Animas Test Kitchen:

The Science of a Good Meal

Essential Questions for the Chemistry of Food and Cooking Investigation

● How can food’s energy content, nutrition, texture, taste etc. be explained in terms of the
atomic, molecular and macromolecular structure of the food?
● ​How does cooking transform food and how can these transformations be understood as
chemical processes?
● Locally and globally, how is our modern food system impacting agriculture, human
health, food safety, food availability, the environment and society?

THE PROJECT:
In ​groups​, you will collaborate on a multi-course dinner that shows your enduring
understandings from Chemistry and Humanities. This meal is the project AND the exhibition,
and your diners/audience should learn about science and the ethics of sourcing your
ingredients. We will shape the vision for this event together as a class and document it well in
order to present it at All-School Exhibition.
As ​individuals​, you will improve a recipe by experimentally evaluating the manipulation of one
or more variables in the preparation and cooking processes. You will then create an artifact to
showcase your understanding of the relevant chemistry for your portion of the meal and the
tests you conducted to optimize the recipe for your portion of the meal.

Content Focus & Important Dates

March​: stoichiometry and calculations involving the mole
3/2 Mole & Stoichiometry labs at FLC

April​: macromolecules, bonding, how structure affects properties, relevant independent study
4/6 Final Lab(TBD) at FLC
4/10 SAT Test
4/17 CMAS Testing
Week of April 23-27: The Meal, All-School Exhibition (4/26), Reflection Writing