Educator Guide: Cellulose Helps Ice Cream Go Down Smooth

Chemistry May 7, 2022

image of a scoop of ice cream — Over time, large ice crystals form in ice cream and leave a grainy texture. Experiments with cellulose nanoparticles suggest they might keep the tasty treat from this unpleasant fate.

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About this guide

In this guide, students will learn about how food scientists are using chemistry to improve the texture of ice cream, discuss the science of ice cream on a molecular level and brainstorm testable scientific questions about favorite frozen desserts.

This Guide Includes:

The scoop on ice cream science

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Grainy ice cream is unpleasant. Plant-based nanocrystals might help,” which describes new research into improving the shelf life of ice cream. A version of the article, “Cellulose helps ice cream go down smooth,” appears in the May 7, 2022 & May 21, 2022 issue of Science News.

Ice cream under the microscope

Students will analyze and write a caption for microscope images of crystals in an ice cream–like solution, discuss how molecules behave as ice cream freezes and thaws, and pose scientific questions about one of their favorite frozen desserts.