With the marking pen, identify the bags as either taste or smell bags. Write “taste #1,” “taste #2,” and “taste #3” on three of the sacks and “smell #1,” “smell #2,” and “smell #3” on the other three sacks.
Divide jelly beans among the bags so that you have a “taste” bag and a “smell” bag for each of the three flavors. Taste #1 and smell #1 jelly beans should be the same, taste #2 and smell #2 should be the same, and so on. Crush a few of the “smell” jelly beans so the odor molecules can escape into the bag. Close the bags by folding down the top.
Before Testing: Choose three of your classmates as testers and give them each a sheet of paper. Instruct them to draw a data table with three columns and three rows. The columns should read: “smell only”; “taste only”; and “taste and smell.” The three rows should read: “flavor 1”; “flavor 2”; and “flavor 3.”
Taste Test: Instruct the testers to close their eyes and plug their noses. Choose one of the taste bags and instruct each tester to chew on a sample from this bag. In five seconds, ask them to record on their data table what flavor they believe the sample to be. Repeat the procedure for the remaining taste bags. A small sip of water between samples will help clear away the previous flavor and provide a more accurate test. If they cannot tell the flavor, have them record “unknown.”
Smell Test: Choose one of the “smell” sample bags. Have testers close their eyes, open the bag, and inhale the aroma for 10 seconds. Remove the bag and close the top tightly. Have your testers record the flavor of the sample on the data table. Make sure each of them repeats this procedure for the other two samples.
Smell and Taste Test: Use the #8220t;taste” bags again. Repeat the procedure as in step # 4, “Taste Test,” but do not have your testers hold their noses shut. Be sure, however, that they have their eyes closed. Ask them to record their guesses in the appropriate column on their data table.
Questions