Virginia Department of Education
The Colligative Properties of Solutions
How can you relate colligative properties of solutions to everyday situations? Pupils first discuss the concepts of density, boiling and freezing points, then demonstrate how to accurately determine the boiling and freezing point of...
American Chemical Society
Crushing Test
Solidify understanding of the properties of crystals by crushing them to compare hardness. After some class discussion, a procedure is planned, and then small groups go about making observations as they crush five different crystal...
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Condensation
When you have a cold drink and you notice the water forming on the outside, it is literally pulling the water from the surrounding air to form the condensation. After watching a demonstration of condensation forming on a glass,...
Science Matters
Landforms from Volcanoes
Three major types of volcanoes exist: cinder cone, composite/strata, and shield. The 18th lesson in a 20-part series covers the various landforms created from volcanoes. Scholars work in pairs to correctly identify the three types based...
Virginia Department of Education
Aspirin Analysis
Laughter may be the best medicine, but aspirin is also important. Young chemists analyze aspirin tablets using titration in this lab experiment. They then repeat the entire experiment using a different aspirin brand.
Curated OER
Heat And Heat Transfer
Students role play molecules in a container as the container is heated to develop a definition of heat and temperature. They also observe demonstrations of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase transfer. Using these observations...
American Chemical Society
Colors Collide or Combine?
As part of a unit investigating the dissolving of M&Ms® candy coating, this lesson examines whether or not the different colors combine. There are no new concepts revealed in this particular lesson, but learners will see that the...
Curated OER
You Can Change the World
Students discuss ways they can help protect the environment. In groups, they examine various types of animals and identify their characteristics, food and habitats are compared. They create a Hyperstudio presentation in which they scan...
National Wildlife Federation
What is DBH?
When measuring the circumference of a tree, does it matter how high you place the measuring tape? Most scholars have never considered this question, but scientists know that measurement techniques must be standardized. The 13th lesson in...
Virginia Department of Education
A Crystal Lab
Young chemists grow ionic crystals, metallic crystals, and supersaturated crystals in three different lab experiments. Observing these under a microscope allows pupils to compare the various structures.
Virginia Department of Education
Equilibrium and Le Chatelier’s Principle
The best part of learning about equilibrium is that nothing changes. Young chemists observe four demonstrations during this lesson: equilibrium in a saturated solution, equilibrium with an acid-base indicator, equilibrium with cobalt...
Virginia Department of Education
Partial Pressure
At some point, everyone has been under pressure—even Dalton! Explore Dalton's law of partial pressures with young chemists as they measure the volume of air extracted from a sample compared to its original volume. Class members perform...
Curated OER
Measurement: When Degrees Matter
Eighth graders record the temperature change of the beakers. In this general science lesson, 8th graders create their own data table for recording observations. They discuss experimental results and cite real life applications.
Curated OER
Physical/Chemical Properties of a Burning Candle
Students investigate the physical and chemical properties of a candle before and after it is lit. They conduct a burning candle experiment, and complete a KWL chart and worksheet, recording the results of the investigation.
Curated OER
Ziplock Chemistry
Students investigate various chemical reactions when creating mixtures in ziplock baggies. In this chemistry lesson, students will recognize various chemical reactions and cite evidence. Safety and assessment strategies are included in...
Curated OER
Rocket Me into Space
Students engage in a lesson that reinforces rockets as a vehicle that helps us explore outside the Earth's atmosphere by using the principles of Newton's third law of motion. Also, the principles that engineers deal with when building a...
Virginia Department of Education
Mystery Iron Ions
Young chemists perform an experiment to determine if a compound is iron (II) chloride or iron (III) chloride. Then they determine the formula, balance the equation, and answer analysis questions.
Curated OER
Scientific Inquiry
Students create a poster. In this recycling lesson, students discuss pollution and the ways humans negatively affect the environment. Students describe examples of litter or pollution they have experienced. Students collect litter from...
Curated OER
Is It There?
Young scholars participate in a lesson designed to illustrate these concepts using simple materials. They use Science process skills to observe, measure, predict, make inferences, and communicate while completing the activity. Proper...
Virginia Department of Education
Vapor Pressure and Colligative Properties
Hate to vacuum, but enjoy using a vacuum pump? Explore a instructional activity that starts with a demonstration of boiling water at various temperatures by using a vacuum pump. Then scholars design their own experiments to measure vapor...
Virginia Department of Education
Acids and Bases
What did one titration say to the other titration? We should meet at the end point! Young chemists perform four experiments: dilute solution, neutralization, titration, and figuring pH/pOH.
Curated OER
The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment
Learners develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish. For this scientific experiment lesson students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment.
Curated OER
Solution Chemistry Investigation
Students engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with the concepts related to solution chemistry. They calculate the molar mass of various chemical compounds. Then students predict the anion ratio for ionic compounds. Students also...
Curated OER
Nuclear Reactions
In this nuclear reaction worksheet, students determine the missing particle from the reaction and then name that particle. This worksheet has 18 problems to solve.