Explaining school science using food examples

Citation

Jay, C. (2001), "Explaining school science using food examples", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2001.01731eaf.002

Explaining school science using food examples

Explaining school science using food examples

Introduction

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is committed to increasing public access to advances in science and to fostering public debate about issues relating to them. As part of this, it is committed to supporting science in schools, so that some of the underpinning science is well understood in the classroom. In this paper we describe three examples of publications that we have produced as teaching extension projects that are all relevant to the National Curriculum. They are all tried and tested with a panel of schools and contain worksheets and teacher information packs. Each shows the cross-curricular links that can be developed between the biological sciences and food science. The packs have been distributed via the free BBSRC Science club, which now has over 5,000 members. Teachers can join using a downloadable form on our Web site at www.bbsrc.ac.uk/schools

Science through Seeds

Science through Seeds is a teaching resource covering 11 different investigations suitable for 12-16-year olds. The practical experiments were designed to help the students to explore the factors affecting plant growth, reproduction, variation and classification and adaptation. The pack includes teacher notes, student worksheets, two varieties of ryegrass seeds (AberElf and AberLinnet) and one variety of white clover (AberHerald). Providing the appropriate seed for the experiments was particularly useful for the schools. Many of the ideas and scientific methodologies contained in the literature can be reused and applied to other areas of science. The experiments were designed and trialled by a team of plant scientists at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER): Dr Mike Leggett, Dr Danny Thorgood and Dr Judith Webb. They also received help and advice from the following educators: Mr David Brigden, Mr Paul Stillman, Dr Liz Lakin and Mrs Jaquie Burt, with support from the BBSRC and British Seed Houses Ltd.

The two ryegrasses were selected to offer a good contrast, as they have very different uses: AberElf is a lawn perennial ryegrass, AberLinnet is a hybrid ryegrass that is widely used for forage production (food for animals). AberHerald was also included in the pack; this is a white clover variety, which is also widely used in mixtures with grasses for both grazing directly by the animals and as conserved food (silage and hay). All three varieties were bred at IGER at Aberystwyth in Wales, under breeding programmes funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, BBSRC and the company British Seed Houses.

It is important for students to have an idea of the diversity of plants in order to understand more complex issues such as breeding programmes or conservation. The younger students are encouraged to discuss the fact that there are over 160 grass and legume species indigenous to the UK, but only about ten widely used for agriculture and amenity purposes. Understanding how our food is produced can reveal yet more differences between our crops. Grasses produce large seeds (e.g. wheat, barley and oats) which we eat directly (e.g. bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals) or indirectly (e.g. by providing feed for cattle, chickens etc.). Legumes are split into large and small seeded species, some of which we eat (e.g. peas, beans) and others which provide food for livestock (e.g. clover, lucerne). The ryegrass species are very important species, as they can be used to feed animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, either by directly grazing in the field or conserved as silage or hay. Ryegrass species are widely used as mixtures with forage legumes such as clover to produce high levels of forage for ruminant animals. With projects such as Science through Seeds we hope that the students will appreciate both the food and the science.

The BBSRC seeds and plant growth discovery pack

This pack has been developed by the BBSRC with support and technical advice from Suttons Consumer Products Ltd. The pack was aimed at five to 12-year old children and seeds were provided by Suttons, from their range of child-friendly "Seed Squad" seeds, which can be used to complete many of the activities suggested in the booklet. Initially BBSRC worked with a team of primary teachers and Dr Nick Peters of the Institute for Arable Crops Research, Long Ashton Research Station, to develop many of the activities in the booklet. In 1999, Dr Jackie Spence and Dr Phil Gates and colleagues from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, developed further activities for five to seven-year olds. These were trialled by 50 primary schools in the BBSRC Science Club. These activities have now also been included in the booklet.

The five to seven-year old children learn to sort different types of seeds, to identify different types of flowers, and that different plants grow in different ways. The eight to 12-year old children continue to explore areas that are relevant to their science curriculum, like fair tests, germination, and seed dispersal.

Of particular relevance to nutrition is a section on "Eating plants". Through this activity the children can learn that we can eat different parts of a plant, also that roots and leaves come in different shapes and sizes. Using trays of food-plants that may be shop-bought or even grown in the classroom, the children are encouraged to describe the leaves and fruits (if their plants have them) on their plants. Vegetables like lettuce, carrots, beans and peas are particularly good in this respect as this also reinforces the differences in shape and size. Using a larger selection of vegetables, the children can be asked which part of the plant is harvested (e.g. a carrot is a specialised tap root of a carrot plant, a pea is the seed of a pea plant and the lettuce is the leafy body of the lettuce plant).

These ideas can be built upon in class discussion, using the teacher worksheets to provide key points and examples. When looking at roots, it could be pointed out that the root of the sugar beet plant can be used to make sugar, but many roots are used as a direct food source, such as turnips and carrots. Seeds can be used as food, such as peas, sweetcorn and rice, but we also grind coffee beans to make coffee, and wheat seeds to make flour and products like cornflakes. Seeds can also contain oils, which we may use in things like cooking oils and margarine. It is also interesting that less obvious parts of the plant may also be used as a food source. Petals are not just used for decoration but, like those of the elderflower, can also be pressed and help make up drinks like elderflower cordial and elderflower wine. To remind the children that not all plants can be eaten, the idea of poisonous plants can be introduced and related to health and safety issues. Further details of poisonous plants and plants that are suitable for classroom use are provided in the pack for the teacher. This teaching resource provides a good grounding for primary schools with practical worksheets and relevant examples.

Discovering DNA – "The recipe for life"

In 1995, Dr Sue Assinder, a scientist working on the molecular genetics of cell division at the University of Wales, Bangor, won the first BBSRC Science Communicator Award with her idea to introduce primary aged children to DNA through a series of hands-on activities. These activities were designed to introduce the basic role of DNA within the cells of the human body and an appreciation that it is the uniqueness of their DNA "recipes" which makes them all very different people. It was this idea of a recipe that Sue hit upon when trying to explain some initial concepts of DNA. Before embarking on genetics the children were given chocolate Swiss roll and a box containing all the essential items to make the cake plus "red herrings". They were then asked to pick out the things that they needed to bake the cake. To help them, the box contained the recipe for chocolate Swiss roll alongside recipes for other cakes. The children had by this stage learned that you had to have a set of instructions, or information to make an exact product – if you didn't follow the correct instructions, you could end up with a Victoria sponge cake! The children were then shown the examples of the other types of cakes and this reinforced the idea that different cakes had different recipes. From this point it was only a short jump to move from cakes being different to people being different. The children looked at differences between themselves, like hair colour and eye colour. They learned that each of us contains our own special recipe and that we all look different because the recipe is different for each person. After a question and answer session on where the recipe might be and what it might be, everyone learned that the recipe for life is DNA, kept in every part of the body!

Chantelle JaySchools and Community Links Officer, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council