Making Toothpaste/

Making Toothpaste/ Terrific Teeth Part 1 MAKING TOOTHPASTE MAKING TOOTHPASTE MAKING TOOTHPASTE Organiser’s Card About the activity This activity has been designed to get children thinking about the various properties of toothpaste. The children have been sent a letter from the Bright Smile Toothpaste Company. MAKING They want TOOTHPASTE the investigators to help test out their latest recipe. The task asks them to: Talk about toothpaste ingredients. Make and test toothpaste. Write a letter (optional). Through this activity you will support your group to: • Think about what makes good toothpaste • Make their own toothpaste and test it to see how well it works • Record and present their results and share them with the group Kit list To make the toothpaste they will need: • Food grade baking soda (sodium bicarbonate NOT baking powder), cornflour, salt, glycerine, peppermint flavouring, food colouring, water, teaspoons, yoghurt pots or plastic beakers • Additional flavourings, colourings and spare ingredients so they can change their recipes • To avoid getting too messy they may need plastic aprons and gloves. To do the tests they will need: • Clean toothbrushes (not for teeth cleaning) • White tiles or old plates • Permanent markers or shoe polish • Extra plastic pots and/or plates • Covering for the tables

What to do MAKING TOOTHPASTE 1. Read the ACTIVITY CARD to familiarise yourself with the activity. 2. Check the Kit list and ensure you have the correct resources. 3. Set the scene by discussing the letter with the children. 4. Help children gather the equipment. 5. Encourage children to talk together about their ideas and their investigations 6. Encourage the children to experiment with different recipes for the toothpaste. 7. Encourage the children to make their own records. Things to think about The more you give children the more they will use! Regulate the quantity of the ingredients available at any one time. They may need to make more than one batch. Let the children make the toothpaste themselves. It doesn’t matter if they do not follow the recipe precisely. The best way to test the toothpaste is by using it to clean marks off a white plate or tile. They can use a marker pen or shoe polish. Keywords • Toothpaste • Cleaning • Chemistry • Taste • Smell Watch out! All ingredients must be new and equipment clean. Despite warning the children not to taste the toothpaste, some might do so! It MAKING should TOOTHPASTE only be tasted if you are certain it has been prepared hygienically. British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236