Young scientists construct an understanding of molecular compounds in this hands-on science lesson. Using LEGO® to model the atoms of different elements, students build molecules based on the chemical formulas of common compounds.

Elements, to the rescue! Scholars first review the periodic table, and then learn about the first 20 elements and their properties and uses in the fourth of six lessons in the Mixtures and Solutions unit. Applying their newfound...

Bacteria outnumber all other forms of life on Earth. Scholars observe the growth of bacteria in petri dishes to understand their role in maintaining good health. Then, they observe the growth of bacteria after they introduce...

Scholars use sorting cards to try to define a pure substance versus a mixture. Risk becomes reward as they observe the differences and create a flowchart sorting matter into mixtures and pure substances (elements and compounds).

Show young chemists what a chemical reaction looks like with two parts of a hands-on experiment. First, learners conduct a wet lab where they observe the reactants (baking soda and calcium chloride, with phenolsulfonphthalein)...

FANBOYS will enjoy breaking grammar rules, but they will have to use coordinating conjunctions, gerunds, compound sentences, compound-complex sentences, and even predicates as they craft poems like Shel Silverstein.

Engage young learners in expanding their vocabulary with a fun game. Scholars learn how compound words provide clues about the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. Pairs take turns reading a definition, locating its corresponding compound...

In pairs, scholars draw cards, read the word, and identify its root. Learners place the card on a tree-themed worksheet to sort words by their roots.

Atoms, elements, and molecules, oh my! Teaching the fundamentals of chemistry to curious sixth graders has never been easier to accomplish. Here is a resource that pulls together everything needed to get them off to a good start,...

Try not to blind anyone with science by following the safety rules. The lesson encourages scholars to form an ionic compound from magnesium and chlorine. Then they determine the empirical formula and determine the mole ratio and percent...

What happened when the chemistry teacher told a bad joke? There was no reaction! A creative take on the traditional reaction types lesson invites learners to draw their own conclusions about how compounds and elements combine. Groups...

Bubble, bubble, boil and trouble! What causes common substances like baking soda and vinegar to react the way they do? Welcome your junior chemists to the wonders of acid-base chemistry using a comprehensive and fun...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This unit includes seven lessons starting with physical change and moving through to chemical change. Conservation of matter is explained clearly with multiple hands-on activities and...

If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the precipitate! Young chemists learn about single and double displacement reactions including precipitation reactions, neutralization reactions, and gas forming reactions. They perform...

How are chemical bonds similar and how are they different? Provide your young chemists with the resources to more thoroughly understand the concepts of ionic and covalent bonds. Pupils research these topics, diagram examples of each...

Density comes to life as investigators place soda cans into containers of various liquids to find if they sink or float. They layer different density liquids, compare densities of different gases, and more. A total of six different...

Lead your class through the amazing world of isotopes as they investigate the various properties they contain and further understand their respective location on the periodic table. They explore half-lives and radioactivity as each...

From molecules to nanotubes, an engaging unit explores the world of tiny science. Fifteen hands-on experiments and lessons engage young scientists as they learn chemistry. Discussions, worksheets, and data analysis reinforce the concepts...

Though this is meant to be second in a two-part lesson, the two are not dependent on each other. Pupils play the roles of visible light rays, light or dark surfaces, and carbon dioxide molecules. They interact and react according to...

This instructional activity demonstrates differentiated instruction at its best. Over the course of 2-3 class periods, young chemists have the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of metals and their chemical properties from a...

Scholars generate and collect pure oxygen through a decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide in the fourth lesson of an 11-part series. Then, they complete six investigations into the properties of oxygen.   

Class members explore the carbon cycle in the final installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They play a simulation game where they walk through the steps carbon takes as it cycles through the different layers...

In a comprehensive role playing activity, teens play the parts of different stakeholders in the realm of acidic oceans. They research, debate, and create a presentation from the perspective of either ocean organisms, the fishing...

The third lesson in a series of 11 begins by using thermal decomposition of potassium chlorate to determine the mass percent of oxygen. Then a second activity allows scholars to demonstrate that the resulting residue is from a...