FOOD SCIENCE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A UNIVERSITY-HIGH SCHOOL COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

The Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH) has recently launched a collaborative program among the University and High School centers called OSMOSIS in order to promote teaching innovation and to offer University infrastructure and equipment for high school advanced projects. The present work shows a case in which the Science Departments of the High School Jaime de Sant-Ángel form Redovan (Alicante, Spain), the AgroFood technology Department of UMH and the Didactic and Interactive Museum of Science Vega Baja (MUDIC) work on a Food Science STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) project under the OSMOSIS program. The University prepared a proposal based on traditional bread-making involving a traditional local bakery from Redovan. The project was designed for 4th grade (15-16 years) students. The project combines knowledge on food science (microbiology and food chemistry), food engineering (equipment design: mixers and ovens), using 7 different flour types for bread-making, and running chemical and sensory analysis at the University laboratories. Results are further analyzed and compared in order to establish relations among flour composition, and bread properties. Finally, students may present a report of the project in a science fair.

The activity was organized in 5 blocks of activities:
1) A traditional baker from Redovan presents his experience and explains traditional bread-making procedures to the students, high school and University faculty,
2) Presentation of the working schedule to students and science teachers,
3) The students attend to the University: make bread and analyze bread samples,
4) Data is processed back at High School and jointly corrected by University and High School faculty,
5) The students present the project in a science fair.

Although the present project was joined by the high school science departments (physics, chemistry and biology), it can be connected to several disciplines: economics, history, geography, as it relates ancient and modern technologies as well as local traditions, whereas including new sources of cereals and pseudo-cereals introduced in the recent years in the marketplace. We present the project in detail as an example of interdisciplinary collaborative project among University and High School.

Acknowledgements:
OSMOSIS Redovan project, Universidad Miguel Hernández 2017