Jump to content

Menu

10th grade kitchen chemistry ?


Recommended Posts

Given how short the MIT seminar course is, what would you suggest to beef this up enough to be worth a full year credit? My ds15 loves to cook and has requested it be worked into his 10th grade curriculum. Fine by me. He is still progressing on cementing his math foundation though, so any chemistry that is heavy in upper math is going to be rough.

 

I have the following resources on hand to use, so I'd love feedback on how and how much you would incorporate.

 

A friend is giving me TTC chemistry on VHS, so I plan to add that in a bit if I can. The reviews say the math in it isn't explained very well?

 

There's the book recs on Macbeth's Opinion.

 

I have Van Cleave's Chemistry for every kid , typically middle school stuff?

 

Prentice Halls chemistry texts, which looks very intimidating!

 

Apologia chemistry, nice clear unclutterred layout.

 

Illustrated guide to home chemistry experiments, which I personallly think looks awesome and the writer is very nice and prohomeschool and has a helpful msg board. hmmm. Looking through this as I type, I might have just answered my own questions. He has an section of the book that says what a high school student should start with, intermediate work, and then what to progress to all the way up to AP course work.

 

Short of bunsen burners, I have just about everything I need to make a complete home lab set up. and I have safe alternatives to bunsen burners available.

 

So opinions? I need to think about this... I need a spreadsheet..;) brainstorm with me will you? Please?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh, is this the class you're talking about? Patti Christie, the teacher, was my son's freshman chem teacher at MIT. She's a terrific teacher according to reports :).

 

Seminars at MIT are "fun" topics often taught to freshmen in advising seminars or upperclassmen looking for an interesting topic to explore in addition to their regular workload. I see on the Syllabus page that Kitchen Chemistry is 6 units graded pass/fail. A typical semester course taken by my son was 12 (sometimes 15) units. So this would be about 1/2 of a typical class workload.

 

If you want to extend it, why not try the Open Course Ware Advanced Kitchen Chemistry? It also looks like a lot of fun!

 

~Kathy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I just might. In addition to the courses, we can add home brewing beer and wine; plus cheese and fruit preserve making since dh and I already do that ourselves...

 

I think we will do that and I'll worry about how to calculate the credits later.

 

I like the chemistry materials I have, but I think I'll calculate that course seperately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the ideas!

 

Sushi is planning on doing the MIT Kitchen Chem course in the spring. He is taking Advanced Chemistry with ChemAdvantage this year, and I wanted him to have at least a semester behind him before he started in the kitchen. This fall he doing what we are calling Culinary Basics. He is taking Red Cross first aid and will start with a basics course at our local Viking Cooking school. Then he will working his way through Martha Stewart's Cooking School book as well as completing lessons at Free Culinary School.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another question:

 

Would you list this a lab course or no?

 

I'm in process of organizing all the referenced materials mentioned in this thread and elsewhere, I feel this is now worth a solid 1 credit!

 

Would you list it in science or elective?

Kitchen Chemistry w/ lab 1 credit

or

Introduction to Chemistry w/lab 1 credit

 

Give no lab distinction?

Give only .5 credit?

 

Opinion? TIA!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would you list it in science or elective?

Kitchen Chemistry w/ lab 1 credit

or

Introduction to Chemistry w/lab 1 credit

 

Give no lab distinction?

Give only .5 credit?

 

Opinion? TIA!

 

I watched the 60 minutes show about Chef Jose Andres and he calls it Molecular Gastronomy. I looked it up in Wikipedia, and that's a real science branch. Maybe you could call it that?

 

Speaking of which, has anyone used something from Chef Andres or similar?

 

 

And a search of Molecular Gastronomy came up with a few kits that look interesting, such as

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/c2b1/?cpg=froogle

 

Oh, and a while ago I was looking at a cheese making kit at HomeScienceTools and wondering if it was worth the $$$. Anyone try it?

 

Julie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I watched the 60 minutes show about Chef Jose Andres and he calls it Molecular Gastronomy. I looked it up in Wikipedia, and that's a real science branch. Maybe you could call it that?

 

Speaking of which, has anyone used something from Chef Andres or similar?

 

 

And a search of Molecular Gastronomy came up with a few kits that look interesting, such as

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/c2b1/?cpg=froogle

 

Oh, and a while ago I was looking at a cheese making kit at HomeScienceTools and wondering if it was worth the $$$. Anyone try it?

 

Julie

 

YES! That's one of the courses I'm adding in that I found a link to.. Drat. Link was on the computer. I printed off the stuff I wanted to incorporate into our lessons..

 

My dh home brews beer and ds will be him brewing root beer. ;)

I have been taking cheese making classes and I plan to have ds make some goat cheese, complete with starting by milking a goat.

We are also going to visit a winery.

 

I haven't used the HST kit though.. Might have to look through that to see what to add!

 

I do like that course title better I think!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...