Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter: Atoms and Molecules

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how information about the atom has been determined. In this atomic structure lesson, students draw what they think an atom looks like. They conduct Internet research about the types of atomic models and how...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

What’s Up with Matter?

For Teachers 6th Standards
Take a "conservative" approach to planning your next unit on mass and matter! What better way to answer "But where did the gas go?" than with a lab designed to promote good report writing, research skills, and detailed observation....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Matter?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore many of the basic properties of matter including atoms, ions, elements, molecules, and density. The class explores an interactive flash-animated Web site to answer questions and clarify misconceptions they might have had...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physical Changes to Matter

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Pupils explore matter by conducting an in-class experiment. They experiment with water's various forms by melting and freezing water, identifying its new shape. These observations are recorded to supplement later discussion. They also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physical Behavior of Matter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat and Matter

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore liquids and solids by conducting in class experiments. In this matter lesson, students define the properties of matter and how heat can change those properties. Students experiment with heating objects such as butter and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter and Energy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore energy by completing a science worksheet in class. In this principles of matter lesson, students define the vocabulary terms force, gravity, nuclear, and electromagnetic before reading assigned text about energy....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elements And Atoms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the concept of elements and atoms. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the information in order to create a class presentation. The lesson includes specific dialogue and steps for the teacher...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter: Build a Word

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine matter and the periodic table of elements. In this matter lesson, 4th graders discuss atoms and their composition. Students explore the periodic table of elements and use it to spell words out of the elements.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle/States of Matter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers engage in a lesson that is concerned with the water cycle and different states of matter. They conduct research using a variety of resources in preparation for taking a quiz. Then students take the quiz in correlation to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Shapes of Covalent Molecules and Measuring their Respective Bond Lengths and Bond Angles

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers will draw Lewis structures of common covalent compounds using a Chem 3D computer program. They will predict the shapes of the molecules, complete a data table, and formulate rules for predicting shapes of molecules. In the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Chemist in My Class?

For Teachers 1st
First graders in kindergarten science class discuss matter. They make predictions and then identify mystery items in brown paper bags as either solid, liquid, or gas by using their senses. They discuss that a chemist is a scientist that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Atomic Models

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain scientists' ideas about the structure of the atom over the last century. They develop a pictorial history of the changing ideas about the atom and write a caption describing the scientific thinking behind the model.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon: Structure Matters

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars read the Who We Are Section on Calfee Designs Webpage and discuss carbon usage. They work in pairs to look up the minerals diamond and graphite then create a chart on the properties of each mineral then compare how they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Elements

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students watch video, The Elements, research information about elements using both the Internet and CD-ROM program, and create atoms out of gumdrops and licorice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Chemistry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of water chemistry. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students also consider an experiment to observe how water has the abiility to exist as three different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electrical Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment to find out how well different wires radiate heat when voltage is applied across the wire. They use the results of their experiments to consider how the gauge of the wire and the type of wire affect the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Virus and Bacteriophage

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the differences between a virus and a bacteriophage. They explore various websites, identify the parts of a virus and a bacteriophage, and construct a model of a virus or bacteriophage.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WATER CHEMISTRY

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students list reasons why water is important and investigate and graph the freezing points of different solutions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Static Electricity 4: Static Electricity and Lightning

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explain concepts related to static electricity, based on a single example: lightning.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is a Nanometer?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students develop a concept of the relative size of objects in the nanoscale. They complete an internet assignment using the website,"Scaling the Universe to Your Desktop". Using analogies to common objects they get an appreciation for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pyrotechnics for Pyromaniacs

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars explore how chemistry is associated with the annual celebration of America's independence. They learn what gunpowder is made of, the anatomy of a firework, how noise is made in fireworks and the safety issues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Succession in the Classroom

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate their environment by growing plants in class.  In this botany activity, students discuss the lifespan of plants and animals and how they must be cared for continuously over time.  Students grow a plant in...