Bring food science to life with The Science of Cooking, a hands-on mini-unit featuring 6 food science lab stations for Grades 7–12.

Students use familiar foods and kitchen equipment to investigate the science behind everyday cooking. Each station encourages students to predict, observe, collect evidence, analyze results, and explain what happened using food science concepts.

Students investigate:

Starch gelatinization

Protein denaturation & coagulation

Emulsification

Enzymatic browning

Chemical leavening

Gluten development

Designed for Family & Consumer Sciences, culinary arts, foods, and introductory food science, the activities are accessible for middle school while providing meaningful scientific analysis for high school students.

The resource includes teacher guidance, materials and safety information, complete procedures, student data tables, analysis questions, vocabulary support, synthesis activities, and teacher answer keys.

Use all six investigations as a 3–4 day mini-unit or select individual stations to complement your existing lessons. No specialized laboratory equipment is required—just a typical FCS kitchen.