SugarByHalf - Where's the Acid?

In this lesson, students learn about how sugar causes tooth decay, and then carry out an experiment to independently verify that information.

Students start with the information that while sugar does cause tooth decay, it’s the bacteria in our mouths that turns the sugar into acid, rather than because the sugar is directly acidic. Students then test that information with an experiment to check the pH of sugar in solution.

As in the other lessons in this unit, the lesson ends with an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning; this learning in turn will feed into the science communication in the fourth lesson in this unit, Communicating the Science of Tooth Decay.