STANDARDS

NGSS: Practice: Analyzing and Interpreting Data · Crosscutting Concept: Structure and Function · Core Idea: PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

CCSS: Reading Informational Text: 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats, including visually and quantitatively.

TEKS: 6.2D, 7.2D, 8.2D, C.2E, C.2H, C.4A

DATA ANALYSIS: Compounds

Lesson: Yum, Mac ’N’ Cheese!

Objective: Analyze how a processed food was invented and how it affects society.

Lesson Plan

ENGAGE

Activate students’ thinking by sharing photos of processed macaroni and cheese and homemade versions. (If you’re teaching in person, you could also show real boxes or recipes.) Let students explain which version they prefer. Then compare the processed and homemade versions. Ask: What ingredients do you think each kind includes? What are their advantages and disadvantages? (cost, ease of preparing, chemical additives, etc.) Record students’ ideas.

EXPLORE

Open the magazine’s presentation view online. Turn to page 12 to display the article. Read the introduction and the “From Box to Meal” text. Ask: What factors led to the creation of boxed mac ’n’ cheese? How is the cheese in boxed mac ’n’ cheese different from that used in the homemade version? (It is processed by removing liquids and adding other chemicals.) What are the bene ts of processed cheese? (e.g., It has a longer shelf life.) Ask students what they think the disadvantages are. (e.g., It has chemical additives.) Have students nish the article and complete the “Mac ’n’ Cheese Please” skills sheet.

EXPLAIN

Show the class the video “All About Graphs.” Discuss why the article used certain types of graphs for different kinds of data. Have students complete the article’s “Check for Understanding” as an informal assessment. Discuss their answers.

EXTEND

Read the instructions for the “Yuck! Moldy Cheese” skills sheet with students. Discuss possible investigation questions. Support students as they work to plan and carry out their investigation into mold growth. Have groups present their results.

EVALUATE

Ask students: How has boxed mac ’n’ cheese affected society? What other foods have affected society? How? List some ideas. Ask students to research and write an article about a food, using the “Your Favorite Food” skills sheet to assist them. Prompt students to think about what visuals to use and how their food changes from a natural resource to a synthetic material if it’s a processed food. Have them present their work.

AT-HOME TIPS

Assign students to small groups to plan their investigations after a virtual lesson (Step 4).
Allow students to share their presentations in a video or slide-show format (Step 5).