Science through the context of food

Explore a variety of carefully curated resources designed to teach science through the context of food. Many of these materials were developed as part of the pHood futures project in collaboration with The Royal Society of Chemistry, aimed at sparking interest in chemistry among pupils aged 11-14 and encouraging them to pursue it further.

We are delighted to offer these resources to all teachers as a part of the Food - a fact of life programme! These teaching materials can enhance your current curriculum or be used in extra-curricular activities, such as drop-down days or STEM clubs.

Our science packs cover key science principles within the context of food. They are designed to help students connect their knowledge of science with food and nutrition, fostering practical understanding through everyday experiences and the food that they buy, cook and eat.

In addition, there are four activities designed for parental engagement, that can be used at home or for extra-curricular activities with parents/carers and pupils. There is also information to encourage pupils to consider using their science knowledge as a future career choice.

For more resources for teaching and learning around the science of food, explore the 11-14 years Cooking and 14-16 years Food science sections.

Are you supporting your pupils through NEA1 this term? If so, why not read our blog which highlights some useful teaching materials. 

Discover what's available for your lessons below!

The ‘packs’ are PowerPoint presentations which provide information and stimulus for the pupils about the particular principle and then more detailed support for food and nutrition teachers and science teachers, along with links to resources to use in the classroom. The science teaching resources have been written with the support of a practising science teacher so provide guidance around planning, setting up and managing lessons using food as a context. There are also prompt sheets, worksheets and homework tasks.

The materials are suitable for teaching science through the context of food across the UK and support the National Curriculum in England (D&T: Cooking and Nutrition, Science), Wales (Health and Wellbeing, Science and Technology) and Northern Ireland (Learning for Life and Work (Home Economics), Science and Technology), the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland and the RSE and Health Education curriculum in England.

If you're looking to develop a deeper understanding of where food science fits into the curriculum, we've designed and written three food science courses that are free for teachers.

Functional properties of food

This course covers the key properties of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats - covering their uses in foods and how their characteristics enable the creation of different food products. It also contains information on enzymic browning and raising agents.

Food spoilage, hygiene and safety

This course covers the importance of hygiene and safety in the classroom, including information on food spoilage and food poisoning and how to prevent them. It also covers the beneficial ways that we use certain microorganisms to produce and enhance different foods.

Sensory science

This course covers how we perceive foods with our senses, and why sensory evaluation is an important tool when creating and testing food products.

You can find these courses and other courses that are free for teachers in our Training area.