The science behind the sweets

THEMATIC PATHWAY
The science behind the sweets. Experiments first, then eat!

Goals:

1. Enhance in pupils the differences between the solid and liquid
2. Shaping the comprehension of processes behind the transformation of liquid into solid;
3. Enhance the pupils’ knowledge about the sweetie’s proprieties (e.g., sugar).
4. Enhance the pupils’ awareness of how sweets are colored.
5. Develop pupil’s knowledge about the process of rising.
6. Develop pupil’s knowledge about bake functioning
7. To promote healthy inclination regarding sweets.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The child will be able to:

• Participate in experiments under the teacher’s supervision
• Explain the concepts of liquid/solid and differentiate between freezing, melting, solidifying
• Understand the bake functioning
• Learn to use the bake under the teacher’s supervision
• Recognize the colorants
• Recognize the process of colorizing foods
• Develop a healthy inclination toward sweets.
• Design his/ her own experiments related to the topic (using materials provided by a teacher)
• Reflect on his/her own learning results.

The structure of the learning pathway

Stage I

Recognize the differences between solid and liquid, understand the liquid-solid transformation, understand the reversible food transformation.

• Biscuits science
• Making your own ice cream
• Cake in a mug
• Chocolate science – reversible change

Stage II

Understand how the bake works and how the sweets change inside the bake.

• Making panellet
• Cuñapés

Stage III

Investigate the process of colorizing food – understand the differences between the natural colorant and the artificial one.

• The science of marshmallows
• Colorful pancakes

Stage IV

Promote a healthy inclination about sweets, preferring homemade ingredients and sweets.

• Colorful ice cream
• Homemade butter in a jar
• Carrot cake

Assessment

Initial
Building a mind-map – (What do I know about? What I would like to learn about…?)
Activating the prior knowledge of children

Ongoing – described in every resource

Final assessment

1. Reflection with the mind map prepared at the beginning (What have we learned? What was the most intriguing? What else would we like to know about sweets?).
2. Voting for the most interesting experiment (children can put the sticker under the photo presenting their favorite experiment)
3. Self-evaluation of one’s own learning process.
4. Teacher’s evaluation: see the scale below

He/she can regonize the liquids and the solids	1	2	3	4
He/she can explain the changes in substances	1	2	3	4
He/She can use the bake (under supervision)	1	2	3	4
He/She can recognize the colouring foods	1	2	3	4
He/She can use the colouring foods	1	2	3	4
He/She develop a healthy attitude about sweets	1	2	3	4

1 – Not at all
2
3
4 – At all