Entry #6 - How to make Homemade Soap!!

Traveling Caravan Entry #6

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Topic:  Soap Making

            During the colonial times the men, women and children had to make everything.  The words Walmart, Kohl’s, or Target were not in the colonists vocabulary.  If they wanted something or needed something they had to figure out how to make it.  Maybe they were lucky and new someone in town who new how to make what they needed the colonists could get it from them.  For example, if someone needed a barrel they would either have to make it themselves and know the skills of a cooper or take it to the cooper in town.  How did people get clean back in the colonial times?  Soap, of course!!  Where did the get the soap?  They made it from lard, which comes from animal fat.  Kids are always amazed to learn about the things that they take for granted was not around in the colonial days, such as a simple bar of soap.   (Content)

Students will visit my Grandma’s farm in Schuylkill County and learn how to make homemade lye soap in my Grandma’s early to mid-twentieth century butcher shop.  Each student will then be able to take a bar of homemade soap home with him or her.   Creative Activity

As a class we discuss things that we take for granted, such as, soap, electricity, running water, refrigerator, stove, washing machine.  (DOK 1)  Then we compare how we do those activities now and how it used to be done long ago. (DOK 2)  I draw their attention to personal hygiene and we discuss a simple bar of soap.  The class draws conclusions on where they think colonialists got their bars of soap.  (DOK 3)  The students quickly learn that the soap use to be made at home out of animals fat, also known as lard.  It was missed with an acid called lye.  Just to note the students wouldn’t be allowed to make the soap themselves because of the dangers of the lye.  However, the students will observe and make connections with what they know about soap as my Gram and I make a batch of homemade lye soap.  Once the soap dries and turns hard each student will take a piece of soap home as a souvenir.  (DOK 4)

Standards:  3.1.1.A5, A9; 3.1.1.B6; 3.2.1.A1, A3, A6

                     8.3.1.A, c; 8.1.1.A, C

                     11.3.3.F