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 and record their observation in provided worksheets. 

Week #1: We will introduce the scientific method using a short animated video and discuss the different components of the scientific method and what it means to be a scientist. I will introduce all of the experiments we will be working on and outline the required materials. 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 5-week, students will have created a tasty treat of various colors!

Week #2: 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. (Available in a one-day class, Sweet Science: Candy Coating Experiment ONLY).

Week #3: 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: 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. 

Week #5: 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. At the end of this live meeting, students will also have the opportunity to share their rock candy with the rest of the class and taste their creation that was four weeks in the making!

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?