Ideas for the Science Years 7 - 10 Student Research Projects

The following suggestions use food as a context for the mandatory Student Research Project and could be undertaken by students in either Stage 4 or Stage 5, depending on ability, interest level and available resources. Many of the activities have been provided with questions for students to consider when planning and conducting their investigations. Other suggested activities have been hyperlinked so as to provide students with a scaffold and format for undertaking the investigation. 1. Which foods are preferred by fungi/bacteria?

a. Should only the same kinds of foods be tested?

b. How do I tell the difference between bacteria and fungi?

c. How much of each food should be sampled? d. What factors (variables) need to be kept constant (i.e. kept the same in my
experiment)? Why should these variables be kept constant? e. How do food scientists inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi on foods?

2. Do jams decompose?
a. What are the signs that the jam is decomposing? b. Should only one kind of jam be tested e.g. fruit jam? c. Should different brands of the same jam be tested?

d. What conditions should the jams be exposed to? e. How much jam should be used in the investigation?
f. Which ingredients help to inhibit decomposition in jams?

3. Chromatography is a technique used to separate mixtures of coloured chemicals. This

technique is used to test water samples for pollution, test for the presence of pesticides in food and analyse blood samples at a crime scene. Confectionery chromatography

4. Do all sugars taste the same? Can you taste the difference between the different types of sugars?

a. What are the most commonly used sugars e.g. glucose, sucrose, etc
b. Who will be used as testers for the investigation? Justify your choice of testers. c. Will the sugars be dissolved or used in powder form?

d. How will testers rate the different sugars? e. Why are different sugars used in different food products?

5. Investigating the Mpemba effect which freezes faster hot or cold water?

6. Many people need to monitor their sugar intake. Do fruits and vegetables contain
different type of sugars e.g. glucose, sucrose? a. Should the investigation only focus on fruits or vegetables? b. What are the differences between a fruit and a vegetable? c. What chemical tests identify the different sugars? d. Should the same concentration of fruit/vegetable be used for the investigation?

e. Which sugars have the most influence on the Glycemic Index?

7. Which fruits/vegetables have the strongest enzymes?

8. Which fruits/vegetables contain glucose, starch, proteins and minerals? a. Should the investigation only focus on fruits or vegetables?
b. What chemical tests identify the different sugars? c. What test identifies proteins? d. What test is used to identify minerals e.g. chloride ions?

e. Is the flame test a useful technique for identifying different metals ions
(minerals)? f. Why do some people need to monitor the chemical content of foods?

9. How long will foods last past their used-by-date (e.g. eggs, milk)?
a. How do we determine if eggs or milk, etc are off?

b. What conditions increase the likelihood of eggs or milk going off?

c. What conditions decrease the likelihood of eggs or milk going off?

10. Supercooling and snap freezing

11. Many food products use acidic or alkaline solutions as a preservative. Develop a set
of natural indicators to test a range of pH solutions.

a. Which fruits and vegetables contain dyes that can be extracted easily?
b. Do the colours need to be preserved so they remain stable?

c. What pH range does each indicator test?

d. What safety precautions need to be considered in the investigation?

12. Which type of bread (white, whole grain, sour dough, etc) turns mouldy the quickest? a. Should different brands of the same bread be tested? b. Should sliced or loaf bread be used for the investigation? c. What conditions is bread normally exposed to? d. Do different moulds grow on different breads?

13. Some fruits prevent jelly from setting.

a. Which fruits should be used for the investigation? b. Should only one brand of jelly be tested? c. Does using raw fruit or cooked fruit make a difference? Why?

d. When should the fruit be added to the jelly?

e. What size pieces of fruit should be used?

14. Does yeast still cause fermentation with different sugar substitutes?

15. Factors that influence a. action of yeast in bread manufacture b. action of bacteria in yoghurt manufacture c. fermentation process in alcohol manufacture

16. Does packaging affect the ripening of fruit?