Sarah Reeves Young
Utah State Office of Education
Science Specialist
Albert Einstein Distinguished
Educator Fellow
Salt Lake City, UT
Agenda• Utilizing Food in your Classroom• SAFETY 101• Quick Food Based Activities to Show
General Science Approaches• Popcorn Lab and CORE connections
Sarah Reeves [email protected]
Benefits of Food in the Classroom
• Creates a context for student learning
• Promotes curiosity and innovation• Improves lab techniques such as
procedure review and measuring precision with investment in final product
• Learning that translates from the classroom to the homeSarah Reeves Young
Science is really the study of what’s around you!
• “It’s Getting Hot in Here…”– Hershey Kisses and Thermal Energy
Transfer– Is heat going in or cold going out? What
do you think and WHY do you think that in 1,2,3?
–What is causing the variation in melting time? Ideas?
Sarah Reeves [email protected]
There is even STEM in food…• Popcorn Lab– SCIENCE: Mass vs. Volume– TECHNOLOGY: Microwave technology– ENGINEERING: Reverse Engineering a
Microwavable Popcorn Bag–MATH: Solving for Equilibrium
• PLUS, everyone loves a good movie snack!
Sarah Reeves [email protected]
Chapter 2 – Exploding Corn• Too much energy.. And then you
explode. • When was the last time you ate
popcorn?• Focus is physical science, looking at
mass, volume, and conservation of mass and energy
• Includes math in data analysis, and compare contrast skills with a Venn diagram
Sarah Reeves [email protected]
• Safety Highlights:– Bunsen Burners… OR Hot plates– Foil can pop off Erlenmeyer Flasks, so
goggles are a must!– Sterilized Workspace for potential spills
when transferring the popped corn– Broken glass can occur so safe disposal
container is another good “plan ahead” step in preparation
Sarah Reeves [email protected]
Chapter 2 – Exploding Corn
More labs to follow this up• Experiment 3 – Melting Apples for Phase Change
with Temperature• Experiment 6 – Acidic Milk for pH changes in
making cheese• Experiment 10 – The density of a cinnamon roll,
yeast and the role of a control• From Milk to Cheese • Seed to Shelf• There are lots of options in content and
presentation to help you meet the needs of your class
Sarah Reeves [email protected]
Questions?
Thank you!Please feel free to contact me,
to ask about the activities presented, other labs from
the book, or science education.