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Hello, my name is Kathryn Christy, and I am a pre-service educator in my fourth year of my undergraduate education.

Alongside three of my peers, I recently presented at a booth at the Cedar Valley STEM Festival at Wartburg College. Our topic was candy science, and we had a demonstration showcasing how water dissolves the sugar from skittles. We also gave a handout with other candy-based experiments, such as dancing gummy worms and candy chromatography.

What are some of your favorite science / chemistry experiments involving candy? How is the inclusion of sugar beneficial and harmful in science?

My students like to find the % sugar in gum. Also with gum you can give them a piece of gum and have them chew it and then give them a piece of chocolate to chew WITH the gum and the gum should start to dissolve which intros like dissolves like (why use peanut butter to get gum out of hair). I think inclusion of sugar is benefical because it makes a relevant connection with students and is something easily accessible leading students to be able to repeat certain labs/demos with their families.