Jane Jackson, Georgia Alexander, Amelia Harris

Elephant Toothpaste Discrepant Event

Overview
Two beakers in warm water. One beaker will be deactivated (bake it 5 mins) and the other will be active and combined with warm water dish soap,
and food coloring. Both will be combined with hydrogen peroxide where the one with deactivated yeast will have a much smaller and
slower/nonexistent reaction than the one with active yeast. This requires prior setup from the teacher. Students will observe and analyze the
difference between the two reactions to discuss how catalysts affect the rate of reactions.

Total Time
6-7 minutes

State and National Standards

North Carolina Science Standards (click here for the standards)

PS.Chm.5.1 Carry out investigations to explain the effects of temperature, surface area, stirring, the concentration of reactants, and the presence
of catalysts on the rate of chemical reactions according to Collision Theory.

Next Generation Science Standards (i.e., Performance Expectations) (click here for NGSS interactive website; click here for standards by
DCI, click here for standards by topic)

HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the
temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs. [Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on student reasoning that focuses on the number and energy of collisions between molecules.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment is limited to simple reactions in which there are only two reactants; evidence from temperature, concentration, and rate data; and
qualitative relationships between rate and temperature.]

NGSS 3D Components to be Addressed

The 3D components listed below can be pulled directly from the NGSS performance expectations (i.e., your standards) in the standards
document. These are the different colored sections below the performance expectations. Watch this video for clarification as needed.
Disciplinary Core Ideas (orange box) Science Practices (blue box) Crosscutting Concepts (green box)
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions NA Patterns
Chemical processes, their rates, and - Different patterns may be observed at
whether or not energy is stored or released each of the scales at which a system is
can be understood in terms of the collisions studied and can provide evidence for
of molecules and the rearrangements of causality in explanations of phenomena.
atoms into new molecules, with consequent
 changes in the sum of all bond energies in (HS-PS1-1),(HS-PS1-2),(HS-PS1-3),(HS-
the set of molecules that are matched by PS1-5)
changes in kinetic energy. (HS-
PS1-4),(HS-PS1-5)

Student Learning Objectives

LOTS: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to predict the outcome of the effect of a deactivated catalyst on a chemical reaction in
accordance with Collision Theory.

HOTS: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to compare and contrast how temperatures and surface areas affect chemical reactions.

Assessment

Formative Assessment (the informal, and (often) ungraded assessments that inform “next steps”)
What are you planning to do throughout the lesson to monitor student progress towards the learning objectives?

Summative Assessment (the formal and graded assessments that measure student knowledge of the objectives)
What are you planning to do to find out if students reached the learning objective?

Resources & Materials

2 150 mL beakers.
2 250 mL erlenmeyer flasks.
1 packet of Active dry yeast (½ needs to be baked)
3-6% hydrogen peroxide (1/2 cup).
1 tray to catch the foam.
Water (for yeast).
Big post-it-notes and writing utensils.
Summary of Learning Activities
Time Name of Task Description of Task
2 Predictions
minutes What do we think is going to happen when we add hydrogen peroxide to each beaker?
What the Teacher is Doing What the Students are Doing How I Will Assess Student
Progress
-Tell students the reagents of both - Splitting into groups of 4-5 - What makes the content of
reactions (Water, yeast, dish soap, (can be pre existing table these two beakers physically
hydrogen peroxide). groups). different (if any)?
- Ask students what could be - Writing down preliminary
different about each beaker- note observations and predictions
 any visual observations on the post-it notes in their - What do you think will happen
differentiating beakers 1 and 2. groups of what will occur when the hydrogen peroxide
- Ask students to record on the big when hydrogen peroxide is is added to both beakers?
post-in notes in their groups any added to both solutions.
observations made and predictions
of what will occur when the hydrogen
peroxide has been added (Will it be
the same in both beakers?).
- Walk around to answer questions
as needed, elaborate on information
if there is any confusion or
clarifications to be made.

Time Name of Task Description of Task

5 min Performance and The experiment will be set up prior to the lesson (2 ~60 mL hydrogen peroxide in a 140 mL beaker, one erlenmeyer
Analysis flask containing activated yeast with 3/2 tablespoon warm water and dish soap, and one erlenmeyer flask containing
deactivated yeast, 3/2 tablespoon of water and dish soap.
Two students will be asked to pour the hydrogen peroxide into erlenmeyer flask 1. A second student will pour the
hydrogen peroxide at the same time into the second erlenmeyer flask containing the activated yeast. After watching
the reaction, the students will talk together in a group discussion to determine what caused the difference in the
reactions/reaction rates.
What the Teacher is Doing What the Students are Doing How I Will Assess Student
Progress
- Facilitating the students - When the teacher tells them - (Once students have come to
performing the reactions. to, the students pour the the conclusion that something
- Instruct two students to pour hydrogen peroxide into their causes the activation of the
~60 mL of hydrogen peroxide respective beakers. reaction) If both beakers
into each erlenmeyer flask at - Student groups will have a contain our catalyst (yeast)
the same time. designated recorder to write what differentiates one from
- Instruct students to write down any observations about the other- write down
down observations while rxns both beakers (1 and 2) as the observations?
are taking place. reactions take place. - What is the role of the liquid
- Probe for student dish soap?
understanding of what they - Why do you think one reacted
believe is happening based differently than the other?
on their recorded What factors (temperature,
observations. additions to the water,
catalyst activation, etc) affect
the reaction?
- Reasonable student
justifications of why the rxn
 rates were different based
upon their noted
observations.

Time Name of Task Description of Task

What the Teacher is Doing What the Students are Doing How I Will Assess Student
Progress

Time Name of Task Description of Task

What the Teacher is Doing What the Students are Doing How I Will Assess Student
Progress