The Edible World

The Edible World is a Baby CTY course that shows students the differences of the foods we know more up close. This course is offered at:

First Session Only: Brooklandville, San Mateo and Sandy Spring

Second Session Only: Alexandria

Both Sessions: Los Angeles (Windward) and New York

Course Description

From the CTY Summer Catalog:

Have you ever wondered about the strange smell of vinegar, the purple stain left by grape juice, or the ingredients in a sports drink? Why do canned foods last for years without refrigeration? How do you make ice cream creamier? In this course, students take a closer look at the common products on grocery shelves and use these items as a springboard to learn about chemistry and biotechnology.

The three basic components of food—proteins, carbohydrates, and fats—are the building blocks of all life as we know it. They are also the fuel the body burns to provide the necessary energy for everything from taking a breath to reading a book to running a marathon. By researching and writing about foods from different cultures, students discover how the need for proteins, carbohydrates, and fats is met by different people around the world.

Through class discussions and laboratory experiments, students look more closely at the composition of familiar foods, consider the chemical reactions necessary to make certain foods, and explore the role that food plays in health and disease throughout the world. Activities might include determining the fat content of cheeses, separating the pigments in plants, or measuring the caloric content of a peanut. Students may keep a food journal and conduct nutritional analyses of their own diets, or prepare a poster presentation on how seaweed can be changed into salad dressing.

Lab Fee: $65

Students must have completed grades: 3 or 4