Pizza explorer delivers the works

NEA Today, Feb 2002

The quickest route to getting middle school and high school students interested in science just might be through their stomachs.

At least that's what Bruce Watkins, a Purdue University nutrition researcher and food science professor, thinks.

Watkins knew that teachers in the Lafayette, Indiana schools were always looking for more relevant science content. With funding from the Institute for Food Technologists, Watkins decided to cook up "The Pizza Explorer" Web site.

Imaginative cartoon characters introduce children visiting the site to a virtual pizza topped with the works. By clicking on any food ingredient, kids can learn its history, USDA nutritional assessment, and chemistry. They also learn how the food is processed. Once this information has been digested, kids can choose to take an amusing video game quiz conducted by the cartoon characters.

For More: Visit www.efph.purdue. edu/pizza/ or www.accessexcellence. com/pizza/ to see the Pizza Explorer. E-mail Watkins at watkins@foodsci. purdue.edu.