Virginia Department of Education
The Ratio of Surface Area to Volume
Demonstrate the ratio of surface area to volume in your high school class by using phenolphthalein, gelatin, and an onion. Intrigue the class by leading a discussion on osmosis and diffusion, then making "scientific jello." Participants...
Beyond Benign
Water Bottle Unit
How much plastic do manufacturers use to create water bottles each year? The class explores the number of water bottles used throughout the years to determine how many consumers will use in the future. Class members compare different...
Curated OER
SA/V Ratio and Rate of Diffusion
Students calculate the SA/V ratio and volume of phenophthalien agar that are cut into different shapes. They then let ammonia diffuse into the various pieces of agar and determine the effect that SA/V had on the rate of diffusion.
Discovery Education
Weathering Cubes
Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...
Curated OER
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
In this elements, compounds, and mixtures worksheet, students answer questions about the properties of elements, mixtures, and compounds. Students identify the physical changes that is made to a substance to determine if it is an element.
Curated OER
Surface Tension and 3D Soap Films
Students are introduced to the concept of surface tension, its dependence on material composition, and how it can produce uniquely shaped surfaces.
Curated OER
Estimation Task
Upper graders practice their estimation skills by observing different objects then making their best guess without using measuring instruments. Students are asked to estimate mass, length, volume, and area.
Curated OER
Cylinder: Student Worksheet
In this cylinder worksheet, students compare three different cylinders to experiment which one has the greatest volume. Students interact with rectangles as they experiment with the cylinders.
Serendip
Diffusion and Cell Size and Shape
Is your class ready to size up the topic of diffusion? Help them get cell shape savvy with a well-written handout. The resource covers how substances such as oxygen passively move through the cell membrane and how cell size and shape...
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
Animal Skin
Young scholars investigate the skin surface to body area ratios for different animals. In this seventh/eighth grade mathematics/science lesson plan, students explore heat transfer between an animal’s body and the environment. Using...
Curated OER
Why Are Cells So Small?
Students examine the relationship between cell surface area and the ability of materials to diffuse through a cell. They participate in an experiment in which they determine which materials diffuse easier than others. They complete...
Curated OER
"Dead-Zones" and Coastal Eutrophication: Case-Study of Chesapeake Bay
Take an in-depth look at nutrient loading, eutrophication, and hypoxia using data on The Chesapeake Bay as an example. This comprehensive presentation includes detailed graphs, photos, and details about the changes in marine organism...
Curated OER
Modeling Limits To Cell Size
Students participate in a 'hands-on' activity that simulates the changing relationship of Surface Areas -to- Volume for a growing cell. They assemble models of cells for comparison.
Curated OER
Water Monitoring Vocabulary
As the title implies, this is a list of vocabulary terms relating to water monitoring. If your ecology class is learning about how to test water quality, this will be an appropriate reference sheet for them. As a bonus, if you live in...
Curated OER
Water Pollution Lesson Plan: All Messed Up
Students map and calculate the area of the school parking lot and then the volume of water falling on the school parking lot. They map the route surface runoff will take to the nearest water body and describe the roles that human...
Curated OER
The Amazing Mathematical Race: Boxing the Rare Element
Students enter a race against time to determine the maximum sized box that can be formed from a standard sheet of copy paper. The boxes are to be used to contain a valuable and rare element which is light as cotton and corrosive to all...
Curated OER
Home on the Range
Young scholars use maps and mathematics to determine the appropriate panther population in a given area. In this Florida ecology lesson, students research the area requirements of male and female panther and use a map to help calculate...
Curated OER
All Messed Up
Students begin the experiment by mapping and calculating their school parking lot. They calculate the volume of water falling on the lot and map the route the water runoff takes. They discuss the roles that humans play in affecting water...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
The Pinch Test
Test your pupils' understanding of the scale from macro to atomic. While displaying images of different materials, learners identify what they would need to make that material visible. Their choices range from the human eye to an...
LABScI
Freezing Point Depression: Why Don’t Oceans Freeze?
Can you go ice fishing in the ocean? Learners examine the freezing point of different saltwater solutions. Each solution has a different concentration of salt. By comparing the freezing points graphically, they make conclusions about...
Virginia Department of Education
Weathering of Limestone
We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...
Curated OER
Air Expansion and Contraction
Students observe that air exerts pressure, that heated air expands and that cooled air contracts. After the demonstration, students engage in a question and answer session about what they saw.
Curated OER
Air: It's a Gas!
Students investigate the properties of air through hands-on activities in conjunction with the demonstrations in a 3-2-1 Contact Video.