Week 1
Lesson 1
Session 1 - Popsicles and the Invention Process
In Session 1, we'll learn about the invention of popsicles in the United States by an 11-year-old boy with an entrepreneurial spirit. From there, we'll introduce the 3 States of Matter (solid, liquid, gas) and discuss the unique qualities of the water molecule in each of these 3 states. We'll also learn about the paletas tradition in Mexico, which pre-dates the invention of popsicles in the U.S. Students will learn how to design their own popsicle recipes.
 Week 2
Lesson 2
Session 2 - The Invention of Refrigeration & Ice Cream Making
In this session, we'll learn about how refrigerators and freezers were invented. We'll discuss the underlying physics principle that enables them to work: that a liquid changing into a gas extracts heat from its surroundings. We'll also learn about how ice cream makers work, and the science of using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream! Students will be given recipes for making their own ice cream as optional "homework."
 Week 3
Lesson 3
Session 3 - Plasma and Bose-Einstein Condensate
In Session 3, we'll learn about the 4th state of matter: Plasma! Plasma is a gas that has been super-charged (through extreme heat or electricity) to become a mix of positive ions and free electrons. Stars are made of plasma, and the visible matter in the universe is actually 99% plasma! We'll find out how a Tesla-inspired Plasma Ball works. We will also touch on the 5th state of matter (Bose-Einstein Condensate) which has mainly been created in extremely cold laboratory conditions.
 Week 4
Lesson 4
Session 4 - Chocolate-Making, Tempering and Crystal Structures
In our final session, we'll learn about the Science of Chocolate Making and how chocolatiers use the States of Matter to grow the perfect chocolate crystals! The chocolate tempering process produces chocolates with the best sheen, strength and texture. We'll learn about the molecular crystal structures of cocoa butter, and how it can be carefully designed through temperature control and physical manipulation.