Natural soap

Type of resource: website

Web address https://www.coopeureka.it/attivita-steam/

Language: EN

Description

Exploring nature through the senses, discovering the passages of matter and basic chemical reactions.

Scientific concept introduced

solidification, fusion, liquid, collaborative learning, solutions, chemical reactions

Creative and critical thinking

Critical thinking: Analysis, Observation, Comparison, Problem solving

Creative thinking: Manipulation, Curiosity

Mathematical reasoning

Measurement, Time calculation

Scientific thinking

– Asking questions
– making assumptions

– experimenting
– recognising quantities
– comparing results

Learning how to learn

– Collaborate in a group
– Carry out an experiment
– Follow instructions
– Ask questions about the states of aggregation of elements
– Recognise and use the senses and know how to communicate them to others

Additional

– working in groups
– asking for help
– negotiating in case of conflict
– respect for others
– distributed leadership

Natural soap

Overall aims

– enable pupils to explore the senses and recognise them
– enable pupils to explore and understand state transitions
– developing pupils’ ability to listen and compare notes within the working group
– follow the teacher’s instructions
– working in a team respecting roles
– stimulate manipulation
– making something creative and personal
– metacognitive reflection

Vocabulary – keywords should be understood

states of aggregation/passages of state, liquids and solids, cooperative learning, ginger, honey, vanilla, orange, lemon, stencils, water, soap flakes.

Expected learning outcomes (operational aims)

the child/student will be able to:
– Carrying out an experiment
– Investigating transitions
– Discuss the experiment and draw conclusions
– Exploring the senses and recognising them

the child/student will have developed the ability to:
– Working together as a team
– Scientific observation
– Respect for rules and directions

STEM skills – to which the learning unit is related to

CORE STEM SKILLS

Doing the experiment
Observe and discover cause-effect relationships
Calculate weight, measurement and time
Asking questions
Hypothesising the results
Observing the aesthetic result of an experiment

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Cooperative work
Listening to the advice of others
Manipulation
Making shapes
Respect for others

Teaching methodologies/activity outline

Introduction:
By activating the five senses, the children will analyse the characteristics of each material and will be asked where the chosen materials can be found in everyday life.
Presentation of the experiment to be put into practice, named: “The natural soap bar”.
The experiment will be used to make a bar of soap and to understand the changes of state in the elements.

Activities:
The teacher will explain the experiment to the pupils. The class is divided into 4 groups in which each group has its own role (leader, voice controller, mediator…) and each group will have its own essence to use in making the soap.

Material:
120 g of soap flakes (you can recover used soaps in your home);
90 g water;
40 g honey;
ginger and vanilla powder to taste
lemon and orange flavourings to taste;
a glass jug;
a small saucepan;
a wooden spoon;
balance;
stencils.

Instructions:
1. Each group boils for one minute 90 g of water and honey with the flavour of their choice.
Question: What is one minute in seconds? 1minute=…seconds;

2. Pour the liquid into a container

3. Add 120g of soap flakes Question: How do we calculate the right amount? Note to teacher: use of scales

4. Place the container in a pot of boiling water. Question: What happens to the soap flakes in boiling water?

5. When the soap flakes have dissolved, stir well.

6. Pour the contents into containers or moulds on a cutting board and leave to cool. Question: What happens to the contents once they have cooled?
Each child takes their own soap out of the mould

Conclusions:
at the end of the experiment the children discuss together what they have learnt and how they worked as a group. Each group documented the activity by taking pictures of the soaps, which will be hung up in the classroom.

Assessment of learning

Debriefing between pupils and teacher; observation by teacher

Equipment and materials to be used in learning unit (tools, ingredients etc)

– Water
– Caster sugar
– High glass beakers (one for each pupil)
– Food colours (red, blue, yellow, green, purple)
– Washing wheels
– Skewer sticks (one each)
– Balance
– Aromas
– Spoon (one each)
– Misurino
– Cooker