Food Chemistry Pacing Guide1
Use the information below to assist you in determining the amount of time needed to complete the entire unit. These recommendations assume the average science class period is 50 to 60 minutes in length. We recommend teaching science a minimum of three sessions per week in order to maintain momentum and keep students engaged. Many teachers accomplish this by rotating a science unit with a social studies unit, enabling you to teach more science sessions in one week and finish the unit in fewer weeks. We highly recommend that all teachers participate in the Expository Writing and Science Notebooks Program in order to further develop students' science understandings, as well as their scientific thinking and writing skills. To implement the science-writing curriculum requires, for most lessons, a separate 20 to 30 minutes for a science-writing mini-lesson and independent writing time. These are not included in this pacing guide. This unit has been modified in order to prepare students for the required 4th grade OSPI Health Assessment.
Lessons and Common Assessments(see corresponding lesson in Instructional Guide (IG) for lesson planning) / Recommended
Number of Periods
(20-28 total) / Standards Addressed / Lesson Concepts / Considerations for Planning / Recommended Applications and Extensions
Pre-Assessment and Lesson 1:
Thinking about Foods We Eat
Students share prior knowledge about nutrients in foods. Students discuss the foods they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. / 1 / 4-5LS1E: Nutrition is essential to health. Various kinds of foods are necessary to build and maintain body structures. Individuals have responsibility for their own health and food choices.
Lesson Concept: Nutrients are essential to human health. / This lesson will highlight the food similarities and differences in various cultures represented in your classroom. Endeavor to build and maintain a tolerant and accepting atmosphere so all students feel respected.
Lesson 2: Identifying Healthy Foods: Getting Ready
Students use their senses to observe the foods they will be testing throughout the unit. / 1 / 4-5INQB Investigate: Scientists plan and conduct different kinds of investigations, depending on the questions they are trying to answer. Types of investigations include systematic observations and descriptions, field studies, models, and open-ended explorations as well as controlled experiments. PE: Given a research question, plan an appropriate investigation, which may include systematic observations, field studies, models, open-ended explorations, or controlled experiments.
4-5INQD Investigate: Investigations involve systematic collection and recording of relevant observations and data. PE: Gather, record, and organize data using appropriate units, tables, graphs, or maps.
Concept: Scientists make careful observations and set up testing materials in an organized way so that test results will be accurate.
Lesson 3: Testing Liquids for Starch
Students test liquids (water, milk, cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil) for starch using iodine as the indicator. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1 / 4-5INQA Question: Scientific investigations involve asking and answering questions and comparing the answers with evidence from the real world. PE: Identify the questions being asked in an investigation. Gather scientific evidence that helps to answer a question.
4-5INQB Investigate – see lesson 2 above
4-5INQC Investigate: An experiment involves a comparison. For an experiment to be valid and fair, all of the things that can possibly change the outcome of the experiment should be kept the same, if possible. PE: Conduct or critique an experiment, noting when the experiment might not be fair because some of the things that might change the outcome are not kept the same.
4-5INQD Investigate – see lesson 2 above
4-5INQE Investigate: Repeated trials are necessary for reliability. PE: Explain that additional trials are needed to ensure that the results are repeatable.
4-5INQH Communicate: Scientists communicate the results of their investigations verbally and in writing. They review and ask questions about the results of other scientists’ work. PE: Display the findings of an investigation using tables, graphs, or other visual means to represent the data accurately and meaningfully. Communicate to peers the purpose, procedure, results, and conclusions of an investigation. Discuss differences in findings and conclusions reported by other students.
Concept: A specific test can be done to determine whether a food contains starch. A chemical reaction or change occurs in the starch test. / Teacher provides milk for testing, preferably nonfat, but 1% or 2% will work. Other liquids are included in kit, except for tap water.
Lesson 4: Testing Foods for Starch
Students test foods (rice, flour, apple, egg white, beef jerky, oat cereal, onion, and coconut) for starch. / 2 / 4-5INQA Question – see lesson 3 above
4-5INQB Investigate – see lesson 2 above
4-5INQC Investigate – see lesson 3 above
4-5INQD Investigate – see lesson 2 above
4-5INQE Investigate – see lesson 3 above
4-5INQG Explain: Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use known scientific principles, models, and theories. PE: Generate a conclusion from a scientific investigation and show how the conclusion is supported by evidence.
4-5INQH Communicate – see lesson 3 above
4-5INQI Intellectual Honesty: Scientists report the results of their investigations honestly, even when those results show their predictions were wrong or when they cannot explain the results.
Concept: Varying amounts of starch are found in some foods. / Encourage students to bring in one food from home to test or encourage them to save a food sample from the lunch room. There are two extra cups for these foods in each group’s bag.
Lesson 5: Learning More about Starch
Students read to find out more about starch, what it does for the body and various foods that it is in. / 1-2 / 2-3 PS3A: Heat, light, motion, electricity, and sound are all forms of energy. PE: Use the word energy to explain everyday activities (e.g., food gives people energy to play games). 4-5LS1E: Nutrition is essential to health. Various kinds of foods are necessary to build and maintain body structures. Individuals have responsibility for their own health and food choices. PE: Describe how various types of foods contribute to the maintenance of healthy body structures.
Concepts: Starch is a carbohydrate and is essential to human health. Starch is the human body’s number one source of energy. Some examples of foods that contain starch are potatoes, beans, and grains, such as wheat, corn, and rice. Bread, tortillas and pasta are common foods made from grain. / Language Arts integration: nonfiction reading in the context of science. Readings found on pgs. 65-67 in manual and on pgs. 13-14 in the book: Food Chemistry. Multiple copies come in the science kit.
Teacher begins a class wall chart that documents student learning about nutrients and the foods that contain them. This scaffolding will support students in being proficient on the Health Assessment that all 4th graders are required to take.
Lesson 6: Testing Liquids for Glucose
Students test the same liquids as in Lesson 3 for the presence of glucose. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1 / See Lesson 3 for all Standards and Performance Expectations.
Concept: A specific test can be done to determine whether a food contains glucose. A chemical reaction or change occurs in the glucose test. / Teacher provides milk for testing, preferably nonfat, but 1% or 2% will work. Other liquids are included in kit, except for tap water.
Lesson 7: Testing Foods for Glucose
Students test the same foods as in Lesson 4 for the presence of glucose. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1 / See Lesson 4 for all Standards and Performance Expectations.
Concept: Varying amounts of glucose are found in foods. / Discuss how more and more people have diabetes in the U.S. Read pgs. 41-43 in the book, Food Chemistry. Multiple copies come in the science kit.
Lesson 8: Learning More about Glucose
Students read to find out more about glucose and other forms of sugar, what it does for the body and various foods that it is in. / 1-2 / See Lesson 5 for all Standards & Performance Expectations.
Concepts: Glucose is a sugar and is a carbohydrate. Glucose and other types of sugars supply the body with quick short term energy. Some examples of foods that contain glucose corn syrup, soft drinks, cakes, candy, some types of breakfast cereals. / Language Arts integration: nonfiction reading in the context of science. Readings found on pgs. 94-95 in the manual and on pgs. 15-16 in the book: Food Chemistry. Multiple copies come in the science kit.
Continue the class wall chart, started in lesson 5, about nutrients and the foods that contain them.
Assessment A: Comparing Starch and Glucose / Can be embedded into Lesson 8 / 4-5LS1E: Nutrition is essential to health. Various kinds of foods are necessary to build and maintain body structures. Individuals have responsibility for their own health and food choices.
Lesson 9: Testing Liquids for Fats
Students test the same liquids as in Lessons 3 & 6 for the presence of fat. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1 / See Lesson 3 for all Standards and Performance Expectations.
Concept: A specific test can be done to determine whether a food contains fat. A physical change happens to paper when liquids containing fat are applied. / Teacher provides milk for testing, preferably nonfat, but 1% or 2% will work. Other liquids are included in kit, except for tap water.
Lesson 10: Testing Foods for Fats
Students test the same foods as in Lesson 4 & 7 for the presence of fat. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1 / See Lesson 4 for all Standards and Performance Expectations.
Concept: Varying amounts of fat are found in some foods. / This point in the unit would be a good time to discuss different diets, such as vegetarianism. Have students read pgs. 51-54 in the book, Food Chemistry. Multiple copies come in the science kit.
Lesson 11: Learning More about Fats
Students read to find out more about the different types of fats, what they do for the body and various foods that they are in. / 1-2 / See Lesson 5 for all Standards & Performance Expectations.
Concepts: There are three different types of fat. Unsaturated fats (oils) are beneficial to the body but transfats (hydrogenated) are harmful to the body. Eating too much saturated fat increases blood cholesterol and may cause heart disease .Some examples of foods that contain unsaturated fats are oils that come from plants (corn, olive, peanut). Examples of foods that contain saturated fats are meat, butter, palm and coconut oil. Transfats are found in many processed and fast foods. / Language Arts integration: nonfiction reading in the context of science. Readings found on pgs. 116-117 in the manual and on pgs. 24-25 in the book: Food Chemistry. Multiple copies come in science kit.
Teacher continues the class wall chart, started in lesson 5 and continued in lesson 8, about nutrients and the foods that contain them.
Lesson 12: Testing Liquids for Protein
Students test the same liquids as in Lessons 3, 6 & 9 for the presence of protein. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1 / See Lesson 3 for all Standards and Performance Expectations.
Concept: A specific test can be done to determine whether a food contains protein. A chemical reaction or change occurs in the protein test. / Teacher provides milk for testing, preferably nonfat, but 1% or 2% will work. Other liquids are included in kit, except for tap water.
Lesson 13: Testing Foods for Protein
Students test the same foods as in Lesson 4, 7, & 10 for the presence of protein. Data is recorded and analyzed. / 1-2 / See Lesson 4 for all Standards and Performance Expectations.
Concept: Varying amounts of protein are found in some foods.
Lesson 14: Learning More about Protein
Students read to find out more about protein, what it does for the body and various foods that it is in. / 1-2 / 4-5APPH: People of all ages, interests, and abilities engage in a variety of scientific and technological work. PE: Describe several activities or careers that require people to apply their knowledge and abilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 4-5LS1E: Nutrition is essential to health. Various kinds of foods are necessary to build and maintain body structures. Individuals have responsibility for their own health and food choices. PE: Describe how various types of foods contribute to the maintenance of healthy body structures.
Concepts: Protein is beneficial to the human body. It builds and repairs muscles, blood and organs. Eating too much animal protein, specifically red meat, increases blood cholesterol and may eventually contribute to heart disease, because it also contains saturated fat. / Language Arts integration: nonfiction reading in the context of science. Readings found on pgs. 140-141 in the manual and on pgs. 19-23 in the book: Food Chemistry. Multiple copies come in the science kit.
Continue the class wall chart, started in lesson 5 and continued in lessons 8 and 11, about nutrients and the foods that contain them. / Beecher’s Pure Food Kids Workshop: 2-hour classroom workshop provided by a trained representative from Beecher’s Cheese Co. about food additives and the differences between processed and whole foods. See last page of Instructional Guide for more information.