Cook alone) | Floor swept. Trash out, liner replaced. Fridge door closed. |
Teacher signs the station only when every line is done.