The Chemistry and Cooking Exhibition was — well, it was an extravaganza.

• Why does hot sauce burn your tongue when it’s really cool?
• Why does a baked cake rise and why are some cookies hard and crispy while others are warm and gooey?
• How do you cook a perfect steak or soufflé?

Almost everyone would love to be a better cook, but becoming a Master Chef is hard work.  Almost everyone would love to know more about what happens when you mix two elements, but studying Chemistry can be SO BORING.

Acton’s answer to the conundrums above?  The Chemistry and Cooking Quest, where Middle School and Launchpad Eagles took on two worthy challenges for six weeks:

• Choosing a difficult dish to measure, combine and cook to perfection and
• Using the recipe and dish created to explain atoms, elements, molecules and chemical reactions.

Friday, each studio held a Chemistry and Cooking Exhibition: a Top Chef Cook-off and National Science Bowl Chemistry Quiz where teams competed to create surprise dishes while using models, drawings, simulations and descriptions to explain how Chemistry can help a chef.

A panel of judges ruled which one-minute Chemistry pitches qualified for extra ingredients or more preparation time as a studio audience cheered from the sidelines.

The better the pitch, the more points to construct a culinary masterpiece.

Science meets real life.

Deep science learning; practical cooking skills; teamwork and decision making under pressure — plus a lot of fun. That’s how we make science meaningful and enjoyable at Acton Academy.