Curated OER
Food for thought
Cake has to be good for something, right? Different foods are used by our bodies in different ways. Learners will first read about what fats, proteins, fruits, and vegetables do for the human body. They will then put each of food shown...
Chymist
Energy of a Peanut
Are you nuts? An engaging experiment burns nuts to find their kilocalories. Young chemists analyze at least two different types of nuts with their experimental results versus what is on the package. The resource offers a great lab for...
Curated OER
4-H Food Science- Intermediate Activity
In this nutrition worksheet set, students complete a dinner detective nutrient fill in the blank, a food safety true or false page, and plan a picnic with food safety rules in mind. They investigate careers that involve food safety.
Pingry School
The Gelation of Guar Gum with Borax
Some of kids' favorite toys are the products of science experiments. Scholars follow precise measurements to mix and create their own slime and Play-Doh. They observe the changing textures and the chemical reactions throughout the...
Learning Games Lab
How to Use Oil Immersion Microscope
Teach the class how to use a microscope to identify bacteria in food. Scholars explore the different parts of the microscope and learn how to determine total magnification. They walk step-by-step through the procedure of preparing slides...
University of California
You Are What You Eat: Testing for Organic Compounds in Foods
We have all heard that we are what you eat, but what are we eating? An informative lesson opens with a discussion of the foods pupils have recently eaten. Then, young scientists perform four experiments on seven different foods to...
NASA
Producers Make Their Own Food
During an inquiry-based lesson, scholars decide which variable to test and then design an experiment to determine the needs of producers. After two weeks, they complete a full analysis and research paper.
Curated OER
Dinnertime for Animals
Is a deer an herbivore? What about a spider? Experiment with the food chain in an interactive science experiment. After listing the herbivores from a selection of animals, third and fourth graders compare the skulls and teeth of...
Curated OER
Can You Bag It?
Put your class's observational skills to the test with a science experiment about paper and plastic bags. After reading some background knowledge about the materials in plastic grocery bags, third graders interpret a chart to answer a...
Learning Games Lab
Understanding Water Activity
How does water activity play a role in food spoilage? First, the learners think about which types of foods would be best to take on a backpacking trip based on the water activity of different foods. It then walks through why water...
Learning Games Lab
Bacteria Sampling
Scholars explore the procedure for bacteria sampling in a virtual lab by first walking through a detailed step-by-step procedure of preparing the samples of raw milk and pasteurized milk, growing the bacteria, and comparing results....
Curated OER
Are You Aware?
Bring the five senses to life with a fun science experiment! Kindergartners and first graders read an explanation of the five senses, then identify which items Sophia can sense if she is blindfolded. A science explanation at the bottom...
Curated OER
Food Choices The Pyramid Way
Students develop skills in making nutritionally-sound food choices. Keeping a food diary, they analyze their food intake using the food pyramid as a guide. Students identify and explain the relationship of nutrition to personal health...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Carbon Dioxide & Krill: Impacts
What effects do temperature and carbon dioxide levels have on the zooplankton of Antarctica? This concluding lesson plan in a short unit on climate change and the ocean helps environmental scientists answer these questions. After...
Nuffield Foundation
How Much Energy Is There in Food?
People associate calories with food, but what is a calorie? Young scientists measure the number of calories in samples of food to better understand the concept. They test a variety of samples, take measurements, and compare their results...
National Wildlife Federation
Soil Decomposers
The class studies the soil food web that includes earthworms and conduct four experiments using the crawly critters. Individuals determine whether earthworms are sensitive to light, touch, temperature, and acid.
Curated OER
Moldy Food
Students investigate how mold grows on food. In this mold lesson, students review the food pyramid before growing mold on different foods in Zip-Loc bags. They create graphs that show how long it takes for mold to grow on different...
Curated OER
All About Germs
How do people get sick? Youngsters explore the world of germs and microbes with a lab sheet and science investigation. After identifying the unhygenic practices in a picture of a kitchen, fifth graders conduct an experiment with bread...
Salt River Project
How Do We Clean Polluted Water?
How do we clean up oil spills and other pollutants in the water? Explore water treatment strategies with a set of environmental science experiments. Groups remove oil from water, work with wastewater treatment, and perform a water...
Learning Games Lab
Gram Staining
Scholars use a lab simulation to test contaminated yogurt for bacteria by gram staining. They learn proper lab procedures for handling bacteria and for sterilizing equipment, and then walk through the process on their own to try gram...
Curated OER
Life in Extreme Environments - Who is on Top in the Food Chain?
Learners discuss the design of experiments to determine how much and how fast rotifers feed and design experiments with a lab partner and in small collaborative groups. They then collect data from experiments and present results of...
Curated OER
Energy Flow and the Food Chain
Learners complete discussions and worksheets about the Hawaiian food chain. In this food chain lesson plan, students research decomposers, consumers, and producers.
Curated OER
Where Do Plants Get Their Food?
Plants need food to survive, just like any other living organism. Young biologists analyze an experiment performed in 1610 by Jan van Helmont to determine if plant nutrition is obtained through the soil. First, lab groups work together...
Curated OER
Lab Experiments in Nutrition Activity
Which vitamins should be ingested daily for maximum nutrition? Learners with ispecial needs or those who are pregnant focused on television and magazines advertisements that are used to sell food products. They conduct experiments and...