Curated OER
Wet Pennies
Young scholars conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of water, rubbing alcohol and vegetable oil can be placed on a penny before spilling over. They consider how varying surface tensions allow for different amounts of each...
Curated OER
Barge Building: What Floats Your Boat?
Students construct aluminum foil boats that float while holding the greatest number of pennies. They investigate the concept of water displacement, record their results, and watch a Bill Nye video on buoyancy.
Curated OER
Surface Tension-Driven Flows
Learners learn how surface tension changes can cause fluids to flow.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
How Dry am I? Exploring Biomimicry and Nanotechnology
Help your classes feel like they can walk on water! An engaging inquiry-based lesson has young scholars experiment with different surface coatings. They make observations about their properties and how they relate to the surface tension...
Curated OER
Drops on a Penny
For this surface tension worksheet, students predict how many drops of water they can put on a coin. They test their hypothesis and repeat their experiment three times. They record their data and average their trials.
Curated OER
Surface Tension
Students examine the concept of surface tension. In this surface tension lesson students complete several experiments to allow them to better understand surface tension.
Curated OER
Surface Tension On Coins
Pupils drop water onto clean coins to determine the tension of each coin and then to graph their findings.
Curated OER
Take a Dip: Sticky Water
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.
American Chemical Society
Developing Tests to Distinguish Between Similar-Looking Liquids
Each group talks about how to test unknown liquids based on their findings in the previous experiment. In this second of four activities, they test unknowns on wax paper, newspaper, and construction paper. As a stand-alone, this...
Curated OER
How Many Drops?
Seventh graders hypothesize about the number of drops of liquid that can be placed on a penny before it spills over. They examine both the concept of devising a hypothesis and the idea of surface tension. They determine the difference...
Curated OER
Rising Tensions Over The Nile River Basin
Pupils analyze the concept of global commons dilemma. In this investigative lesson students read an article on the Middle East Media Research Institute and answer questions accordingly.
Curated OER
Crazy Chemistry Lesson Plan
Students study water molecules, cohesion and surface tension. For this molecule cohesion lesson students create chemical reactions that cause a balloon to inflate and another one that results in soap suds.
Curated OER
How Many Drops of H2o Can Fit on a Penny?
In this properties of water worksheet, students explore the surface tension and cohesion properties of water compared to other liquids in a 2 part experiment.
Illinois Valley Community College
STEM Activities for Middle School Students
Use STEM activities within the class to provide connections to concepts. The resource includes activities that range from working with buoyancy to building rockets and launching them. Other activities involve the engineering design...
Curated OER
Mystery Paint
Students use the scientific method to determine the properties of various kinds of paints, use collected data to identify paint samples that are not properly labeled and use proper science safety techniques while working with chemical...
Curated OER
Forces in Liquids
In this forces in liquids worksheet, students read their notes and answer short answer questions about forces in liquids. Students complete 6 questions total.
Curated OER
Rover Landing Design Challenge
Students examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.
Curated OER
Hitler's Lost Sub
Students watch a video clip about German submarines lost during World War II. They work together to create their own submarine out of a plastic bottle. They test the buoyancy of the submarine in different activities.
Curated OER
Floating and Falling Flows
Students discover fluid dynamics related to buoyancy through experimentation and optional photography. Using one set of fluids, they make light fluids rise through denser fluids. Using another set, they make dense fluids sink through a...
Curated OER
Paint Property Experiments
Learners identify various kinds of paints by using the scientific method. In this solvents lesson students collect data and identify paint samples while working in teams.
Curated OER
How Many Drops?
Students 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 can hold.
Curated OER
The Earth's Magnetic Field
Pupils explain how the earth's magnetic field works and looks. They create
their own free-floating compass using the everyday materials. After constructing their compass, they test it and determine north.
Curated OER
Emulsion_ Compulsion
Students experiment with common household products to determine the properties of emulsions and how they fit into the classifications of matter through this series of lessons.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Tension Racers!
Students see how different levels of surface tension affect water's ability to move. Teams "race" water droplets down tracks made of different materials, making measurements, collecting data, making calculations, graphing results and...