Hands on Science Sexto: Activity 5 - Energy in Food

This activity involves burning small amounts of food eg. nuts and catching the heat in water.  Different foods contain different amounts of energy so they give off different amounts of heat when you burn them.  You will probably need to demonstrate the activity to the class before they do it and you will definitely need to talk through the safety with them before they start.  The activity needs preparation, but it is very robust and the students can calculate actual energy values for the foods that they burn.  If you are not feeling brave enough to do it as a whole class activity, try it as a student demonstration at the front of the class.

This activity is connected to the Nutrition unit.  Talk about the errors and unfair things that they will inevitably do, introduce the idea that you only change one thing, you measure one thing and everything else stays the same.

Link to activity (pdf): Energy in Food Activity