More kitchen science

Good observational skills and being able to draw conclusions from what is observed are essential tools for a scientist. Over the past weeks, the children have been practicing these skill while observing chemical reactions and carrying out simple experiments. 

One experiment was to find out the conditions yeast grows best in.  First, they tried water temperature: boiling water, room temperature water, and ice water.  As the children predicted, the yeast bubbled most with the room temperature water.  Then, they took 3 containers of water at room temperature and added yeast.  Next, they added salt to one, sugar to another, and the 3rd was left plain.  Probably, based on personal experience, most of the children predicted the yeast would like sugar best and it did.

The best part of this experiment was putting our knowledge of yeast to the test.  On Thursday, we made bread.