Tasty Visions

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In this activity (5th activity on the page), learners explore how what you see influences taste. In experiment 1, learners taste five sodas, one of which is clear soda with orange food coloring. Learners record what they taste and find out how many people tasted "orange" when they sipped the "trick" cup. In experiment 2, learners taste test pairs of jelly beans. One set of learners will be able to see the color of the jelly beans while tasting and the other set will not. How do these two groups compare? Use both experiments together or individually for any lesson on the senses.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 4 different flavored sodas and 1 unflavored, clear soda
  • Cups, napkins, or foil
  • Food Color
  • At least 4 different flavored jelly beans
  • Pen (to label cups and napkins)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Human Body
      • The Brain and Nervous System
    • Human Senses and Perception
      • Taste
      • Vision
      • Perception
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Food and Cooking

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • read
  • taste

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Chudler, Ph.D., Eric H.

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Eric H. Chudler, 2009