I C E ( Ice Cream Experiments) lesson
by Norman Brooks
For the first session, students
will be given ingredients and instructions for making ice cream.
In subsequent sessions they will bring other ingredients to create
new flavors, improve on recipes, and improve the quality of their
ice cream. As the quality improves, they will want to be able
to replicate or produce it consistently. This will require accurate
measurements.
 OBJECTIVES:
The Beauty of this lesson is that
it can be used to reach so many objectives. It is most often
used as an activity to teach, give practice, or to assess students'
knowledge of dealing with variables. It also offers exposure
to the experimental process, forms of matter, changing forms
of matter and many other science concepts and processes.
INGREDIENTS and MATERIALS:
(For a class of 30 students who
work in pairs.)
- 2-4 bags of party ice
- 1 gallon whole milk
- ice chest
- 1 box rock salt
- 8 oz paper cups (36)
- 5 lbs. sugar
- 1 gallon zip lock bags (15)
- vanilla extract
- plastic spoons (36)
- 1 quart zip lock bags (15)
- paper towels
- two trash cans
- Medicine droppers for extract
- plastic scoops for ice/salt
Trash cans are for disposal of bags,
spoons, and cups. Teachers can decide which to recycle. Doing
this activity outside simplifies clean up.
PROCEDURE:
1. Combine Sugar (2-4 tblspoons),
Extract ( a few drops), Milk 8 oz. per pair) , in small zip lock
bag and zip it up. This is the S E M bag
2. Combine ice ( 2 cups) and rock
salt ( 1/2 cup), in large zip lock bag.This is the S I bag
3. Insert S E M bag inside
the S I bag and zip it up.
4. Each partner takes one end of
the S I bag and the two shake until ice cream is firm.
5. Cups and spoons are then distributed
to students for taste testing and eating.
VARIABLES
All ingredients and supplies are
VARIABLES and can be varied. The students should be encouraged
to experiment by changing variables for different results. To
conduct an effective experiment, they should only change one
variable at a time, and should keep accurate records of what
they have done, and what the results were.
SOME EXAMPLES OF LESSON EXTENSIONS:
- Rubrics for judging results
- History of ice cream
- Different flavors
- Fractions and proportions
- Improving appearance
- Ice cream in different cultures
- What's in commercial ice cream?
- How much fat is in ice creams?
- Changing the consistency
- Economics ( costs)
- Following directions
- Working in pairs
- Changing forms of matter
- Why salt?
As you develop new extensions, procedures
or ideas for improving this activity, please forward them to
Norman Brooks:
LITES-Mills College
5000 Mac Arthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
Fax: 510-430-3379
or email to: normanb495@aol.com
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