So Thankful and Dental Science Egg Experiment

I'm feeling so thankful and blessed because in the past 2 weeks, my co-workers and I at the non-profit I work at were able to raise an estimate of $1,300 for our after-school program! Without the community support, we wouldn't be able to help these kids with the resources we already had.  So to celebrate, I'm taking the kids to the dollar theater tonight!!  We are going to watch Puss In Boots.  (I've never seen it, and I hope it's as good as the Shrek movies!)

February is Dental Health Month.  Last year, I did a neat science egg experiment to teach my students what drinks were good and bad for your teeth, and how to keep good dental hygiene.  The purpose of this science experiment is to show kids how certain drinks affect teeth and why brushing is important.  I called  this experiment: Stay Away Tooth Decay!

What you will need:
~ 4 hard boiled eggs
~ 4 clear plastic cups
~ Drinks: water, milk, grape juice (Welch's works best), and dark soda (Coke)
~ Toothbrushes and toothpaste (white paste works best)
~ Prediction worksheets

Tell your students and show that the white shells on the eggs are similar to the enamel on their teeth.  Ask them to identify the drinks you will be using and survey who likes to drink what.  Pour each liquid into a cup and place one egg in each cup.  Then have students predict which of the liquids are harmful to the teeth and to write their predictions on the worksheets.  They can draw what they think will happen to the eggs after being left in the liquids for a long time.  I did this on the counter by the sink and I had one table at a time come get a closer view of the cups as students filled out the worksheets.  

**I would first do this in the morning because it takes a few hours to really see a difference or wait overnight.**

**You can also try coffee, which does the same thing. But it makes me sad because I love drinking coffee!

At the end of the day, or the next day, discuss the student's predictions on what they think happened.  Which drink was "good" and "bad".  Take out the eggs (You will need paper towels!) and show the students what the egg looks like.  I wish I took pictures of the stained eggs because it's pretty gross!  Ask students if they have ideas on how to remove the stains.  Someone (hopefully) will say try brushing them.  Show the students how the stains go away as you brush the eggs with toothpaste.  Afterwards, have students write what happened to the eggs after being brushed and what they learned from the science experiment.  

**Update: you can click on either pictures for the TpT or TN digital download version.

Click HERE for the prediction worksheets and HERE for my lesson plan.

I hope you guys will like the science experiment!!  My kid's reactions to the stained eggs were hilarious!  Enjoy the 3-day President's Day Weekend!!! I know I will! :)