In the Classroom
Summer Camp To Engage Students in Nutritional Chemistry Using Popular Culture and Hands-On Activities Joanna M. Skluzacek* Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 *
[email protected] Joshua Harper and Emily Herron Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 Jacqueline M. Bortiatynski Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
With child obesity rates soaring across the United States, child nutrition has received a lot of attention in the media, classroom, and academic research (1-4). Teaching children about the food pyramid, serving sizes, and exercise often lends itself to a lecturing format, which does little to help students integrate what they learn into their daily lives. Through the Action Potential Science Experience (APSE), a five-day summer camp, we created a novel approach to teaching nutrition from an analytical chemistry point of view. The goals of APSE's Burger `N Fries Chemistry camp were to increase student interest and to improve content knowledge of analytical chemistry and nutrition by submersing students into theme-based activities. These types of summer programs have been documented to enhance students' learning and appreciation of science (5). In the Burger `N Fries Chemistry camp, fourth through eighth grade students were exposed to basic elements of nutrition, but the main focus was on what constitutes the food they eat and how these components provide the body with energy. The participants in Burger `N Fries Chemistry became food chemists to help a fictitious school board decide whether to continue serving a hamburger-and-French fries lunch. The camp ran for five days in the summers of 2006 and 2007. Instead of lecturing students on what must be in their diet to remain healthy, students collected data and drew their own conclusions about the nutritional value of not only a typical hamburger-andfries lunch, but also alternatives to this meal. For example, students tested tofu and vegetable burgers in the same way they tested hamburger. They also investigated different cooking methods, such as baking and frying, to determine how these may alter the nutritional value of foods. Classic colorimetric and analytical techniques used by professionals in the nutrition field were replicated by students to determine where carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are found in a basic meal. A majority of these analytical techniques are qualitative in nature; however, in the case of fats, students also determined the quantity (by mass) of fats in various components of a meal. The analytical experiments were supported by short 492
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lectures (usually less than 15 min), kinesthetic activities, games, models, and pictures. The activities also emphasized the importance of a balanced diet, moderation of food intake, and exercise. The length of the summer experience allowed an in-depth exploration of the major components of food, such as carbohydrates, fats, and protein, and also allowed time to discuss food safety, food preservatives, the food pyramid, and digestion. At the end of the five days, students reported their findings to the school board made up of parents and instructors through oral presentations. To formally measure the impact of the APSE Burger `N Fries Chemistry camp on student learning and science interest, written assessments were performed. Written precamp and postcamp surveys were administered to participants on the first day and last day of the camp. The surveys evaluated nutritional knowledge, appreciation of science, and appeal of different science-experience titles. In 2006, 35 students participated in the camp assessment, while in 2007, 43 students participated. The surveys varied in length from 2006 and 2007. The 2006 surveys (precamp and postcamp) contained 6 knowledge-based questions, whereas in 2007, the surveys contained 12 knowledge-based questions. Demographic information, attitude queries, and marketing questions were also contained in the surveys. Methods and Curriculum Professional-Development Tool At the core of the APSE camp is the context-based guidedinquiry curriculum. The APSE laboratory directors develop inquiry-based curricula in the context of popular culture. Another important aspect of the APSE camp is the division of participants into classrooms by grade level. This allows the presentation of material to be tailored to specific age groups. The focus of the APSE curriculum is to teach science concepts and methods while challenging the participants to solve an overarching problem from the popular-culture context. The learning
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experience is shared by the participants and the APSE instructional team of undergraduate student mentors and classroom instructors. The undergraduate mentors share their knowledge of scientific content with the students and in exchange gain an enhanced understanding of communicating the scientific method approach to problem solving as well as classroom management skills. Each mentor hired by the APSE camp goes through rigorous training in science methods and curriculum content. The instructors, frequently local middle and high school educators, have the opportunity to enhance their science content and methods knowledge and are also able to try a new curriculum that is adaptable to their classrooms. Hands-on Activities Each day of Burger `N Fries Chemistry camp focused on a discrete part of a typical meal. In addition, the students were required to keep a food diary for the meals they consumed. The diary forced students to categorize their meals into food groups and to describe how much they ate of each group. The diary also required students to document the time duration of physical activity they took part in each day. On the first day of camp, after an introduction to lab safety and scientific practices, the young food chemists focused their energy on carbohydrates. The second day was dedicated to proteins, and lipids took the spotlight on the third day. Exercise was also discussed on the third day as the students took time off to visit the pool. The curriculum on the fourth day was devoted to natural antibiotics, colors, and preservatives found in a typical meal. On the last day, the major themes of the week were reviewed and brought together in terms of total digestion. Throughout the five days, the students worked to build their oral presentations to the school board, which were delivered on the last afternoon. In the interest of space, only two topics of the camp are described. Many of the other analytical methods for nutritional analysis can be found in the literature (6-8). Carbohydrate Detection The first day of Burger `N Fries Chemistry was committed to the exploration of carbohydrates. Students were exposed to simple and complex sugars through model making, pictures, games, and several hands-on experiments. Activities emphasized the role of carbohydrates in the diet, the proper daily serving of carbohydrates, and how simple and complex carbohydrates are related. Once the background was firmly in place, the next student task was to predict which foods in a typical lunch menu contained simple carbohydrates (i.e., sugars) or complex carbohydrates (i.e., starches). The students tested their hypotheses with simple, qualitative, wet-chemical techniques (9). Benedict's solution was used to identify the presence of sugars in foodstuffs and iodine was used to detect starches. The participants broke into small groups and, with the assistance of their mentors, began the exploration by setting up reference tests to identify a positive or negative colorimetric result using water, a 10% starch solution, and a 10% apple juice solution. The small student groups then worked together to complete a data table containing nine foods to determine whether these items contained sugars, starches, both, or neither. The items analyzed were milk, soda pop, ketchup, white bread, wheat bread, French fries, corn oil, hamburger, and soy burger. Once all the groups tested each food, the total class compared results. If there were discrepancies in the
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results, the food was reanalyzed. For example, milk tests negative for starches and positive for simple sugars. Although the tests are qualitative, the students can easily identify the dramatic color changes that occur for positive results. Extraction and Quantification of Lipids Fats and lipids are hot topics from a nutritional standpoint. They are often portrayed as “bad” because of all the press about trans fats, but most fats are an essential part of the diet. The key to the fat puzzle, as with all parts of the diet, is moderation, serving size, and the type of fat ingested. On day three of the Burger `N Fries Chemistry camp, the students investigated lipids in detail. They explored the different types of lipids through model building, pictures, trivia games, and solubility tests. The Burger `N Fries chemists then determined the fat content in different varieties of beef and tofu. The beef in these experiments varied from 10:90 fat-to-beef ratio to 30:70 fat-to-beef ratio as found in a typical supermarket. A simple method of boiling the samples in water for several minutes and removing the fat after the solution has cooled gave the students a visual idea of the quantity of fat present. The percent mass of fat was determined by using a laboratory balance. The students also investigated cooking methods and their impact on fat content of prepared food. In this regard, they isolated and quantified fat extracted from fried French fries and potato chips and compared the results to French fries and potato chips that were baked. Fat from these food items were extracted using hexane as a solvent (10). For safety reasons, fume hoods were used by the students when hexane was used for fat extraction. Formal Assessment of Student Learning and Science Interest On the first day of camp, students were given a precamp survey containing both demographic questions and knowledgebased questions about food chemistry, nutrition, and science. Students completed the same survey again on the last day. The survey questions were slightly different in 2007 from those of 2006 such that the years must be analyzed individually. The 2006 surveys contained 6 knowledge-based questions, whereas in 2007, the surveys contained 12 knowledge-based questions. However, one can still compare precamp and postcamp survey trends for each year and compare questions used in both 2006 and 2007. Averages and standard deviations were compiled for responses to each question, and the total knowledge score was summed and then averaged for all the students. The total knowledge score is the total number of knowledge questions the students answered correctly. Since there were more questions in the 2007 survey than the 2006 survey, the score number is higher in 2007. The precamp and postcamp survey data were then analyzed and compared using t tests. The curriculum did not change from 2006 to 2007. However, the instructors and small-group mentors for the camp did change, so it is likely that the presentation of material could have varied slightly from year to year. The young food chemists were also presented with a series of summer camp titles and asked which six they may like to attend. In 2006, the data were gathered through written surveys; in 2007, the information was collected through oral, small-group discussion. The series of camp titles included the traditional science subject names (e.g., Forensic Science) and their corresponding theme-based or pop-culture title (e.g., Penn State CSI).
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Results and Discussion Precamp and Postcamp Surveys The precamp survey and postcamp survey were primarily created to assess campers' nutritional knowledge and appreciation of science. There was a statistically significant difference between the initial survey and the final survey knowledge score in both 2006 and 2007, which indicates knowledge gains as a result of the science experience. Results of the surveys are presented in Figure 1. In 2007, postcamp surveys yielded an average score of 7.0, while the precamp survey yielded an average score of 5.4. In 2006, postcamp surveys yielded an average score of 3.4, while the precamp surveys yielded an average score of 3.0. The 2007 survey contained more questions than the 2006 survey, which accounts for the higher scores seen in 2007. No gender differences were seen in knowledge scores; however, positive correlations were found between grade level and initial survey knowledge score in both 2006 and 2007 as seen in Figure 2. In 2006, this positive correlation was also seen in final survey knowledge scores. Interestingly, no correlation was found between grade level and postcamp survey knowledge scores in 2007. Since campers were grouped by grade level into different classrooms both in 2006 and 2007, their interactions with the camp curriculum differed and may have led to differing gains in knowledge. Through further analysis of the data, it was found that students who chose the camp for themselves, instead of simply following parental advice, tended to score better on the postcamp
Figure 1. Comparison of knowledge scores on precamp and postcamp surveys. The bars indicate the range of individual scores.
survey than students who did not choose the camp. This trend was found in both 2006 and 2007 as shown in Figure 3, indicating that self-motivation is a factor in knowledge gain. This information supports previous work by Stake and Mares (11). To explore the motivation aspect further in 2007, we asked the students whether they felt science was fun and looked for connections between attitude and aptitude in science. Out of 43 students who took the precamp survey, 38 said science was fun, two said it was not fun, one said sometimes, and two students did not respond. On the postcamp survey, 40 said science was fun, zero said it was not, one said sometimes, and two did not respond. In our study, there was no relationship between students who did not actively select the science experience themselves and whether this group thought science was fun. However, the data showed that an overwhelming number of the students thought science was fun. To assess the impact of the camp name in relation to pop culture or student-relevant themes, we asked students to select science-experience titles whose names also had a traditional science-subject name. The results of the evaluation for 2007 are displayed in Figure 4. Each student could select up to six titles from the list of randomly arranged titles. In both 2006 and 2007,
Figure 3. Comparison of knowledge score on the postcamp survey for students who chose the camp for themselves and those who did not. The bars indicate the range of individual scores. (Note the scores in which the students selected both options were disregarded.).
Figure 2. Comparison of knowledge score on precamp and postcamp surveys for each grade.
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Figure 4. Students' preference for science camp titles.
the campers tended to choose the theme-based or pop-culture title as opposed to the traditional-science subject. The only set of camp titles for which this did not hold true was Food Chemistry and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Side of Your Food) in 2007. In this case, more participants chose Food Chemistry. These results demonstrate the importance of considering students' interest to create appealing camp themes and titles. Since students seem to perform better in science experiences that they select themselves, having an interesting title is beneficial. Liberko has pointed out that relating science to a story or theme can have positive effects on students' interest (12). We also believe there is a link between the title and the expectation of the science experience to be fun for the participants. Conclusion As our society's waistbands increase and weight-related diseases become more prevalent, eating healthier is essential. Creating nutrition curriculum that is informative and effective is a difficult task. Understanding healthy eating and actually practicing healthy eating are very different. Programs such as the APSE's Burger `N Fries Chemistry camp give children a chance to learn nutrition by experiencing hands-on science. Assessing the camp through surveys has allowed for evaluation of the camp and further development of the curriculum. The assessments shed light on campers' prior knowledge, which is important to know when creating activities for campers. The results of the assessment also allow us to identify the areas of the camp that were truly effective. Most importantly, the issues in
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nutrition where more focus is needed become evident. Using these findings, a more effective camp curriculum can be created. Literature Cited 1. Burniat, W. Child and Adolescent Obesity Causes and Consequences, Prevention and Management; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2002. 2. Gray, V. B.; Byrd, S. H.; Cossman, J. S.; Chromiak, J. A.; Cheek, W.; Jackson, G. Nutr. Res. ( N. Y., NY, U.S.) 2007, 27, 548–558. 3. Gupta, S. What Doctors Don't Say About Obesity. Time, Aug 23, 2007. 4. Taveras, E. M.; Sandora, T. J.; Shih, M. C.; Ross-Degnan, D.; Goldmann, D. A.; Gillman, M. W. Obesity 2006, 14, 2034–2041. 5. Robbins, M. E.; Schoenfisch, M. H. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82, 1486–1488. 6. Watkins, B. A. The Society for Food Science and Technology, Institute for food Technologists. http://members.ift.org/IFT/ Education/EduResources/fc.htm (accessed Feb 2010). 7. Illinois State board of Education. Integrating Education in Science and Technology: Food Science Curriculum. http://www.isbe.net/ career/pdf/fcs_guide.pdf (accessed Feb 2010). 8. Snyder, C. H. The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things, 2nd ed.; John Wiley and Sons, Inc.: New York, 1995; pp 388-418. 9. Flynn Scientific, Inc. Chemistry of Food, Vol. 23; Flynn Chemtopic Lab Series: Batavia, IL, 2003. 10. Katz, D. A. Determination of Fat in Potato Chips. http://www. chymist.com/Fat%20in%20potato%20chips.pdf (accessed Feb 2010). 11. Stake, J. E.; Mares, K. R. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 2005, 42, 359–375. 12. Liberko, C. A. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 509–512.
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