Kate Strangfeld presents MRSEC Science and Cooking Teacher workshops

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) annual conference in Denver, Colorado

By Carole Mezian
March 24, 2024

The National Conference in Denver, Colorado, offered by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), was held on March 20-23, 2024. The conference sought to instill unparalleled inspiration, learning, and connection at the nation's best and most engaging professional learning event for science educators. Teachers are able to discover best practices and strategies to help shape the future of their work.

Kate Strangfeld is the Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development Lead at the Harvard MRSEC with the Science and Cooking for Secondary Educators Program. She attended the NSTA conference, and taught four 1-hour long workshops based on the curriculums she taught through the MRSEC workshops and the Science and Cooking workshops:

Using Food & Cooking to Make Sense of Science & Make It Relate to Students: The How & The Why

Authentically "do science" and relate it to students' lives through food-based labs

Making science fun, investigative, and connected to students' lives and interests through cooking and food (Bread and Yeast Labs)

Using Food & Cooking to Make Sense of Science: Fresh Cheese

NSTA Workshop Testimonies of Student Teachers

Student teachers were asked to answer workshop interest questions to access a lesson. See below for some responses.

Kate Strangfeld leading a workshop at NSTA.

Did this change your perspective on how you could teach science through food? Explain.

"It didn't change my perspective specifically (I was never against teaching science through food), but gave approachable ways to do this on small scales in the classroom. There's so many good pieces in here that can cover a lot of chemistry."

"Yes! Accessible while still working in rigorous science content."

Why are you interested in teaching science through food and cooking?

"I want to make chemistry more relevant and accessible (and fun!) to students."

"It is so accessible and engaging for kids!"

"Funds of knowledge and relevance for my students!"

"Increased engagement and real world connections"

What was your biggest takeaway from this workshop?

I love the different kinds of recipes used from places around the world. This makes it feel so much more inclusive!

Authorship, funding, disclosures

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation through the Harvard University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center grant DMR-2011754.