Soda Science – Improving Your Recipe

Health Math Science
Time 1 hour
Age 7 & up
Group Size 4 or more
Tags Cooking, Nutrition, Recipe,   more...
Soda

Make up your own recipe for a soda flavor all your own!

Cooking activities, even simple ones like this, are filled with great learning opportunities. Along with measurement and math skills, kids can develop problem solving and literacy skills as well. Also, by showing kids that they can make tasty drinks that are much more healthful than store-bought soda, you will provide an opportunity to talk about making healthy choices in their diets.

Preparation

See previous Soda Science activity for preparation instructions. This activity will introduce seltzer water as an ingredient.

Soda Science – Improving Your Recipe
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Suggested Materials

  • Clear plastic 9-12 ounce cups (2-4 per team)
  • Small Dixie cups (2 per child)
  • Plastic spoons (3 per team)
  • Measuring cups
  • Eyedroppers (1 per team)
  • Sugar (5-lb bag)
  • Food coloring
  • Flavoring (see Preparation below)
  • Fresh water
  • 2-3 bottles of seltzer water or club soda
  • Paper, pencils, markers

Optional Materials

  • Measuring spoons
  • Sugar-free sweeteners (ex: Splenda, Equal)
1

Make it Matter

Opening Discussion

Ask your students to share some of the flavors of soda they created in the Soda Science activity.  Were they all perfect? What changes might they make, or might they try a new flavor altogether?  Would it be harder to recreate their recipes if they didn’t write the ingredients down?

The Challenge

Come up with a final soda recipe that you think is delicious.

2

Make it Happen

Doing the Activity

  1. Keep children in the same teams from the first session.
  2. Follow the same directions from last session, but focus this time on perfecting and finalizing their recipes. Stress the importance of writing down their recipes so they can recreate their sodas later.
3

Make it Click

Let’s Talk About It

After 10-15 minutes, stop your students and bring them together to share their observations with each other. Does their soda taste the same as last time? What changes are they making?

4

Make it Better

Build On What They Talked About

After the discussion, have your students go back to their teams and try to perfect their recipes. At this point, you can offer seltzer water for those students that feel they have arrived at their ideal recipe. Will the carbonated water change the taste? Will they want to make changes to some of their ingredients after adding carbonated water?

Suggestions

  • Some students may decide that they like the drink better with plain water—let them make that choice if it is what they prefer.
  • Now that your kids have perfected their recipes, have them think about how they might “test market” their creations in the Soda Science – Marketing Your Soda activity (click here).
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