Investigating the Sense of Taste
kit #1280
This Lab-Aid is a highly motivating and fun-filled series of activities that allows students to discover a variety of concepts about themselves through their own sense of taste.
Using simple activities and working in teams, students study the relationship of smell to taste and how closely tied they are to each other. They then locate and “map” as well as identify, the areas of the tongue which detect the taste sensations of sweet, salty, bitter and sour. They discover that all taste buds are not sensitive to the same taste.
This kit consists of two complete student investigations, with additional activities suggested in the teacher’s manual.
A teacher must provide a fresh apple, potato and onion for the first investigation.
Fresh apple, onion, and potato needed.
Content List in Investigating the Sense of Taste is as follows:
Quantity | Description |
---|---|
1 | Teacher’s Guide with MSDS |
30 | Student Worksheets and Guides I and II |
120 | Cotton tipped applicators |
60 | Plastic dishes |
100 | Wood toothpicks |
4 | Drop control bottles of Bitter solution |
4 | Drop control bottles of Salty solution |
4 | Drop control bottles of Sour solution |
4 | Drop control bottles of Sweet solution |
- Number of students
- 30

To complete this kit requires one ~50-minute class period.