Using chocolate as a theme, students will become involved in reading, writing, math, word study/spelling and other developmentally appropriate (integrated) activities. The unit includes centers for the classroom along with whole group activities.
To understand how fossils are formed, students model the process of fossilization by making fossils using small toy figures and melted chocolate. They extend their knowledge to the many ways that engineers aid in the study of fossils, including the development of tools and technologies for determining the physical and chemical properties of fossilized organisms, and how those properties tell a story of our changing world.
This biodiversity Web site for kids, part of the museum's Kids in Our Halls program, was produced by high school interns at the Museum. In includes these sections: What Do You Think About Extinction?, an interview with kids visiting the Hall of Biodiversity; Did You Know?, a collection of fun facts that includes challenges to be solved; a five-question interactive biodiversity quiz; a Q&A interview with the head of the museum's Ichthyology Department; brief articles about the origins of chocolate and the ecological importance of coral reefs; a downloadable poster to color.
" This seminar is designed to be an experimental and hands-on approach to applied chemistry (as seen in cooking). Cooking may be the oldest and most widespread application of chemistry and recipes may be the oldest practical result of chemical research. We shall do some cooking experiments to illustrate some chemical principles, including extraction, denaturation, and phase changes."
This BioBulletin Web site takes a close look at chocolate and why yields from cacao plants around the world are falling. The site includes text, videos, photographs, and interviews with key scientists.
