Item List
lesson library
Our lessons explore foods by connecting them to traditional concepts taught in secondary STEM education. Most lessons use a "sense-making" approach: essentially experiencing a food or recipe and then making sense of the process and product through use of observations, science concepts and building off of each other's ideas.
All of our lessons include a hands-on lab or activity students can either do themselves or watch us do. To support and empower students in making connections and understanding the science concepts behind these foods, we design ready-to-go classroom slides, write anchor readings/articles, and produce videos. We also design student activities and worksheets that encourage further engagement and critical thinking.
Topics
Chemistry:
Biology & Ecology:
Food:
Available Active Time:
Measurements, Flour, & Chocolate Chip Cookies
Explore measurements, precision/accuracy, conversions and scaling through a classroom-friendly chocolate chip cookie recipe.
grades:
8
equipment needs:
10
major topics:
2-4 class periods
minor topics:
measurements, dimensional analysis, precision and accuracy
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Oyster Farming: Sustainable Ecosystems
Explore oyster farming to investigate the relationship between aquaculture and our planet and learn about the ecosystem services provided by shellfish.
grades:
5
equipment needs:
8
major topics:
3-7 class periods
minor topics:
ecosystems, sustainability, ecology, environmental science
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Nourishing Soil for our Planet & Food
Explore the importance of soil for our planet and in food production and environmentally friendly ways to nourish soil.
grades:
3
equipment needs:
5
major topics:
4 class periods
minor topics:
sustainability, cycling of matter, ecosystems, environmental science
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Kombucha, Part 1: Making Basic Kombucha
Students will explore microbes and the symbiotic relationship between yeast and bacteria in kombucha.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
4 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, fermentation, cycling of matter, ecosystems
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Kombucha, Part 2: Carbonating Kombucha
Students will explore fermentation, carbonation, and behavior of gas particles by carbonating kombucha.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
4 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, fermentation, cycling of matter, ecosystems, gas, pressure
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Kombucha, Part 3: Experimenting with Kombucha
Students will explore and experiment with factors that impact kombucha through their own lab.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
6 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, fermentation, cycling of matter, ecosystems
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
PBL Unit: Kombucha (Parts 1-3)
Students will explore a variety of concepts related to kombucha through a 3-Part Series.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
16 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, fermentation, cycling of matter, ecosystems, gas, pressure
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Ricotta: Solubility (HS)
Explore the science of precipitation and solubility through curd formation and homemade ricotta.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
11
major topics:
1-2 class periods
minor topics:
solubility, acids and bases, measurements, chemical changes, intermolecular forces, cheese
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Paneer & Calcium
Explore how calcium content impacts curd formation and structure through different trials of paneer cheese.
grades:
10
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
1-3 class periods
minor topics:
solubility, acids and bases, elasticity, engineering design, measurements, stoichiometry, intermolecular forces
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
How is Cheese Made?
Understand how acids form curds in milk through a mini-lab and explanation of the phenomena using concepts of electrostatic charges and solubility.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
9
major topics:
1-2 class periods
minor topics:
chemical changes, polarity, intermolecular forces, solubility, cheese
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
PBL Unit: Chemistry of Cheesemaking
Explore the chemical processes behind coagulation and cheese texture. Then design your own experiment to explore cheesemaking.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
14 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, types of mixtures, chemical reactions, intermolecular forces, cheese
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Kimchi: Ecosystems and Microbes
Students will learn about ecosystems, microbes, and fermentation by making a traditional Korean food, kimchi.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
8
major topics:
2-3 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, fermentation, cycling of matter, ecosystems
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Brownies: Volume and Measurement
Students will learn about volume, measurements, and converting units by scaling brownie recipes to different pans.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
8
major topics:
1-2 class periods
minor topics:
measurements, dimensional analysis, volume
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Pancakes & Baking Soda: Chemical Reactions
Explore how baking soda works by mixing it with different substances and tinkering with a pancake recipe.
grades:
5
equipment needs:
8
major topics:
2-6 class periods
minor topics:
chemical changes, chemical reactions
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Brownies: Volume and Ratios
Explore volume, measurements, and converting units by scaling brownie recipes to different pans and considering servings in a pan
grades:
9
equipment needs:
10
major topics:
1-2 class periods
minor topics:
measurements, dimensional analysis, volume
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Mozzarella's Stretch: Rennet & Intermolecular Forces
Students will explore how rennet works and the process of heat & stretching in cheese making by making mozzarella.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
4-6 class periods
minor topics:
chemical reactions, intermolecular forces, enzymes
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Brown Butter: Physical & Chemical Changes
Explore how food transforms through chemical and physical changes by making brown butter rice krispie treats.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
10
major topics:
3-7 class periods (can squeeze into 2)
minor topics:
chemical changes, physical changes, phase changes, chemical reactions
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Caramel: Chemical Changes (MS)
Explore chemical changes and decomposition reactions by caramelizing sugar and making caramel.
grades:
8
equipment needs:
11
major topics:
2-6 class periods
minor topics:
chemical changes, chemical reactions, physical changes
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Pancakes & Baking Soda: Chemical Reactions & Limiting Reactants
Explore how baking soda and baking powder work and why amounts matter in recipes through a series of labs using baking soda and pancakes.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
12
major topics:
3-7 class periods
minor topics:
chemical reactions, limiting reactants, theoretical & percent yield, stoichiometry
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Kimchi: Lactic Acid Bacteria and Cellular Respiration
Students will learn about microbes and cellular respiration (specifically anaerobic lactic acid fermentation) by making a traditional Korean food, kimchi.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
10
major topics:
2-3 class periods
minor topics:
microbes, cycling of matter, cellular respiration, fermentation, ecosystems
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Color Changing Lemonade: Diffusion & pH Indicators
Explore the behavior of particles in liquids and changes in color due to pH by making a lemonade that changes color.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
10
major topics:
2-6 class periods
minor topics:
solutions, states of matter, acids and bases
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Apple Varieties: Genes, Predicting Traits, & More
Learn about different apple varieties, what features breeders and scientists consider most important, and how both genotype and environmental factors impact these features.
grades:
9
equipment needs:
10
major topics:
1-2 class periods
minor topics:
genetics
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Air in Ice Cream: Mass, Volume, Density, and Force
Students will learn about density and lab design by exploring a “secret” ingredient in ice cream: air.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
9
major topics:
1-3 class periods
minor topics:
density, volume, mass, measurements, force, lab design
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Creaming Butter and Sugar: Emulsions and Foams
Explore types of mixtures & the importance of air by experimenting with an essential step in many baking recipes: creaming butter and sugar.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
9
major topics:
1-2 class periods
minor topics:
types of mixtures, foams
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Peppers: Biology and Chemistry of Capsaicin
Learn about the chemistry and biology behind the molecule behind heat in chili peppers: capsaicin.
grades:
6
equipment needs:
9
major topics:
2 class periods
minor topics:
solubility, polarity, adaptations
Get a taste of the lesson
by checking out the video resource!
Mason Jar Ice Cream: Volume and Types of Mixtures
Explore air in ice cream and compare methods of adding air by making a no-churn ice cream in a jar.
grades:
5
equipment needs:
8
major topics:
1 class period
minor topics:
types of mixtures, foams, states of matter