This article describes a laboratory course designed for
nonmajors
with a focus on food chemistry. The course can be delivered in a traditional
format or in a fully remote, asynchronous format. The course is designed
for students to develop an understanding of how chemists view the
world and how chemists generate knowledge. Food chemistry was selected
as the topic because it taps into the popularity of food and cooking
in the larger culture, the topic directly connects to the lives of
students, and reagents and materials can be safely used and disposed
of at home. Although food and cooking are themes throughout the course,
it is not a cooking course; students use food as a medium for scientific
exploration. This course has been taught three times during summer
terms in 2019, 2020, and 2021 and has been well-received by students.
The course’s focus on learning the process of doing science
rather than content knowledge allows for course assessments to focus
on whether students are learning the scientific method (i.e., posing
and testing a hypothesis, identifying sources of error, determining
uncertainty, analyzing results, etc.).