Concord Consortium
What Is a Chemical Reaction?
Take your class inside a beaker for an up-close view of a chemical reaction! Junior chemists examine how chemical reactions occur using an interactive resource. The activity allows users to change the temperature and observe how it...
Curated OER
Chemical Bonding
Eighth graders identify the three main types of chemical bonds. In this chemistry lesson plan, 8th graders draw Lewis dot diagrams of elements and determine the bond formed. They create a model water molecule.
Curated OER
Yeast Fermentation
Students measure the temperature change involved in the production of carbon dioxide by yeast. They also identify products and reactants in a chemical and balance the equation.
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: DNA Binding Problem
Why do the bases in DNA pair up the way they do? Unravel the mystery of the double helix in a virtual lab. Young scientists follow in the footsteps of Watson and Crick to determine the free energy associated with DNA base pair binding....
Perkins School for the Blind
Building an Organic Molecule
Glucose is a simple sugar and a molecule that can be illustrated through modeling. Scientific investigators with visual impairments use hands-on models to reconstruct the process of bonding molecules. The tools used in this activity are...
Curated OER
Enzymes in Action: An Inquiry Approach to the Effects of Enzymes
Students experiment with enzymes as key components of chemical reactions in all living things through this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Studying with Chemical Compounds
High schoolers create a foldable to help them remember topics on chemical compounds. In this physical science lesson, students differentiate ionic and covalent compounds. Given certain compounds, they identify whether it's ionic or...
Curated OER
The Absorption of Solar Energy
Two sequential parts to this lesson introduce your class to the electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to absorb radiant energy, and the pigments in leaves that are responsible for collecting sunlight to be used in the photosynthetic...
Curated OER
Tie Dye
Students practice writing research proposals to test the color fastness of a dye once it has been exposed to a t-shirt. Each proposal needs details of experimental design, length of treatment, and means of cleaning the shirt. All...
Curated OER
Creating Biodiesel and Mitigating Waste
Biotechnology pros produce their own biofuel using waste oil and fresh vegetable oil. They test the quality of their product using titration techniques and pH analysis. They write their observations and report their findings. Be aware...
Curated OER
Molar Ratio
Students conduct an experiment in which they react sodium bicarbonate with hydrochloric acid to determine the molar ration between the two reactants. Students must write correct formula and a balanced chemical equation and explain how...
Curated OER
Chemical Composition of Everyday Objects
Students relate chemistry to an object they use everyday. They research information related to chemistry and create their own webpage. They are to keep their page up to date as new observations are taken.
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
American Chemical Society
Development of Baking Powder
Did you know baking powder can be used to treat acne, whiten teeth, and make sugar cookies? The lesson on the development of baking powder is ready-to-go with no preparation required. Through readings, pupils answer questions, complete...
Curated OER
WHAT MAKES A LIGHT BULB LIGHT?
Students are able to use inquiry to answer the essential questions. They are able to predict and test configurations of a battery, bulb, and wire that make the complete circuit. Students craft a group and individual theory of a...
Curated OER
Enzymes in Action
Students explore how enzymes are important in the chemical reactions of all living things. For this enzymes and catalysts lesson students complete an activity to see how enzymes change living things.
Curated OER
Oil Embargo!
Ninth graders generate and analyze data to determine which and how much of two polymers best absorb oils, formulate procedure to accurately determine how many times its own weight particular polymer can absorb, and develop understanding...
Curated OER
Natural Indicators: How Do They Work?
Students describe characteristics and common uses of acids and bases. They describe the role of natural indicators in the chemistry of acids and bases after testing and making observations on a variety of plant extracts. Students observe...
Curated OER
Science with Mud!
Eighth graders give some examples of chemical reactions they see everyday. In this chemistry lesson, 8th graders investigate how much water soil can hold. They collect data and compare results with others.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Carbon Through the Seasons
Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...
Cornell University
Polymerization
Explore condensation polymerization and additive polymerization through hands-on activities. Young scholars first model additive polymerization with paperclips. They finish the activity by using condensation polymerization to create a...
Curated OER
How Many Drops?
Young scholars conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquids can be placed on a penny before spilling over. They come up with an explanation for their observations about different amounts of liquids a penny...
Curated OER
Super Glue Fuming of Latent Fingerprints
Young scholars explore latent fingerprinting. They observe a supervised demonstration of the process that real-life crime scene investigators sometimes use to identify latent fingerprints. In addition, they brainstorm ways to improve the...
Curated OER
Electromagnetic Spectrum/Spectroscopy
Students examine the electromagnetic spectrum and demonstrate the elements within. In this investigative lesson students complete a demonstration and calculate the energy of a photon.