Author Vicki Cobb has a lot of experience in the kitchen. Is she a great cook? I’m not sure about that, but she’s been inviting kids to try their hand at science in the kitchen for a few decades now. Science Experiments You Can Eat has been a hit on library and kid’s bookshelves through three successful editions. If you haven't sampled Vicki's "cooking," it's time to get that book on your list of must haves! |
English/Language Arts
Explore procedural writing
STEM
Explore chemistry
Research Skills
Explore the difference between qualitative and quantitative research
Explore procedural writing
- Use this Minute to model great procedural writing for your students. Step by step doesn't have to make them yawn. Have students look at the choices the author makes about when to use bullet lists. Look at the comments and questions directed at the reader - conversational style. They add voice! Have your students try out this technique in their own writing.
STEM
Explore chemistry
- Use this Minute to explore the periodic table. Vicki explains why the gas choice used in the bag makes a difference. Have students explore how a different gas might work - or NOT work.
- Have students unpack this Minute to align to what they know about the scientific method. Are all steps included here? Are there some steps she does not describe? Can you fill them in?
- This Minute offers a chance to discuss the world of Materials Science and Engineering with your students. Why is this field critical in the discovery and invention of new technologies? What does the path to Marterials Enginnering look like?
Research Skills
Explore the difference between qualitative and quantitative research
- Have students look up the definitions for these two types of research, then do a compare/contrast analysis. Team them up and have a race to see how many examples of each type each team can find.
- Author Cobb mentions that there are two things that make potato chips go stale - oxygen and light. She explains how manufacturers have tackled that problem. What she doesn't tell you is why these make chips stale. Challenge your students to find the why and the how behind the known. How does light affect things? Why would light be a factor in making food stale? What role does oxygen play? Use this Minute to demonstrate creating solid, researchable questions.
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission