This one may be a little selfish of myself to do, as I really like DIY projects and have been interested in learning to make soap myself. Still though, how could would it be to make soap and then relate it to the classroom?! Everyone uses soap, the only difference is in the type and the ingredients, but it is still a product that every single student can relate to.
This page does a really good job of explaining the process to make the soaps, provides a link to the background information, and provides the lab procedures that students would work. She also says that this lab could be done for stoichiometry, acids and bases, or intermolecular forces. Personally, I may use it with chemical reactions and balancing equations and predicting products. I think it would be cool for the students to see how NaOH (a not so friendly substance) becomes the glycerin we use in regular soap.
As for things that need to be considered, my first concern I thought of was the possibility of a student being allergic to coconut oil. If they are, the soap made will not be able to be used. Shea butter is usually a good replacement (I make lip balm and the two are interchangeable), but I have no idea how it would work in soap making. Students with coconut oil allergies would either be unable to use the soap made, or have to make a different kind, and care would have to be taken in order to ensure cross contamination did not occur.
The other concern I had was the amount of time that soap had to cure. The soaps could be made and the lab reflection/ write ups completed in a day or two, but the soap would have to sit for at least 2 weeks (supposed to sit for 4-6 but the author said it’s safe after 2-3 weeks). Students may get impatient waiting for the soaps, and it may become a distraction for some time. It was smart to do this lab before spring break, but I would rather do it right when it becomes relevant, and I’m not sure how the timing will work where I end up.
Despite these concerns, I will still probably do this lab because it just seems so cool. It’s easy to relate to student experiences and will be an interesting way to engage them and help them connect to content.
Chemist With A Classroom 