***this is a FLEX course*** In this course we will learn about the scientific method by experimenting with various different types of candy. We will make predictions and a hypothesis, lay out the procedures, discuss observations, come to a conclusion, and suggest changes that could be made for each experiment. For each experiment, students will observe what happens to the candy over one week, recording observations in a scientific journal I will provide as well as sharing their experiment on the classroom wall. Students will post pictures, videos, and comments about their experiment and answer discussion questions. 

Week #1: scientific method - We will introduce the scientific method during week one, discussing the different procedures and concepts. During this week we will also begin an experiment that will continue until week 4: the rock candy experiment. With this experiment, students will create their very own rock candy wand with the use of sugar, water, food dye, candy flavoring, and skewers. By the end of the class, students will have created a tasty treat of various colors!

Week #2: candy coating experiment - Students will experiment with three different types of hard candy: skittles, M&Ms, and conversation hearts (or other hard candy-types likes Smarties). They will see what happens when the different candies are put into various bases, including water, soda, vinegar, and salt water.  We will work with the skittles separately, placing them on a dish in a circle, slowly adding water onto the plate and watching what happens to the skittles coating! We will work with the M&Ms separately as well, placing four different colored M&Ms in a cup of water and watching what happens to the color coating of the candy pieces.

Week #3: gummy experiments - Students will experiment with gummy bears, or any gummy shape, to determine what different bases do to the gummies. We will experiment with vinegar, water, salt water, and baking soda water. Students will use a worksheet to draw their gummies before and after being placed in the different water mixtures. We will also watch gummy worms dance in a cool experiment using baking soda and vinegar.

Week #4: jelly bean experiment - Students will experiment with jelly beans to discover what bases cause it to dissolve and how fast. We will have several cups filled with different bases such as water, sprite, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt water. 

Week #5: candy bar experiment - Students will experiment with candy bars during this week. Students can choose which candy bars they would like to work with (suggestions: TWIX, 3 Musketeers, Kit Kat, Snickers, Milky Way). We will discover whether certain candy bars sink or float. During this week students will also have the opportunity to gather all their left over candy and create a craft with it to share with their classmates. The craft may be a car, a robot, a house, or anything else your student can come up with. We will share these creations with the rest of the class. Each student will also share their completed rock candy!

- Throughout the course I will also be sharing interesting videos about candy: how it's made, cool facts, and more. 

Books:
Mars Family: M&M Mars Candy Makers By: Joanne Mattern
Fairy Floss: The Sweet Story of Cotton Candy By: Ann Ingalls
Illustrated by: Migy Blanco
Cocoa Bean to Chocolate By: Rachel Grack
The Candy Mafia By: Lavie Tidhar Illustrated by: Daniel Duncan
History Candy By: Katrina Streza Illustrated by: Mariano P
Cotton Candy Machines By: Charlotte Hunter
Science Candy By: Katrina Streza 
How Is It Made? Chocolate By: Erica Donner
Inside the Sugar Industry By: M.M. Eboch
Where are the Jelly Beans? By: Nancy Streza Illustrated by: Bree Paulson
Brands We Know: Hershey's By: Sara Green
The Chocolate Touch By: Patrick Skene Catling Illustrated by: Margot Apple
What a Scientist Sees By: Dona Herweck Rice Illustrated by: Timothy Bradley
Tools By: Xist Publishing
Prove It! By: Shirley Duke
I Use Science Tools By: Kelli Hicks
My Science Tools By: Julie K. Lundgren

Videos:
How to Make Bubblegum at Home
Are You Eating Candy Without Me?

- Throughout this class, students will engage with their peers through the use of Kahoots! and class wide games like Jeopardy! and BINGO. Nearpod will also be utilized to demonstrate what students have learned, engage in virtual field trips, and allow for classmate interaction. 

- Students will also post their completed crafts and assignments for their classmates to comment on. Students will follow along with various crafts such as coloring pages, multimedia crafts, informative diagrams, cut and paste crafts, and so much more! We will engage in activities such as interactive google presentations, mini info books, and super exciting experiments! 

- Also shared in the classroom will be exciting videos for students to watch and learn from, guided questions will be attached to each video. 

- Anchor charts will be used as visuals.

(this FLEX course includes the live meeting lessons, Candy Coating Experiment, What Causes a Jelly Bean to Disappear?, and Gummy Bear Growth)