CONSUMER CHEMISTRY

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET #3

Convenience Food and the Role of Preservatives

I. Objectives:

✓ Explain the adverse effects of consuming products with food preservatives and
additives (Integrated with writing a library or internet research paper).
✓ Write a library or internet research paper.

Time Frame/Duration: 2 weeks

II. Notes

Read thoroughly the selections below and answer the guide questions that follow.

A. Introduction to Writing a Library (Internet) Research Paper

Library (or Internet) Research Paper

Research Paper

The format of the research paper will be more formal than the essays you have written, and
much greater consideration should be given to evidence to support the ideas or opinions. It is
essential that you demonstrate an informed knowledge of your topic based on sources you have
researched in the library. The primary objective in writing a research paper is the clear
communication of ideas expressed orderly, smoothly and in a precise manner. By developing
your ideas clearly and logically, your reader can follow you from one thought to the next,
without confusion or ambiguity. Be precise in your word usage. The aim of research writing is
the efficient communication of ideas. Do not use long technical phrases just to sound scientific,
especially if you do not understand what they mean.

A research paper is usually written in the past tense, but there are times when present tense
may be called for. It is a good idea to use one tense or the other consistently within the paper.
In striving to achieve readable prose, avoid both strings of short, choppy, declarative sentences
and interminably long sentences with innumerable clauses.

Pitfalls to watch for:

1. Avoid the use of colloquial expressions or slang such as “awesome”. They are usually
too informal and sound juvenile.
2. Avoid references to yourself such as "I believe," "I hate it," "I think," "in my opinion”
etc.
3. Try to be clear and be economical in the use of words in the sentence. However, this
does not mean you should be so cryptic that it is difficult to discern the meaning of
your ideas.
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 4. Avoid the use of too many qualifiers, e.g., "totally awesome."
5. Expressing strong personal opinions without supportive evidence.

Format of your paper.

You should have at least 12 references from academic journals and books cited in your
paper. The paper must be typed with one-inch margins, double spaced, using a 12 pt. New
Times Roman font should contain approximately 8 pages of text, excluding references.

Introduction

The introductory paragraph should convey to your reader what you are going to cover in your
paper. Usually, an introduction will have a thesis or focus, or a generalization that will be
proved or developed in the body of the paper. A good introduction will provide a smooth
transition for the reader into the body of your paper and should make the reader want to
continue to read your paper.

Body of the paper

In the body of your paper, present and develop your thesis in an organized logical manner.
Be sure to review specific concepts and ideas that are relevant to your thesis (research) and
provide your readers with enough background knowledge so that they will have a clear
understanding of what you will be discussing. Pay special attention to overall organization and
make smooth, logical transitions between paragraphs. Headings are often very useful to
provide your paper with an organization.

Summary and conclusions

The final section of your paper is the summary and conclusions which provides your reader
with a transition out of the paper. You should remind your reader of your initial thesis,
summarize the major issues raised in the body, and state your conclusions. A good concluding
section should leave the reader satisfied with your summary and conclusions even though they
may disagree with them.

References

The last page of your paper contains the references you used for your paper. This page
should have the word "References," centered at the top of the page. The basic format is as
follows:

Books:
Last Name, Initials. (Year). Title. Journal Name, Volume number, pages.

Example:

Martin, D. M. (1996). How to drive students crazy through writing assignments. Journal of
Barbaric Teaching Methods, 9, 666-999.
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 Internet:

Website/page title. Retrieved from <URL> on <date>.

Example:

How to name organic compounds using the IUPAC rules. Retrieved from
http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/GenChemReferences/nomenclature_rules.html... On
October 14, 2020.

Citations

Citing references in the body of the paper should have the following format. "In his usual
creative manner, Martin has developed an excellent vehicle to test the mettle of the average
college student (Martin, 1996)." If you use a direct quotation from your source provide the
page number.
“No student comes out of this course without a brain change” (Martin, 1996, p. 668).

Guide Questions:

1. What is the difference between a library research paper from a scientific research
paper?
2. Why should you avoid using the words in the “pitfalls to watch for” section in your
research paper?
3. What are the basic parts of a library research paper?

B. Adverse effects of consuming foods with preservatives and additives

Eating instant foods like bread, canned goods, noodles, and the like, has become a part of
our everyday living. Foods like these contain preservatives or food additives to maintain or
improve their safety, freshness, taste, texture, or appearance thus providing for ample time for
consumption before they expire. However, claims of adverse effects of consuming foods with
preservatives and additives are common in the social media and on the internet making
consumers to think over their consumption.

As a learner enrolled in a consumer chemistry subject, make a library or internet research

on these adverse effects to enlighten consumers.

III. Activities

Make a library or internet research paper following the format given in “II. Notes - A.
Research Paper” section of this Learning Activity Sheet.

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 Criteria for grading paper
Mechanics. One point will be deducted for each infraction.
• Physical Format such as margins, headings, etc. (5 points maximum).
• Punctuation and Spelling (5 points maximum).
• Incorrect Grammar (5 points maximum).
• Incorrect Citations (5 points maximum).
• Use of Euphemisms, Jargon, or Slang (5 points maximum).
• Improper Length (5 points maximum).

Writing Style points will be added on the following basis.

• The first paragraph introduces the topic of the paper and generates interest in the
reader (5 points maximum).
• Each paragraph expresses a basic idea that is coherent and well developed (10 points
maximum)
• Transitions between paragraphs are smooth. Paragraphs demonstrate an overall
organization of the ideas expressed that builds throughout the paper (10 points
maximum).
• Terms and ideas are detailed so as to provide a clear understanding of the topic (1 -
10 points).

Content points will be added on the following basis.

• The paper sufficiently reviews the literature on the topic and uses reputable academic
sources for the majority of the ideas expressed in the paper (15 points maximum).
• The paper is informative, written in an interesting manner, uses empirical evidence to
make main points, and shows evidence of the author’s expertise in the subject matter
(20 points maximum).

IV. References

http://homepages.gac.edu/~dick/classes/gender/Writing/Assign-
single%20Research%20paper.pdf

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-additives

Prepared by: Checked and Reviewed:

____________________ ____________________
ABRAM B. BARANGAN THELMA S. RUGUIAN
Subject Teacher Head Teacher III

Note: Practice personal hygiene and health protocols always.

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