Cooking is not Chemistry

Year 2 Science Investigation Chemical Sciences

Lesson Focus:
Students will investigate by making bread, the use of cooking in chemistry to dispell the misconception that there is no
science to cooking.
Students:
- Will work in small groups to investigate how miing substances causes reactions in cooking.
- !ecord and present their findings and compare these with their classmates.
- Will learn basic science vocabulary skills in order to eplain their findings.
"ontet:
#his investigation is designed to challenge the student misconception that there is no science to cooking and in
particular that cooking is not chemistry.
#his lesson will be held in the staffroom kitchen. Students will be placed into groups of $ or % and allocated a table to
work on. Students will be asked to read from a recipe and follow the instructions and select the re&uired ingredients
and tools'utensils from a central point.
(ssessment Focus:
Formative assessment is an ongoing aspect of the )plore phase and involves monitoring students* developing
understanding and giving feedback that etends their learning.
+uring this investigation, the teacher will monitor the student*s developing understanding of
- the different ingredients re&uired to make the bread and how these are mied together.
- the chemical reactions that occur in order to make the bread rise.
- other factors that affect bread making such as adding yeast, kneading, air temperature and placement of bread when
allowing it rise, oven temperature etc and predicting what may happen if a step is missed.
- their own science in&uiry and prediction skills.
,ey Lesson -utcomes:
.ear / (chievement Standards:
0y the end of .ear /, students describe changes to ob1ects, materials and living things. #hey identify that certain
materials and resources have different uses and describe eamples of where science is used in people2s daily lives.
Students pose &uestions about their eperiences and predict outcomes of investigations. #hey use informal
measurements to make and compare observations. #hey follow instructions to record and represent their observations
and communicate their ideas to others.
(ustralian "urriculum "ontent +escriptions:
+ifferent materials can be combined, including by miing, for a particular purpose (ACSSU031)
Science involves asking &uestions about, and describing changes in, ob1ects and events(ACSHE034)
3eople use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things(ACSHE035)
!espond to and pose &uestions, and make predictions about familiar ob1ects and events(ACSIS037)
#hrough discussion, compare observations with predictions (ACSIS214)
Working Scientifically Framework:
Engage: (sk students about what they know about the ingredients of an everyday food such as bread. "ut open a loaf
of bread and ask the children what do they see4 +o they see bubbles or small holes in the bread4 +o you know what
makes these bubbles4 #he focus &uestion for this investigation is 5+o we use chemistry when we cook46+iscuss
terminology and scientific terms that students will use such as fermention, carbon dioide, oygen, gas, li&uids, solid
etc.
Explore: 7ntroduce the students to the concept of chemical reactions that occur using some simple kitchen ingredients
such as vinegar and bi carb soda and then yeast and warm water.
Students will be placed into small groups at cooking stations set up within the staffroom kitchen area. Students will be
asked to document and present their findings using surveys, graphs etc that organise their findings and show any
patterns they have observed.
Students will be asked to follow the provided recipe in order to make bread and answer the following &uestions:
(sk the students to predict what is going to happen prior to miing the ingredients.
What do they see happening when we add warm water to the yeast4
+o you think this has a connection to the bubbles we have seen in the bread4 7f yes, how could you eplain
this4
What other ingredients or factors help to form the bread and keep the bubbles in the bread4
Explain Phase: 7n this phase, students will eplain their findings using scientific terminology and be able to show
their understanding of the elements of chemistry used in cooking something simple such as bread. Students will
epand their understanding by researching and using their eisting knowledge to predict the following:
What other ingredients or actions in the recipe do you think could cause chemical reactions necessary for
baking bread4
What would happen to bread if we didn*t use yeast4
What is an important factor of cooking that ensures the bread changes from a dough to a solid4
Elaborate Phase: in this phase, the teacher will clarify concepts and student understanding of how chemistry is used
in cooking. ( further activity to help eplain the concept of how yeast ferments is the balloon activity. )ach student is
given a balloon and asked to blow into them. Where does the air go4 8ow is it held in the balloon4 0y placing all the
balloons into a bo, make a comparison between this and the yeast bubbles contained in a loaf of bread. (fter baking
the bread, what have they learned about bread rises and what components cause this to happen.
Evaluation Phase: during this phase, the students will be allocated roles such as reporter, recorder, photographer and
blogger. #hey will be able to pair up with another group and interview team members and record information given to
be uploaded onto the class blog.
#eacher will draw out ideas presented through open ended &uestioning and compare these with earlier conceptions
discussed at the beginning of the investigation and reflect on student participation.
Safety'Student 9anagement 7ssues:
Students will work in small groups with a designated parent helper or carer. #eacher will be floating between groups
spending time discussing, and drawing out ideas as learning is scaffolded. #eacher will deal with any behaviour issues
that may arise. #eacher or adult will be the only ones able to put bread into and out of the oven.