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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polymers Lab: Bouncy Ball and Slime

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate chemical reactions to produce polymers. For this polymers lesson plan, 8th graders experiment with sodium silicate and ethyl alcohol to make a polymer. They also experiment with borax and glue to make a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density as a Unique Physical Property

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students find the density of objects by finding their mass and their volume. For this density lesson plan, students determine the mass of objects, the find the volume by using formulas or by water displacement and they calculate the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quantitative Determination of the Composition of Water-based Paints and the Correlation of Paint Properties to Pain Composition

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students perform a series of tests on water-based paints. In this chemistry lesson plan, students identify their different functions. They calculate paint density and fractional concentrations.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

The Science of Snowflakes

For Students 6th - 8th
Who can grow the best crystals? Challenge class members to develop strategies for enhancing growth in the crystals. Through a lab investigation, learners study the properties of crystals and test the effectiveness of different growth...
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Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Ocean Layers I

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How is it possible for ocean water to have layers? The sixth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates factors that cause different water densities to occur. Experiments...
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Lab Resource
University of Chicago

Don't Be Too Flaky

For Students 6th - 8th
Snow, ice, and water are all composed of H2O. Does that mean they all have the same volume? Discover the ways that the densities of these substances determine their volumes, and how they change based on their current states of matter....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Investigation Using Water Quality

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders conduct an experiment that analyzes the physical and chemical characteristics of various water samples. They discuss the procedures and safety concerns for the water test, and test their water samples to determine if they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading the River

For Teachers 5th - 8th
In collaborative groups, young ecologists measure the temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen for three different freshwater samples. They examine each sample with a microscope and record observations on the microorganisms in the pond...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature Changes Everything

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Middle school chemists visit interactive websites in order to discover what happens to molecular motion when heat is added to matter. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the expansion of matter with the addition of heat. A lab...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Reactivities of the Group 7 Elements (The Halogens)

For Students 9th - 12th
During this lab activity, chemists discover the reactivities of chlorine, bromine, and iodine as examples of the halogens. They use a displacement reaction as a test by adding other compounds and observing for a color change. The lab...
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Density Column Lab - Part 2

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Groups suspend objects within layers of liquids to determine the densities of different liquids and compare them to the densities of objects calculated in Part 1. The groups then carefully test their calculations by layering the liquids...
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Lesson Plan
NEED Project

Calibrating Thermometers

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Engage young scientists in the upper-elementary and middle school grades with this collection of simple experiments. Whether you're teaching about heat transfer, density, or potential energy this resource has a lab for you.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Nano Interactions

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Tiny particles can provide big learning opportunities! Middle school scientists explore the world of nanoparticles through reading, discussion, and experiment. Collaborative groups first apply nanotechnology to determine water hardness....
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Surface Tension Lab

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
What constitutes a good soap bubble? In the second installment of a nine-part series, scholars apply their understanding of surface tension to soap bubbles. They experiment to determine the best solutions to use for the...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Discovering Enzymes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Explore the function of enzymes through a series of lab investigations. Learners use household enzymes such as hydrogen peroxide to model the role of enzymes. The enzymes break down proteins with and without a catalyst.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Take a Dip: Sticky Water

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students complete lab activities to investigate the "sticky" properties of water, such as surface tension and capillary action, due to the polarity of the molecules.
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Lesson Plan
LABScI

Acoustics: The Sound Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If the delay between a sound and its echo is less than 1/10th of a second, the human ear can’t distinguish it. Through the use of a Slinky, rubber band guitar, and straws, scholars explore where sound comes from and how it travels. Whole...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Reflections of Light

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Why can we see our reflection in a window but not a brick wall? Young physicists learn the Law of Reflection and various light properties that help them answer this and other questions about reflection. Use the PowerPoint to introduce...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Look-Alike Liquids

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Here is the first of four experiments to differentiate among unknown liquids by their behaviors and properties. Pupils observe how different liquids respond to being placed on plastic and paper, and they take notes about their...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Changing the Density of a Liquid - Heating and Cooling

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
During a unit on density, pupils ponder whether or not temperature affects this property. By carefully inserting blue cold water and yellow hot water into a room-temperature sample, they will see the answer. Make sure to have done the...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Evaporation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This is one in several lessons that explore the relationship between temperature and phase changes of water. After some discussion, elementary physical scientists place wet paper toweling on a hot and a room-temperature water bag and...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

From Gas to Liquid to Solid

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
From gas to liquid condensation to solid frost, water undergoes phase changes before students' eyes! Using ice, salt, water, and a metal can, they set up an investigation that can be used in a physical science setting, or as part of a...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Change in Temperature - Exothermic Reaction

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Alone, or as part of the intended unit on chemical reactions, this activity allows learners to experience an exothermic reaction. Here, learners add calcium chloride to a baking soda solution and watch the temperature rise! They will...