Chemistry
Chemistry of Food and Cooking: “The Science of Cooking Pasta”
How does cooking transform food and how can these transformations be understood as chemical processes?
Pasta is a simply a process of basically manipulation of flour. Flour contains starch and gluten which are proteins, as well as proteins from egg. When kneading the dough the gluten develops allowing the gluten proteins to organize themselves into a network. When rolling pasta by hand it has to sit for the gluten to orient. With a pasta roller, the developing gluten is structured into flat sheets faster. When the pasta is ready to be boiled, due to the process called nucleation, bubbles form in the water and the pasta cooks. This is a chemical process because the molecular structure of the starches changes as the pasta cooks; resulting in a softer more malleable textured pasta.
In what way(s) are cooking and doing science similar and in what way(s) are they different? How are a cook and a food scientist similar or different?
Cooking and food science is very similar in the way that when following a recipe, much like when conducting an experiment, you have to have as exact measurements as possible in order to get the best yield. Cooking is different in the way that I feel there is a little more room for error, and an error may not ruin the yield, while when conducting a scientific experiment any small errors may skew the results of the experiment.
Pasta is a simply a process of basically manipulation of flour. Flour contains starch and gluten which are proteins, as well as proteins from egg. When kneading the dough the gluten develops allowing the gluten proteins to organize themselves into a network. When rolling pasta by hand it has to sit for the gluten to orient. With a pasta roller, the developing gluten is structured into flat sheets faster. When the pasta is ready to be boiled, due to the process called nucleation, bubbles form in the water and the pasta cooks. This is a chemical process because the molecular structure of the starches changes as the pasta cooks; resulting in a softer more malleable textured pasta.
In what way(s) are cooking and doing science similar and in what way(s) are they different? How are a cook and a food scientist similar or different?
Cooking and food science is very similar in the way that when following a recipe, much like when conducting an experiment, you have to have as exact measurements as possible in order to get the best yield. Cooking is different in the way that I feel there is a little more room for error, and an error may not ruin the yield, while when conducting a scientific experiment any small errors may skew the results of the experiment.
Water Quality in the Animas River Watershed
Reflection:
What new information did you learn through doing this project?
Our story focussed on the water quality issue Eutrophication, specifically the effect of Eutrophication on aquatic health in the Animas. For this we had to do a bunch more research, we needed to find a lot of information to be able to explain Eutrophication in a brief but easy to understand way; because of this I think I really pushed myself to further develop my understanding of the eutrophication process. I also learned a lot about the creative process for making a book, I have never made a book before so it was a very new process to me creating character designs, a storyboard, a complete script, an artist statement, and several other drafts that were essential to producing a prototype that properly demonstrates our vision for a educational, beautiful, and refined final product. I also would say I learned a bunch about the process of water treatment, and the durango water treatment plant specifically, due to the overall focus of this project, learning about why water treatment is important, and the processes that water undergoes before being released from a treatment plant.
What new skills or dispositions did you learn from this project?
Skills I learned and improved on throughout this project were; research synthesization, appropriate time management, breaking up the work appropriately between people, and overall group task management. I learned new methods of researching topics, and extracting just the important points, and then compiling all relevant information on my topic. This made it very easy to move past the research phase, because we had all of our evidence, research, and extra info compiled in one doc and well synthesized. This made it easier for me to quickly learn to explain our topic, and describe it using my own words. Doing the sketches for our characters really pushed me to improve my design skill, specifically my skills in the program Adobe Illustrator, as this was the program my group decided we wanted our illustrations created on. I had to independently watch a lot of tutorials to learn new skills, as well as troubleshoot and get refinements with the help of Roxy, the Digital Arts teacher here at AHS.
To what extent is the study of water quality an important topic to investigate in school and in a chemistry class in particular? Consider that you are citizens, soon to be of voting age, of this city, state and country.
In my opinion, water quality is a particularly important topic to investigate/learn about as students. Learning about it in chemistry class just furthers our understanding for the complexity of these issues, the causes and effects of water quality issues, and how exactly they pose such a problem to us. Without understanding these things, or at least being exposed to them enough to create a curiosity, there will not be motivation, nor the passion, to seek to develop new and revolutionary solutions to the issues we are facing surrounding water quality. Having volunteered internationally to help people with few resources get access to clean water I have seen firsthand that water quality is a very important issue for people worldwide.
Our story focussed on the water quality issue Eutrophication, specifically the effect of Eutrophication on aquatic health in the Animas. For this we had to do a bunch more research, we needed to find a lot of information to be able to explain Eutrophication in a brief but easy to understand way; because of this I think I really pushed myself to further develop my understanding of the eutrophication process. I also learned a lot about the creative process for making a book, I have never made a book before so it was a very new process to me creating character designs, a storyboard, a complete script, an artist statement, and several other drafts that were essential to producing a prototype that properly demonstrates our vision for a educational, beautiful, and refined final product. I also would say I learned a bunch about the process of water treatment, and the durango water treatment plant specifically, due to the overall focus of this project, learning about why water treatment is important, and the processes that water undergoes before being released from a treatment plant.
What new skills or dispositions did you learn from this project?
Skills I learned and improved on throughout this project were; research synthesization, appropriate time management, breaking up the work appropriately between people, and overall group task management. I learned new methods of researching topics, and extracting just the important points, and then compiling all relevant information on my topic. This made it very easy to move past the research phase, because we had all of our evidence, research, and extra info compiled in one doc and well synthesized. This made it easier for me to quickly learn to explain our topic, and describe it using my own words. Doing the sketches for our characters really pushed me to improve my design skill, specifically my skills in the program Adobe Illustrator, as this was the program my group decided we wanted our illustrations created on. I had to independently watch a lot of tutorials to learn new skills, as well as troubleshoot and get refinements with the help of Roxy, the Digital Arts teacher here at AHS.
To what extent is the study of water quality an important topic to investigate in school and in a chemistry class in particular? Consider that you are citizens, soon to be of voting age, of this city, state and country.
In my opinion, water quality is a particularly important topic to investigate/learn about as students. Learning about it in chemistry class just furthers our understanding for the complexity of these issues, the causes and effects of water quality issues, and how exactly they pose such a problem to us. Without understanding these things, or at least being exposed to them enough to create a curiosity, there will not be motivation, nor the passion, to seek to develop new and revolutionary solutions to the issues we are facing surrounding water quality. Having volunteered internationally to help people with few resources get access to clean water I have seen firsthand that water quality is a very important issue for people worldwide.
artist Design Statement:
Names: Lily B., Ari L., and Grace F.
TITLE OF BOOK: Juan and the Oxygen-Sucking Green Monster Goob
ELEVATOR PITCH:
We are creating a multigenerational storybook about how eutrophication affects aquatic life in the Animas River. Eutrophication is a discharge of phosphorus or nitrogen into a water system, creating an overabundance of nutrients in the water, excessive amounts of these nutrients stimulate plant growth, causing drastic changes to the physical environment of the river, as well as depleting oxygen content from the water. This can have adverse effects on the health of aquatic life within the ecosystem. The real world and local connection that our topic has is the wastewater treatment plant because it will highlight the need we have for phosphorus regulation and how that need will be met by the waste water treatment plant.
I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO LEAVE WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Our intention is for the audience to walk away from our project with a stronger understanding of just one of the many positive impacts that the Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility will have on our community. Because our story book focuses on a very specific problem that aquatic life in the Animas River face, our hope is that the audience will leave with a solid understanding of eutrophication and what needs to be done to minimize it. After reading the story, individuals should feel inspired, as well as optimistic to the prospect of phosphorous regulations that may come with the SRWRF. We also would like our audience to become more curious as to what else there is to know about the health of the Animas River and the aquatic life that thrives within this river. Our audience should feel that there are solution that can be taken in order to better the health of the river, or at least curious about what we are doing to protect the health of our river systems, and ways we could possibly be doing better.
THE STORY MY EXHIBIT TELLS IS?
When we began this project, we chose early on to focus on aquatic life health in the Animas River. We began research on what in factors affect the aquatic life. We chose to focus on eutrophication, an excess of nutrients in the water that leads to the overgrowth of algae blooms. These algae blooms reduce the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water which is harmful and potentially lethal to fish and other aquatic plant life. As we conducted more research, we learned that the new SRWRF will include new phosphorous regulations, a key nutrient to eutrophication. These regulations will decrease the amount of phosphorus released into the river, and therefore reduce the effects of eutrophication in the watershed. The connection to the management of eutrophication in our new treatment plant seemed a useful place for education. We chose to create a story book about eutrophication because we felt it would be an effective way to reach younger children and encourage their awareness of our water’s health. Putting the concepts of eutrophication in simpler terms allows this concept to be accessible to a younger demographic but also comprehensive to an adult audience. We chose to create our characters with careful thought to the setting in which they exist. Old Sage Trout was intentionally made older and wiser so we could include a reference to the Gold King Mine Spill. We gave Juan his name as a tribute to the San Juan. We finally decided upon Caddis as a sidekick because we felt it would be beneficial to include more aspects of the River’s ecosystem. We created a book that is centrally focused around a local issue and sheds light on our ability to make improvements in our ecosystems. The new regulations of phosphorus that will be implemented are a success for not only Old Sage and Jaun, but for our community as well!
TARGET AUDIENCE:
Our target audience is firstly, Mountain Studies Institute and the greater Durango community as this project is being proposed for the additions to the new water treatment plant and is aimed to educate people about the proposal to minimize phosphorus. Our book appeals to a wide variety of audiences, including children, as it is a picture book, and environmentalists, as it is educational on the effects of eutrophication, an issue that is present worldwide. Our audience can either be people with prior knowledge of the subject or those who have not previously interacted with this content, both audiences will still be entertained with fun and intricate illustrations and an informative story. Whether or not individuals are already familiar with eutrophication, everyone should use a critical eye and search for the nuances in the story and characters. Audience members should approach the story with curiosity and interest.
INTERACTION LENGTH & STYLE OF ENGAGEMENT:
We would like the audience to not only look through the storyboard that we have presented to them, but sit with the story and the nuances of the characters and story. If the individual is so called, they should read each simple blurb about each of the ten pages that the book will contain. The entire time it will take to not only read an interesting story but learn about eutrophication in the process is about 5 minutes. The story itself should draw the audience in, it is a rather humorous story and because we have made it for all age groups, adults may find it more funny than children. The fact that the characters are lovable, relatable and “hometown heroes” of sorts will entice the reader to learn more and understand that these wonderful fish may actually be in danger and in need of our help. After reading the story from the perspective of a rainbow trout fry and an old sage trout and engaging with the pages through imagery, we hope the individual is convinced that Juan and Old Sage Trout must be protected.
DEFENSE:
Our story deserves to be featured because it can appeal to a wide range of age groups, and it is simple enough for a younger generation to understand. It is visually appealing and easily comprehensible and it gives a lot of information on an otherwise underrepresented subject. Because our story focuses so closely on only one problem, rather than multiple issues, affecting the Animas River, it will be precise and succinct and aid the audience to better understand.
TITLE OF BOOK: Juan and the Oxygen-Sucking Green Monster Goob
ELEVATOR PITCH:
We are creating a multigenerational storybook about how eutrophication affects aquatic life in the Animas River. Eutrophication is a discharge of phosphorus or nitrogen into a water system, creating an overabundance of nutrients in the water, excessive amounts of these nutrients stimulate plant growth, causing drastic changes to the physical environment of the river, as well as depleting oxygen content from the water. This can have adverse effects on the health of aquatic life within the ecosystem. The real world and local connection that our topic has is the wastewater treatment plant because it will highlight the need we have for phosphorus regulation and how that need will be met by the waste water treatment plant.
I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO LEAVE WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Our intention is for the audience to walk away from our project with a stronger understanding of just one of the many positive impacts that the Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility will have on our community. Because our story book focuses on a very specific problem that aquatic life in the Animas River face, our hope is that the audience will leave with a solid understanding of eutrophication and what needs to be done to minimize it. After reading the story, individuals should feel inspired, as well as optimistic to the prospect of phosphorous regulations that may come with the SRWRF. We also would like our audience to become more curious as to what else there is to know about the health of the Animas River and the aquatic life that thrives within this river. Our audience should feel that there are solution that can be taken in order to better the health of the river, or at least curious about what we are doing to protect the health of our river systems, and ways we could possibly be doing better.
THE STORY MY EXHIBIT TELLS IS?
When we began this project, we chose early on to focus on aquatic life health in the Animas River. We began research on what in factors affect the aquatic life. We chose to focus on eutrophication, an excess of nutrients in the water that leads to the overgrowth of algae blooms. These algae blooms reduce the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water which is harmful and potentially lethal to fish and other aquatic plant life. As we conducted more research, we learned that the new SRWRF will include new phosphorous regulations, a key nutrient to eutrophication. These regulations will decrease the amount of phosphorus released into the river, and therefore reduce the effects of eutrophication in the watershed. The connection to the management of eutrophication in our new treatment plant seemed a useful place for education. We chose to create a story book about eutrophication because we felt it would be an effective way to reach younger children and encourage their awareness of our water’s health. Putting the concepts of eutrophication in simpler terms allows this concept to be accessible to a younger demographic but also comprehensive to an adult audience. We chose to create our characters with careful thought to the setting in which they exist. Old Sage Trout was intentionally made older and wiser so we could include a reference to the Gold King Mine Spill. We gave Juan his name as a tribute to the San Juan. We finally decided upon Caddis as a sidekick because we felt it would be beneficial to include more aspects of the River’s ecosystem. We created a book that is centrally focused around a local issue and sheds light on our ability to make improvements in our ecosystems. The new regulations of phosphorus that will be implemented are a success for not only Old Sage and Jaun, but for our community as well!
TARGET AUDIENCE:
Our target audience is firstly, Mountain Studies Institute and the greater Durango community as this project is being proposed for the additions to the new water treatment plant and is aimed to educate people about the proposal to minimize phosphorus. Our book appeals to a wide variety of audiences, including children, as it is a picture book, and environmentalists, as it is educational on the effects of eutrophication, an issue that is present worldwide. Our audience can either be people with prior knowledge of the subject or those who have not previously interacted with this content, both audiences will still be entertained with fun and intricate illustrations and an informative story. Whether or not individuals are already familiar with eutrophication, everyone should use a critical eye and search for the nuances in the story and characters. Audience members should approach the story with curiosity and interest.
INTERACTION LENGTH & STYLE OF ENGAGEMENT:
We would like the audience to not only look through the storyboard that we have presented to them, but sit with the story and the nuances of the characters and story. If the individual is so called, they should read each simple blurb about each of the ten pages that the book will contain. The entire time it will take to not only read an interesting story but learn about eutrophication in the process is about 5 minutes. The story itself should draw the audience in, it is a rather humorous story and because we have made it for all age groups, adults may find it more funny than children. The fact that the characters are lovable, relatable and “hometown heroes” of sorts will entice the reader to learn more and understand that these wonderful fish may actually be in danger and in need of our help. After reading the story from the perspective of a rainbow trout fry and an old sage trout and engaging with the pages through imagery, we hope the individual is convinced that Juan and Old Sage Trout must be protected.
DEFENSE:
Our story deserves to be featured because it can appeal to a wide range of age groups, and it is simple enough for a younger generation to understand. It is visually appealing and easily comprehensible and it gives a lot of information on an otherwise underrepresented subject. Because our story focuses so closely on only one problem, rather than multiple issues, affecting the Animas River, it will be precise and succinct and aid the audience to better understand.