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 affects bacterial growth in food and ways to reduce the amount of water in food to increase its longevity. Finally, pupils use meters to test for water activity in food samples.

Concepts

food preservation, food preparation, food safety, bacteria, food science, lab safety, experimental design, controlled experiments, molecular compounds

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use to introduce the molecular structure of water and how it interacts with other compounds
• Have scholars evaluate food storage in their own homes and identify ways to improve it

Classroom Considerations

• Suggests completing the lab before the Controlling Water Activity virtual lab

Pros

• Activity is explanatory and self-paced 
• Includes audio for additional support

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.3 RST.11-12.3