WXXI Education has pulled together recipes, baking series, kitchen science activities, and more! WXXI Education has curated a list of recipes, culinary activities, articles, and more, related to encouraging young people to explore kitchen science.
Resources by Grade Level
For Young Children:
- Recipes: Rainbow Popsicle | Chocolate Mug Cake |
- Game: Ruff’s Cookie Creator
- Videos: Ruff Mixes It Up | How to Un-Toast Toast | Now We’re Cookin’ | Duck, Duck, Egg!
- Game: Chef Leo’s Crazy Kitchen
- Video: Colorful Foods (from Between the Lions)
- Video: Baking and Measuring
- Video: Cooking School Field Trip
For Elementary Level:
- Video: “Ugly” Food and Food Waste (from Cyberchase)
- Recipes: Snacks (from Full-Time Kid)
- Activity: DIY: Make a Composter (from Nature Cat) (More on Composting)
- Activity: Measuring and Saving Water (from Cyberchase)
- Recipes: Kitchen Explorers
For Middle/High School Level:
- Video: Cheese: Not the Same Mold Story
- Video: What Lives in Cheese?
- Video: The Science of Taste
- Video: The Food Poisoning Lurking in Your Freezer (from NOVA Gross Science)
- Video: Reducing Food Waste (from Our Hungry Planet)
- Video: Urban Farming (from Our Hungry Planet)
- Video: Food Justice (from Environmental Public Health)
Food-Related PBS LearningMedia Collections
The Science of Food: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese! All jokes aside, learn about the science of food with the following PBS Learning Media Food Science collection. Whether understanding the biology of taste, or how chocolate is made, these resources explain the science behind your favorite foods.
Think Garden Collection: This engaging collection helps teach elementary students about the art and science of growing food, with an emphasis on biological and environmental concepts. It also addresses topics related to nutrition and economics.
Our Hungry Planet: Our Hungry Planet: Food for a Growing Population, created by the California Academy of Sciences, explores environmental issues related to the food we grow and eat. Using videos and associated activities, you can engage your students in thinking about ways to reduce food waste or how their diet choices can impact the environment.
PBS Food: Satisfy your appetite for learning with these resources from PBS Food! The impact of healthy, organic, and sustainable food spans from industrial agriculture science to your home kitchen table, and now into the classroom with these videos and recipes aimed at making Food an accessibly teaching platform.
Ruff Ruffman’s Kitchen Chemistry:Targeted to students in kindergarten to second grade, this science resource collection from The Ruff Ruffman Show features teacher’s guides, YouTube-inspired videos, digital games, and student activities in English and Spanish starring canine host extraordinaire, Ruff Ruffman. Ruff, along with his trusty assistants Blossom the cat and Chet the mouse, answers questions from kids, takes on challenges, and learns the value of failure—all while modeling science inquiry skills and learning about core science concepts. Bring the fun of Ruff’s scientific investigations into your classroom and use the letters to families to extend the learning at home!
Recipe Ideas
Use the following series and resources to find new recipes to try out:
- From Julia Child
- From The Great British Baking Show
- From No Passport Required & Marcus Samuelsson
- From PBS Food’s Kitchen Vignettes
- From PBS Food Blogs