How long do fresh foods last in space at the International Space Station? Which foods perish quicker than others? How can astronauts preserve their foods to make them last longer in space? Young scientists test the rates at which some foods ripen and using a chemical to slow down the ripening process.

Concepts

food science, fruit, vegetables, the international space station, chemical changes, rate of change

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Print out the directions for the procedure and set up several lab stations for group members to complete
• Create a lab sheet for individuals to form a hypothesis, make observations, draw conclusions, and answer the provided discussion questions as they complete the experiment

Classroom Considerations

• Acquire different fruits and vegetables as well as scientific materials ahead of time
• Resource does not clarify if the activity is a teacher-led demonstration or student-based experiment; use it as either to accommodate classroom needs

Pros

• Pupils demonstrate their findings of the experiment to the class
• Hands-on and engaging

Cons

• Does not come with any reproducibles or worksheets for students to reference