Food Safety Scientist: A Dynamic STEM Educational Adventure

Real-life situations provide some of the greatest opportunities for students to learn how science impacts their life. Explore the common science and technological concepts in the development of a safe food supply within the classroom through the Food Safety Scientist Curriculum.

Engaging

The Food Safety Scientist Curriculum is intended to enhance the regular classroom curriculum. Educators are encouraged to pick and choose from the various educational tools to engage students in the STEM related field of food safety.

Scientists Needed

Food safety requires the need for scientists in the research laboratory, production practices, regulatory agencies, veterinarians, food product development and processing, meeting the demands of feeding the world, as well as preparing and serving food within the home. Educators in Science, Agriculture, and Family and Consumer Sciences utilize the components of the curriculum to help students explore STEM careers that keep food healthy and safe.

Free Curriculum

The curriculum is entirely free. Educators can access the website, download materials they want to use in their educational setting and change them to meet their needs. Components of the curriculum have been used in formal and informal educational settings as well as with various age levels. For example, the virtual labs of gram staining and using a microscope have been used with middle school students as well as introductory microbiology courses at colleges and universities across the United States.

Curriculum Components

The curriculum enhancement tool Food Safety Scientist includes the following components:

  1. Unit Guide to assist teachers in identifying the goals, objectives and standards (Next Generation Science Standards, and Career and Technical Education Classes) for each unit and individual learning experiences.
  2. Interactive Virtual Labs that include real-life situations that bring science, technology, engineering and math into the delivery of a safe food supply.
  3. Hands-on laboratory experiences that compliment the virtual labs. Providing the opportunity for students to gain real-life experiences and a greater understanding of the applications of STEM for food safety scientists.
  4. Exposure to careers related to the agricultural and food safety sciences.
  5. Discussion Guides for teachers to empower students to explore the various scientific concepts that are utilized to develop a safe food system.

Virtual Labs

Bacteria: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Manipulating pH Levels in Food

Corn Mold Aflatoxin

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Supporting Downloads

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