The latest project that I have been working on is my introduction to food science unit. The class is called Food Products and Processing Systems. I hope to base more of the class in chemistry focused labs. I will still be having my class make some of the classic meat products that we have before but pull out and explain some of the chemistry concepts that exist. The way I am structuring my units next year is to begin the unit with a vocabulary game or support. Each unit plan I hand out has an Essential Vocabulary list. The students need to first make a study aid with the vocabulary. Some of the study aids include flash cards, vocabulary booklets, word webs, or a definition chart. In each unit there is a vocabulary worksheet for the students to practice the words. In food science more often than not it is to rewrite a recipe or write a new recipie using the vocabulary words.
The textbook that I am using is Principles of Food Science by Janet D. Ward. I am also using Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage and Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food by Warren R Anderson. Another resource I use is the National FFA Poultry Judging Manual. I use the USDA grading manuals for each livestock species as needed.
The activities for this unit are growing mold and making ice cream sundaes. The growing mold will help the students understand how microbial growth occurs. The ice cream sundaes is a food that has many parts and steps. The ice cream sundae activity is to learn the 7 steps of HACCP. At the beginning of the week introduce food science by just making ice cream sundaes willy nilly. At the end of the week make the sundaes only after it’s decided how they should be built using HACCP. During the debate on how to make the sundaes make a flow chart for decision making. One big factor that I can think of is take the ice cream out of the freezer at the beginning of class and don’t make the sundae until the end of the class. Good forshadowing of a freezerburn study.
PrinciplesofFoodScience-FoodSafety – Unit Plan
Ideas for Teaching Ag 