Implementing P5, North Aceh Teachers Invite Students To Make ‘Salanta’, Laundry Soap From Used Cooking Oil

TIME.CO, Jakarta – Chemistry teacher at SMAN 1 Muara Batu, Aceh Utara, Amalina, made an innovation using used cooking oil in implementing a project to boost the profile of Pancasila (P5) students. In P5 practice, SMAN 1 Muara Batu made an environmentally friendly movement by inviting students to transform household waste cooking oil into laundry soap and aromatic candles.

“This project should offer students the opportunity to sharpen students’ skills of being creative and critical thinking, while promoting sensitivity to their social environment,” explained Amalina during a working visit of the Directorate-General for Teachers and educational staff at your school on Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

SMAN 1 Muara Batu transforms used cooking oil into a laundry soap called “Salanta”. The materials needed are used cooking oil, charcoal, caustic soda, and water. While the necessary equipment is a plastic basin and a wooden spatula.

Amalina said the manufacturing process is very simple. Starting from soaking used cooking oil with charcoal for 24 hours to remove odors and other impurities. Then, the oil is filtered using an old t-shirt so that the cooking oil becomes clear.

Next, add 128 grams of caustic soda (NaOH) to 360 mL of water. Amalina said the thing to watch out for was the lye being added to the water, not the other way around. This is because the resulting reaction is an exothermic reaction or produces heat.

After the heat has cooled slightly, the caustic soda solution is added to the used cooking oil that has been placed in the container. “Then mix until it is evenly distributed. After that, the fragrance is added (perfume oil), stirred until it thickens,” he said.

If so, she said, color can be added according to taste and then poured into soap molds. “Let sit for 24 hours for the mixture to harden and be removed from the mold. Then, the soap is ready to be used to wash clothes.”

Meanwhile, to make aromatherapy candles, the necessary materials are used cooking oil, strearin acid, essential oil and crayons. The manufacturing process begins by first heating the used cooking oil, then when the oil is hot, strearin acid is added, stirred until evenly distributed.

Next, add the crayons that have been shaved finely until well blended, then add the essential oil and pour it into the wax mold. After approximately 24 hours, the wax will harden and be ready to use.

Amalina said the purpose of P5 was to train students to think critically, be independent, collaborate and have the ability to solve problems. Amalina said the students became more enthusiastic when there were projects they worked on together. “Chemistry is sometimes one of the subjects that students find unattractive. Therefore, motivating students to learn is through practice,” she stated.

Announcement

Based on the monitoring results, it is believed that the hands-on learning model is able to increase students’ motivation, especially for Chemistry. Furthermore, it also provides opportunities for students to integrate knowledge, add insights, and strengthen student character.

So, from the teacher’s point of view, the advantages of the independent curriculum are that it can help to choose the right teaching strategy with educational, effective and enjoyable material.

Meanwhile, on the students’ side, this hands-on learning method can develop creativity according to students’ talents and interests. “For me, the Merdeka Curriculum has a much greater impact, especially with P5,” said Intan Safitri, a student in class XI-1.

At first, Intan thought that used cooking oil was useless, but after doing the hands-on, she came to know that used cooking oil could be reprocessed into something useful.

M. Farhan, a student in class XI-2, also likes to learn with the independent curriculum method. “Through this internship, I learned the process of transforming used cooking oil into soap and candles. I hope the teacher provides other various projects so as to spur me on in learning,” said Farhan.

The visit of the General Directorate of Teachers and Educational Personnel of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology to the school was part of a series of activities in the North Aceh district to photograph good practices related to the implementation of the program GTK priority.

Editor’s Choice: These 7 scholarships are still open for registration, new students on this campus register immediately