🎒Example from the Florida Lab Sustainable Laboratory

Students from First and Second Grade, Florida Lab Sustainable Laboratory, Contorno Urbano Association

In this activity, students explored the processes of extracting natural pigments using food waste and learned about the influence of temperature and pH on color development. Additionally, they reflected on the potential to reuse waste in artistic and practical creations. The activity concluded with the creation of Christmas cards and a collaborative mural.

Project Objectives

• Understand the process of extracting natural pigments and the factors influencing it, such as temperature and pH.

• Encourage reflection on the utilization of food waste.

• Stimulate creativity through the creation of sustainable artistic products.

• Promote teamwork through collaborative activities.

Introduction to the Issue of Waste

The session began with the screening of a video from the FoodShift Pathways project, highlighting the issue of food waste and its environmental impact. This served as a starting point to discuss ways in which waste can be transformed into valuable resources.

Students from Florida Lab Watching the Foodshift Pathways Video

Experimentation and Co-Creation Process

Pigment Extraction: We divided the students into five teams, each working with a different food waste material (red cabbage, blueberries, beetroot, onion skins, and spinach). They placed a sample of their material into two containers: one with hot water and the other with cold water. Using the P-Bit, they measured the temperatures and observed that hot water extracted more intense colors.

Effect of pH on Colors: They added a few drops of vinegar to one of the containers. For blueberries and red cabbage, they noticed a color change from blue-purple to red-pink, demonstrating how pH affects natural pigments.

Using the P-Bit, temperatures were measured, and it was observed that hot water extracted more intense colors.

Creating Watercolors: Using powdered pigments (previously dehydrated and ground) and gum arabic, each student created natural watercolors with the colors they had obtained.

Designing Holiday Cards and Collaborative Mural: With the watercolors ready, the students designed personalized holiday cards, decorating them with stars made from orange peels. Additionally, they created a collective mural representing their learnings and experiences during the activity.

Some of the completed holiday cards.

Reflections: To close the session, we spent a few minutes reflecting as a group on other ways to reuse food waste. Creative ideas emerged, such as making soaps, creating fabric dyes, or producing homemade fertilizers. These reflections highlighted the students' enthusiasm and commitment to finding new ways to use resources sustainably.

Conclusions: This activity allowed the students to explore the chemistry of natural pigments, apply technology (P-Bit) in a practical context, and reflect on the responsible use of food waste. It also fostered creativity, teamwork, and community connection.