How does food change? | Kitchen Lab 4 Kids

How does food change when it’s cooked?

Type of resource: Website – document

Web address https://confidencemeetsparenting.com/kitchen-science/

Language: English

Description

Experiment investigating how food can change when heate.

Scientific concept introduced

Materials and Change: exploring the effects of heating on everyday substances.

Creative and critical thinking

Critical Thinking: analysis and explanation

Mathematical reasoning

Measuring using non-standard units

Counting

Scientific thinking

Investigation

Observation

Prediction

Analysising

Drawing conclusions

Learning how to learn

Following guidelines

Turn taking in groups

Additional

Oral Language skills

Fine motor skills through preparation of food

Pre-reading skills

Collaborative skills through group Work

Safety in the kitchen

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WkNVtVaqrDI?list=PL4VJ0OpU_NAItuz-goQWAsXBHtWriDJCj

How does food change when it’s cooked?

Overall aims

To enable pupils to investigate the effect of cooking on food state

To develop pupils’ skills in observing, analysing and predicting

To develop pupils’ skills in measuring

To develop pupils’ communication and group work skills

To develop pupils’ fine motor skills

Vocabulary – keywords should be understood

Raw, heating, boiling, spinach, egg, carrot, wash, shell, colour, feel, smell, saucepan

Expected learning outcomes (operational aims)

The child will be enabled to:

– prepare vegetables for cooking

– count items including spinach leaves, carrots and eggs

– observe and describe the colour and texture of raw food and cooked food

– draw conclusions from the experiment

STEM skills – to which the learning unit is related to

CORE STEM SKILLS

Asking questions

Observing and making predictions

Analyzing the results of heating/cooking raw food

Drawing conclusions

Counting

Measuring ingredients using non-standard units

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Hand-eye coordination

Fine-motor skills

Writing

Reading

Oral Language

Following rules of safety

Group work

Teaching methodologies/activity outline

Note: The original investigation explores a range of food, we suggest focusing on exploring 3 types of food only – Spinach, Carrots and Eggs.

Introduction

Begin by asking pupils to name each of the food items (spinach, carrot, egg) and if they have tasted them before. Ask them to identify the vegetables.

Discuss which of these foods they have tasted before.

Then ask pupils to describe the food in raw form, before it has been cooked. Encourage them to use the sense of sight, smell and touch.

Sample questions: What colour is the spinach? Which is the smoothest/hardest food? Does any of the food have a strong smell?

Ask pupils to note their comments on their activity sheet.

Activity

Direct pupils to work in small groups. Ask each group to:

– wash a handful of spinach leaves and place in a saucepan. Add a teaspoon of cold water.

– wash and then place a small carrot in a saucepan of cold water

– carefully place an egg in a saucepan of cold water

Ask a supervising adult to cook each item. Pupils can observe carefully in a safe place.

When the food is cooked, place each groups food item on a plate and leave to cool.

Then ask pupils to describe the food after being cooked.

Sample questions: What colour is the spinach now? Does it look the same? How does it feel now?

Which is the smoothest/hardest food now? Does any of the food have a strong smell now?

Conclusion

In groups, ask pupils thinking of 2 more food items, to describe how they look and feel before and after cooking.

Extension Activity

Ask pupils to make a collage of food pre and post cooking, using old magazines and pictures.

Assessment of learning

Pupil observation sheet

Equipment and materials to be used in learning unit (tools, ingredients etc)

– Water for cleaning vegetables

– Bowls

– Saucepan

Per Group:

– 1 Egg

– Handful of Spinach

– Small carrot

Kind of setting

Kitchen or classroom with cooking facilities (ie hot stove)

References – source

Website: https://confidencemeetsparenting.com/kitchen-science/
Additional supporting printable activity sheet: https://confidencemeetsparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Cooking-Food.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WkNVtVaqrDI?list=PL4VJ0OpU_NAItuz-goQWAsXBHtWriDJCj