Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District: Student Learn About Science By Making Ice Cream-In-A-Bag

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

September 29, 2021

Unless it is a cooking class, making ice cream in the classroom is not a typical school-related activity, but at Jodi Shearer’s eighth grade science class at Briarcliff Middle School, it is part of the curriculum.

In their chemical engineering unit, which is a part of Project Lead the Way’s Science of Technology curriculum, students apply chemistry concepts to STEM activities and hands-on projects. Recently, they created ice cream in a bag and learned about what happens to milk and cream in certain temperatures.

The students began putting ice cubes into a gallon-sized plastic bag and used thermometers to check the temperature. Five minutes later they added salt and checked the temperature again. They recorded the two temperatures on the whiteboard.

Next, they put milk, cream and sugar into another plastic bag and put that bag into the bag with the ice cubes and salt.

Then came the fun part: students shook the bag and tossed it around for five minutes to ensure the ice was cooling the milk mixture. Elias and Aidan enjoyed tossing the bag to one another like it was a football, while wearing an over mit.

“I can also shake it violently or massage it,” Elias said. “It’s so cold,” he added.

“Adding salt to the ice creates the perfect temperature for the milk and cream to solidify and turn into ice cream,” explained Ms. Shearer. “Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius, whereas milk and cream freeze at negative 0.55 degrees Celsius, so the salt makes the ice get to that temperature very quickly.”

Soon, the mixture began to solidify and students poured it into bowls and added toppings, such as caramel, strawberries, cookie dough and chocolate syrup.

“The students did some research before they began this and learned about chemical engineering” explained Ms. Shearer. “Last week they made yogurt and they will also make glue and test out the different types,” she added.

Making glue and yogurt is great fun but the ice cream seemed to be a big hit with the students, who generously poured on the toppings on the ice cream they had just made.

“It tastes like ice cream at the store,” a student named Riley said.

“It’s good,” Elias said. When asked if he thinks he can make this ice cream at home, he responded “Easily.”

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.