Curated OER
The Periodic Table, Electrons, and Chemical Bonds
Four activities immerse beginning chemists into the world of elements. They examine the periodic table, use cobalt hydroxide to learn about chemical formulae and valence electrons. Also, they name binary compounds and examine the...
Curated OER
Writing Chemical Formulas
Students study how to write chemical fomulas by reviewing the combinations atoms form into compounds. They write a procedure to test various substances and name the compounds and write formulas. As they construct models for formulas and...
Curated OER
Chemical Changes
Students compare types of chemical change. In this chemical reaction lesson, students use a variety of household items to investigate different types of chemical change. Students will engage in a discussion about the dangers of chemicals...
Chymist
Esters: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry Reactions
Scratch and sniff an introduction to organic chemical reactions. A creative lesson has individuals study the esters commonly used in scratch-and-sniff stickers and advertisements. Following the lab procedure, scholars create the organic...
Curated OER
Chemical Composition of American Coins
High schoolers investigate the chemical composition of pennies dated 1983 or later. In this chemical composition of American coins lesson plan, students scratch the surface of the penny to expose the zinc core. They put the penny in...
Curated OER
Chemical Bonding
Students classify compounds as ionic or covalent. For this chemical bonding lesson plan, students experiment with 6 chemical compounds. They test physical properties such as the melting point, the solubility and the electrical...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Computational Chemistry—Chemistry Now
Can some plants make their own animal repellents? Science sleuths examine the properties of cinnamamide in pear trees using an case study about computational chemistry. The resource discusses how vital computers are to research, how...
Curated OER
Elements and Compounds
Eighth graders explore the chemical and physical properties of a variety of elements in a lab setting. They organize the data they collect onto a spreadsheet and then choose one element from the periodic table to research. They...
Curated OER
How Are The Properties of Covalent Compounds Influenced By Chemical Bonding?
High schoolers work together to observe the bond lengths of single, double and triple bonds. They make their own predictions about the strength of the bonds and chemical reactions. They answer discussion questions to complete the...
Curated OER
Chemical Formulas
Students examine the structure of molecules, their formula, and percentage composition of each element in the compound. They construct an organic compound with different functional groups using a modeling kit, and draw a 3-D structure...
Curated OER
Chemical Changes
Eighth graders observe two types of interactions in a sealed plastic bag. One bag contains baking soda and water, and the other baking soda and vinegar. They determine what evidence indicates that a chemical change is occurring.
Curated OER
Boot Reer Root Beer
Fifth graders investigate chemical reactions. In this physical science lesson, 5th graders make dry ice root beer and identify the type of change that occurs to the root beer mixture.
Curated OER
Physical and Chemical Changes
Sixth graders complete several experiments about chemical and physical changes. In this physical and chemical science instructional activity, 6th graders complete 6 experiments about chemical and physical changes. Students examine the...
CK-12 Foundation
Battery
Don't take for granted the technology behind power packs. Build an understanding of the chemical mechanics of a battery pack that charges your phone. The simulation allows young scientists to manipulate the type of elements in a pack and...
Curated OER
Explosives
Students assume the role of police detectives and investigate chemical agents used to make explosives and suspected terrorists based on information provided. Students have a list of questions to lead their investigation and must produce...
Curated OER
Who Took Jerell's iPod?
Young scholars investigate various substances to determine the perpetrator of a crime. In this biology lesson, students test for the presence of organic compounds in various samples. They identify an unknown substance based on its...
Curated OER
Up and Atom
"Up and Atom" is a mini-unit introducing middle-schoolers to the wonders of elements. Participants draw atom models, examine the periodic table, compare samples of metals to nonmetals, identify unknown elements, and more! The beginning...
Curated OER
Sedimentary Rocks
Fourth graders discuss the basic properties of rocks, the processes
involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil. They write descriptions in their Science journal and identify and discuss each type of...
Curated OER
Point- vs. Non-point Pollution
Students differentiate between point and non-point pollution and determine how the different types of pollution are harmful to aquatic ecosystems. They complete a series of tests on a sample of "polluted" water and a sample of "pure" water.
Cornell University
The Making of Macromolecules
Compare and contrast macromolecules made from the same elements. Young scholars learn how the structure of a molecule has as much influence on a compound as the elements in the molecule. They experiment with molecular model kits to...
Chymist
Testing the Waters
Should you trust the water you drink every day? The hands-on activity has scholars test water from different sources for contaminants. Pupils perform chemical testing and make conclusions about pH, hardness, iron, chlorine, lead,...
Curated OER
Playing With Polymers
Students explore the world of polymers. In this chemistry activity, students make polymers and observe their properties. Follow-up questions and extension activities are included.
Curated OER
Mixing in the Kitchen
Learners identify the different types of mixtures. They identify examples of solutions, suspensions, colloidal dispersions, and emulsions through a game and basic experiments.
Curated OER
Catering Middle-School Science: Monomers, Polymers, and Macromolecules
Students investigate foods. In this biology lesson plan, students will conduct testing on different types of foods as they learn about different molecules that make them up. Students will also learn about the shapes of the molecules.