Ruth Wallace

1
Kitchen Chemistry An after-school/ out-of-school
approach to getting youth excited about science

• Ruth Wallace
• Extension Agent/
• 4-H Youth Development
• Buckingham County

Jennifer Bowen Extension Agent/ 4-H Youth
Development Prince Edward County
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About the 4-H SET initiative

• 4-H is non-formal instruction organized along an
  experiential path
• Experience
• Reflect
• Generalize
• Apply
• Brings cutting-edge research and resources of the
  land-grant university system to youth
• Hands-on
• Connected to life-skill development

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Why Science?

• Youth in the US are not prepared with the
  necessary science, engineering, and technology
  knowledge or workforce skills to compete in the
  21st century.

4
Why Science?
Student Achievement Level in Science
4th Grade
12th Grade
Advanced
Proficient
Basic
Below Basic
Source 2000 National Assessment of Education
Progress
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Why Science?

• Undergraduate Degrees in Science Engineering

SOURCE Rising Above the Gathering Storm, 2006
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What is Science?

• According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary,
  the definition of science is "knowledge attained
  through study or practice," or "knowledge
  covering general truths of the operation of
  general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through
  scientific method and concerned with the
  physical world."
• Science includes
• Observing what is happening
• Predicting what might happen
• Testing predictions under controlled conditions
• Trying to make sense of our observations

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Kitchen Chemistry

• Science workshops can be conducted as
• Stand alone activities
• Short-term after-school programs
• Long-term after-school programs
• Special day-long events for school
  holidays/out-of school time
• Summer enrichment camps

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Kitchen chemistry

• Use common household materials
• Set clear expectations for student behavior
• Have sufficient supervision

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Kitchen chemistry

• Lets do some experiments!
• Mystery Powders
• Diaper Duty

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Kitchen chemistry

• Favorite Activities That You Can Eat
• Study yeast and make bread or pizza (biology)
• Study the chemistry involved in making peanut
  brittle (while you make it)
• Experiment with making cookies out of vegetable
  shortening, margarine, and butter
• Make ice cream in a bag discuss the chemistry
  involved in solidifying the ice cream

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Kitchen chemistry

• Favorite Activities (non-edible)
• Mystery Powders (test properties of four white
  powders to determine what they are)
• Science Inquiry at Its Best (explore chemical
  reactions by mixing various powders and liquids
  to note change in color, temperature, volume,
  etc.)
• Invisible Ink (write a secret
• message to a friend, trade
• and reveal messages)

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Where to find experiments

• http//www.fatlion.com/science/
• http//www.education.com/activity/all-grades/all-g
  rades/science
• http//homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Chem
  istry.htm
• http//scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/HOMEEXPTS.ht
  ml
• http//www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/inde
  x.html
• http//www.alkaseltzer.com/as/experiment/student_e
  xperiment.htm
• http//www.tryscience.org/experiments/experiments_
  home.html
• http//www.superchargedscience.com/sciencearticle4
  -kitchen-chemistry.pdf