Taste Test Science and the Scientific Method

Students visiting this STEM class learned about the scientific method by doing a taste-test experiment with different colored drinks.

A Preview of Science Class

Last spring, Kathryn Barnett, a teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School in Merced, CA, welcomed incoming 4th- and 5th-grade students to her classroom for an early look at what to expect in science class.

With a mix of 3rd- and 4th-grade students present, Kathryn walked through the steps of the scientific method with the Color Taste Test—Do You Taste with Your Eyes? STEM activity, a hands-on experiment that worked well with the mixed grades.

In the experiment, students explore the relationship between a drink's color and how it tastes. "They were very interested," said Kathryn, "and perfectly concluded that perception influences taste." For elementary school students, this was a successful experiment, one that helped students make connections between a science question and how an experiment can be structured to test, gather data, and draw conclusions.

Whether students had learned about the scientific method before or not, Kathryn hopes the taste test experiment created a concrete sensory memory they will recall when they cover the scientific method during the school year. "Hands-on learning is essential for students to retain more information," she says. When they revisit the concept of the scientific method, they have a sensory experience locked into memory for some recall. This experience gives me something to build on when I come back to the concepts and standards."

Kathryn says that her school is committed to STEM education and NGSS, but, like many schools, funding is a challenge. They hold STEM Fridays, for which teachers collaborate to plan STEM activities, and Kathryn hopes the school will implement a science fair or STEM expo. Free resources at Science Buddies help supplement her school's curriculum and enable hands-on exploration with simple materials.

With activities from Science Buddies, "students can bring things from home (such as a toilet paper roll), and I can provide the rest (tape, pencils, cotton balls)," she says. "We can explore or culminate learning on various state standards for a very affordable price!"

Making Connections

For additional free lessons, videos, and resources to teach the scientific method, see Four Ways to Teach the Scientific Method.

Students interested in doing an independent science project related to human biology and taste may enjoy:

• Does Color Affect Taste?
• Battle of the Senses: Taste Versus Smell
• Do You Have the Willpower to Taste Something Sour?

Thank you to Kathryn for sharing this story with Science Buddies. If you have a story about doing a Science Buddies project or how Science Buddies makes a difference in your classroom or program, reach out to us at [email protected].