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Chemical Collaboration With Myton School

Staff Chemistry


Bablake's Chemistry department has teamed up with Myton School to continue developing new lesson materials for the Chilled Food Association.

Miss Sam Holyman (Chemistry) has been working on the pinking of iceberg lettuce. This is a complex enzyme drive reaction where the cut lettuce, especially the white parts, turns a pinky brown colour. Using modified atmospheres, prepared bags of salad can have an extended shelf life and this reduces food waste. She said: "This has been a very interesting subject to investigate. I have linked the common gas tests taught in Junior Science and iGCSE Chemistry to the modified atmosphere packaging. The lesson will be an interesting take on the traditional gas tests."

Miss Kat Stuart (Myton School), a former colleague of Miss Holyman, is now working on the project. She has designed a lesson which uses a database to model how temperature affects microbe growth and how this relates to storing food in a fridge. She said: "A lesson where students use a research grade database to discover and model the growth of microbes helps develop their technology and scientific enquiry skills. More importantly, they develop awareness of how Science and mathematical models are used in the real world. STEM education is a key focus at Myton School and these lessons support this initiative."

The five lesson series is supported by the Association for Science Education and is available to download here free of charge for use in schools.

Photograph from Myton School.



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