Sunday, May 6, 2018

Science - Baked Alaska Experiment

Today, Team Kahu undertook a food science experiment.

Students were shown different elements of food; sponge, eggs, sugar and ice-cream.



They were asked to make prediction on first what were we making, and what was going to happen to the ice cream when we put it in the oven to bake. The students overall prediction was that the ice cream would get hot and melt in the oven whilst the rest was cooking.


Students had the opportunity to come and help create the baked Alaska, with the results looking good. Next step was for Ms Algar, Mrs George and Rio to whip up the meringue to go over the cake, ready to go into the oven. 


They came out looking amazing!

The students were then asked what their first prediction was and whether or not it was going to be correct. They stuck to their gut and thought the ice cream would come seeping out the middle when Mr Mackie cut into it. 


Students were asked, how is that possible! Ice cream is cold and surely it should have melted in the oven, since the  meringue was so hot! 

How was this possible? The answer is thermal insulation. The meringue took all the heat from the oven, leaving the ice cream to stay cool on the inside. 

And of course, the students got to have a taste, just to confirm that the ice cream was indeed cold!


This lesson, was the introductory lesson for science this term where students will be looking at change and fair tests, with a focus being on thermal insulation.

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