Elephant Toothpaste — Special Chemistry Lesson
Elephant Toothpaste — Special Chemistry Lesson https://sciencebob.com/fantastic-foamy-fountain/ Days: 1 Mode: Teacher demo + student observation Take-home: Observation/data sheet or foam-print art only
Teaching & key ideas
Key concepts: Catalysts, reaction rate, gas production, exothermic reactions.
Hook: Run a dramatic foamy fountain and have students identify evidence of a reaction.
Test / evidence: Students compare a controlled variable such as catalyst amount or temperature using teacher-run samples.
Variables to change: Catalyst amount; temperature; container shape.
Lesson flow
Lesson plan:
Day 1: Predict → teacher runs controlled reaction(s) → students record temperature/foam height/observations → discuss catalyst
Video:
Fantastic Foamy Fountain
Safety / cleanup:
Teacher handles chemicals; goggles; low-concentration peroxide only; no ingestion; wash hands and clean trays.