Chemistry: Acids, Bases and Teeth!

This week we begin our unit on Chemistry, talking about acids and bases. What are acids and bases? What do they have to do with candy? Using lego bricks to help explain, the kids learn that acids and bases have certain ingredients called elements (building blocks of creation) which make them acidic or base. We talk about how our food has different properties (sweet, sour, sticky, crunchy) and we talk about our teeth. The kids already know that some food is better for our teeth than others. We explore why.

Red cabbage water is a neutral solution that turns from purple to pink when an acid is added to it. We will test candies to see how acidic they are. We talk about how acidic and sticky foods can harm our teeth if we don't keep them clean. We will make "models" of our teeth (so cute)!

Our snack includes a little candy (we can't possibly conduct candy experiments without eating a little of it), as well as edible "dentures": apple slices, with cinnamon cream cheese and mini-marshmallows that look like teeth!  As we eat we will focus on how the food items feel on our teeth. A good topic since the kids are beginning to lose baby teeth and seeing their permanent ones arrive.  Happy, healthy eating!

Books We Read: What is the World Made of?, K.W. Zoehfeld;  I Know Why I Brush My Teeth, Kate Rowan

Next Week:Chemistry and Volcanoes