GRADES 4-8
CHOCOLATE ASPHALT COOKIES

Pained by potholes? Frustrated by miles of road construction? Students who attended the University of Nevada Reno's Women in Science Day gained a new appreciation for road construction through a unique engineering presentation.

Joanna Amboz came up with the idea and explains, "I was trying to think of a creative youth outreach activity that would interest students without scaring them away from engineering. I wanted to develop a hands-on activity related to my field of interest -- civil engineering with an emphasis in pavement and materials. Asphalt cookies were the perfect solution. Asphalt cookies are chocolate no-bake cookies. The process of making these cookies parallels the procedures used to produce asphalt pavements. Asphalt is a black sticky substance used in road construction to hold rocks together. When heated asphalt liquidifies; as it cools, it hardens and becomes solid. A mixture of asphalt and rocks make good roadway maternal after it hardens. The similarities between making cookies and preparing pavement include using a hot liquid added to a variety of dry ingredients and mixed together which when cooled hardens and gains strength.

While the first group of students was hesitant about trying to make their asphalt cookies, their success attracted many others to try making their own cookies. The presentation was a big hit with students and other presenters alike. Be sure to bring plenty of materials!

When she developed this lesson, Joanna Ambroz was a graduate student at the University of Nevada - Reno planning to complete her master's in civil engineering with an emphasis in paving and materials.