How sweet it is! Is it possible for something that tastes so sweet to be bad for us? Young sweetener scientists get an in-depth look at aspartame with a video from the American Chemical Society's Reactions playlist. Content includes where they can find aspartame, how it breaks down in the body, and how much you would have to consume before your health is impacted (hint: a LOT).

Concepts

sugar, food science, food safety, healthy eating, us food and drug administration, cancer

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Continue the sweet trend by learning more about why things taste sweet in a video from the same series
• Ask pupils what they have heard about aspartame and other artificial sweeteners before viewing
  

Classroom Considerations

• Learners should have an understanding of how things break down through different body processes 
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The resource sheds light on a controversial food additive by providing well-documented experimental results
• Animations help viewers follow the chemical trail of aspartame from the time it enters the mouth and works its way through the body
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2