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Which Brand of Air Freshener is Most Cost Effective?
Students use scientific method to determine cost-effectiveness of air freshener, and create PowerPoint presentations to share their results.
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The Physical Behavior of Matter
Students distinguish between three phases of matter: solid, liquid and gas, on the molecular level. They compare and predict the relative compressibility of the three phases of matter through journal writings and drawings.
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Dealing with Chemical Emergencies
Students examine how all levels of government react to chemical emergencies. They identify activities which could lead to an emergency. They discuss how they respond to contaminants released into the air.
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EASY (AND CHEAP) CRYSTAL GROWING
Students grow salt crystals by making a saturated solution of table salt and let the solution sit around and evaporate.
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How about a Little Give and Take?
Middle schoolers design a closed system to test the relationships between plants and animals. They monitor abiotic fluctuations within this living system by using a chemical test kit. They observe how living organisms respond to...
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Environment: Battling for Oxygen
Students construct an interactive ozone depletion model using gumdrops and toothpicks. After analyzing the data obtained from the model, they record it on butcher paper and complete worksheets about oxygen.
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Shake It Up
Young scholars explore the three types of mixtures through the use of interactive video. They experiment making mixtures using a variety of ingredients, while observing, comparing and contrasting, and identifying the types of mixtures.
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Chemistry in the Kitchen
Students, in groups, combine given materials from an everyday kitchen until a chemical reaction occurs and record the reaction time.
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History of the Periodic Table
Learners sort a group of manipulatives and then explain their organizational system to the class. They discuss the work of scientists trying to organize the elements into a system that made sense and the development of the periodic table.
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Household Chemistry
Students use indicator paper to determine if substances are acidic, basic, or neutral. They test for Ph levels in them. They investigate the effect of oxygen on darkening fruit cut and exposed to the air. They observe vitamin C as an...
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Are You a Trend Setter?
Young scholars are introduced to the periodic table of elements. They devise and perform and experiment in which they determine the density of specific elements. They use their results to predict the density of other elements in the same...
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Acid Rain
Learners perform experiments to determine how different acids cause acid rain. They measure the pH of the water to calculate the water's acidity. They discover how acid rain dissolves rock materials.
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Capillary Action and Adhesion
Young scholars perform classroom experiments to observe adhesion. They perform a second experiment using sand, salt, water, and a heat lamp to observe the principle of capillary action. They also experiment with adhesion in plants.
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Heat of an Unknown Metal
Eighth graders complete labs to find the specific heat of many different types of substances, and use characteristic property to identify an unknown metal. CBL be used to determine energy lost or gained, and students complete a...
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Energy and Changes of State
Students complete a variety of labs to help them explain how energy affects the changes in states of matter. They also be required to collect and record data, graph data, and apply interpretations of that data.
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Funny Putty
Students are introduced to the properties of solids, liquids and gases. They see that colloids are mixtures which display the properties of more than one of these states. They engage in an excellent experiment which demonstrates this fact.
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What's the Matter? Locating Electrons in an Atom
Young scholars roll dice in order to simulate the probability of locating an electron in a certain region around the nucleus.
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Microscopes
Students explore the history of the microscope. Find out what organisms can be seen under the microscope's lenses. explore how many different types of microscope exist today and how to take care of the instrument.
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Element Research Project
Students research elements on interactive Internet periodic tables, take notes using Inspiration software, and write descriptive paragraphs with graphics. They create presentations.
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Biodegradability
Students study the effects of water, salt water and heat on common household materials. They separate an emulsion and show that the materials are completely recoverable and observe the effect of acetone and water on polystyrene.
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A Comparison of Polymeric Liquids with Newtonian Liquids
Students concretely illustrate and define a macromolecule, observe the unique behavior of polymers and relate to their knowledge of molecules, and use the scientific process to determine the difference between Newtonian and non-Newtonian...
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Tootsie-Roll Pop Chemistry
Students use Tootsie-Roll Pops to become familiar with atoms and chemical formulas. They, in groups, find more combinations of Tootsie-Roll Pops than the other lab groups within 3 minutes (Round 1), and within 5 minutes (Round 2).
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Grasshopper Mark and Recapture (GMR)
Students estimate the density of a population of insects (grasshoppers) at a given life cycle stage in a given type of habitat.
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Oxidation of Iron - An Example of a Combination Reaction
Here are photos and general instructions for demonstrating two oxidation reactions with your physical science beginners. They use salt and hydrogen peroxide to cause iron filings to rust, and they combine hydrogen peroxide with a piece...