Cookie Chemistry!
Length: 1-3 Hours
Discipline: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Level: Introductory
Author: Amy Greene
Type: Problem
The PBL (Problem Based Learning) Cookie Chemistry activity was designed for the first two class periods of General Chemistry II lecture at Albright College. The exercise was designed to immerse students in group work on an interesting PBL problem related to every-day life. Students self-assigned group roles and responsibilities, and ended the class by reflecting on the benefits of group work. Students were asked to determine which of two brands of mini-cookies was healthier, determine the number of chocolate chips per cookie for each brand, and calculate the carbon dioxide produced from full metabolism of cookie sugars. Concepts covered or reviewed include unit conversions, balancing a chemical equation, an ideal gas law calculation, interpreting data from nutrition facts, experimental design and statistical thinking. This exercise could be adapted for an introductory biochemistry courses, non-majors chemistry courses, or high school level chemistry courses.