Food Science Lesson – What Makes Wings Spicy

Food Science Lesson - What Makes Wings Spicy

Last week my post about the science of barbecue got some good traction on social media. To start this week I’ll continue the food science theme by sharing a PBS Learning Media lesson about the science of hot wings

Some Like It Hot is a PBS Learning Media lesson that features a Compact Science video of the same name. As you might expect, the video explains what makes a food spicy and how the Scoville scale is used to indicate how spicy a food is. The video also explains the origins of Buffalo wings and why some people are less sensitive to spicy foods than others. You can watch the whole video as embedded below, on the PBS Learning Media page, or on the Compact Science YouTube channel. 

Applications for Education
The lesson plan that PBS Learning Media provides to go with the video doesn’t involve food at all. Instead, the lesson plan focuses on adaptations and perception of temperature. The lesson plan is intended for elementary school students.

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