Here is a fun lab I found over the internet years ago! I highly recommend this lab because, one, it is an easy setup for the teacher, and two, because it is a great way for students to make the connection between enzymes and their role in the body and the impact temperature can have on enzymes. The action of enzymes in food can be tested in this lab using three different pineapple samples and gelatin. Oh, and it is also inexpensive to do! A major plus. :)
I cannot stress enough how important it is to include labs/experiments for each unit in science. Students get the opportunity to apply science concepts learned in class to a hands-on-activity, which most students really enjoy. It beats a note-taking day, that’s for sure! And it also strengthens social building skills as they work together in groups with their classmates. Okay, so let’s talk about this lab!
Have you ever seen a box of gelatin with a warning on it not to use fresh pineapples with it? Some gelatin boxes have this warning on the back or side of the box. Most people, both kids and adults, don’t know that fresh pineapples have an enzyme called bromelain that can have an interaction with your JELL-O dessert.
For those who have seen or heard this, many probably don’t know the scientific reason behind the reason that pineapples and JELL-O don’t mix. In this experiment students will test fresh, canned, and frozen pineapples in gelatin then record and analyze the results of each sample as time passes. You may leave the results overnight in the fridge so students can see how the different samples of JELL-O’s look as more time passes.
Before assigning this lab to your students in class, have them first research what bromelain is, which fruits have it, and what this enzyme breaks down, or digests, or you can tell them this-up to you, depending on how much time you wish to spend on this activity. Also, teach them that gelatin is a protein and tell them where it comes from. Also, be sure to discuss what enzymes are and the role they play in our bodies.
If discussing the digestive system, teach them about the main digestive enzymes in the body-amylase, pepsin, and lipase and how they help chemically digest food. This is also a good experiment to do after teaching students the different ways enzymes are denatured. Knowing how an enzyme is denatured will help students understand the results of the gelatin with the canned pineapple. Having all this information beforehand will help them better understand the results of the experiment.
JELL-O Enzyme Lab. Again, this is the lab I use and have liked. There are others you can try.
All you need for this lab are:
●Plastic cups (Three per lab group)
●Jell-O (or another box of gelatin)
●Fresh Pineapples Cut in Cubes
●Canned Sliced or Cubed Pineapples
●Frozen Pineapples Cut in Cubes
●Tape (for labeling which type of pineapple is in each container)
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