Engaging Video-Based Science Menu for Middle & High School – Perfect for Pre-Holiday Lessons or Sub Plans.

This Google Slides lesson uses short, curated videos to examine the science behind common Thanksgiving foods through a structured student-choice format. Students select from a set of food-based investigations and analyze each topic using guided questions.

Students choose from approximately twelve food-related science topics and:

• watch short, kid-friendly videos

• answer content-based and reasoning questions

• explain the scientific processes involved in cooking and flavor

Topics include examples such as:

• the Maillard reaction and browning

• the chemistry of sweetness

• why garlic smells the way it does

• how cookies and other baked goods form

• and other Thanksgiving-related food science phenomena

The lesson is organized as a choice board, with a recommended number of activities to complete while allowing flexibility based on time and instructional goals. Each food icon links to a slide with multiple related videos, allowing students to explore a topic in greater depth before returning to the main menu.

This lesson is designed to support:

• application of chemistry and biology concepts to everyday food

• explanation of familiar phenomena using scientific ideas

• engagement through structured student choice

• short-form analysis of multimedia science sources

It functions well as:

• a seasonal science activity

• an enrichment or review task

• a low-prep digital choice board lesson

The format allows students to connect classroom science to real-world experiences while practicing explanation and interpretation rather than passive viewing.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SCHOOL/DISTRICT ALLOWS YOUTUBE ACCESS BEFORE PURCHASE.

Grade Recommendation

Ideal For:

• Middle School: Grades 7–8

• High School: Grades 9–10 (as enrichment, sub plans, or seasonal engagement activity)

Rationale:

• The videos involve accessible science explanations, suitable from grade 6 up

• High school students can go deeper into biochemical concepts (Maillard reaction, capsaicin, tryptophan, fermentation)

To preview this lesson, click here.

Cross-Curricular Connections

ELA:

• Students summarize scientific videos

• Evaluate claims in media

• Respond to open-ended questions using evidence from video content

Culinary Arts / FACS:

• Food preparation reactions (Maillard reaction, cooking veggies, frying turkey)

• Flavor chemistry (sweetness perception, white chocolate composition)

Social Studies / Culture:

• Exploration of cultural foods and traditions

• Connections between food science and historical cooking methods

Possible Extensions

• Add a research mini-project: “Choose a Thanksgiving food and explain the science behind how it cooks or tastes.”

• Add a CER writing prompt for any of the choices.

• Students could design a science-of-food infographic for their class.
  

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NGSS Standards (Including CCCs + SEPs)

This choice board covers many different topics, so alignment is flexible.
The lesson strongly aligns to NGSS through analysis, explanation, and media comprehension.

Relevant Performance Expectations (dependent on student choices)

MS-PS1-2 — Chemical reactions (Maillard reaction, cooking vegetables, frying turkey)
MS-LS1-7 — Food as energy (digestion of tryptophan, taste perception)
MS-LS1-8 — Sensory receptors (hot pepper pain, taste buds)
HS-PS1-4 — Chemical processes and thermal energy
HS-LS1-2 — Structure and function (receptors for taste/pain)
HS-LS1-6 — Chemical reactions in living systems (fermentation/cheese-making)

Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs)

• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information: Students synthesize information from videos.

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Interpreting scientific explanations in multimedia.

• Constructing Explanations: Explaining food chemistry and biological processes.

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)

• Cause and Effect:

  • Why foods brown (Maillard reaction)

  • Why peppers cause pain

  • Why garlic affects breath

• Structure and Function:

  • Taste receptors

  • Cheese-making bacteria

  • Chocolate chemistry

• Energy and Matter:

  • Heat transfer in frying

  • Breakdown of nutrients

  • Chemical reactions in cooking

Common Core Standards 

ELA / Literacy in Science

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 / RST.9-10.7
Integrate multimedia information from science videos.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 / WHST.9-10.2
Write explanatory responses using scientific reasoning.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9 / WHST.9-10.9
Draw evidence from informational texts (or multimedia) to support analysis.