In this Activity students investigate flavorings by making artificial "cooked apples" from a mixture of crackers, sugar, cream of tartar, and water, as is done for the filling in recipes for Mock Apple Pie. Students make mixtures with one or two crackers, taste the result, and adjust the amounts of sugar and cream of tartar to improve the flavor and try to match the flavor of cooked apples as nearly as possible. The mixture looks much like applesauce. Students then ask people who are not aware of the nature of the Activity to taste the mixture. Many people will believe that it does contain apples.
The Activity can be extended to include pie baking and more taste testing.
The "Chemistry Teacher Connection" (CTC) is especially for high school chemistry teachers. For only $40/year, it offers an online-only subscription to CLIC along with membership in the Division of Chemical Education, normally $65/year. CTC subscribers receive access to all articles and supplements from 1996 through the current issue.
Through special arrangement with the ACS, JCE High School CLIC is now able to provide subscribers with online access to Chemical & Engineering News articles that have been selected specifically for secondary science instructors and their students.
Occasionally, collections of JCE back issues become available for donation to individual teachers, schools, or libraries. JCE matches collections with interested recipients. Recipients pay shipping costs or pick up the collection.