Curated OER
Using Environmental Models to Determine the Effect of Acid Rain on an Ecosystem
Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...
NOAA
Watch the Screen!
Can a sponge cure cancer? Life science pupils visit the drugstore under the sea in the fifth lesson of six. Working groups research the topic then get hands-on experience by testing the inhibiting effects of several plant extracts on E....
DiscoverE
Water Pollution Cleanup
How do scientists determine the best method for removing pollutants from our water sources? Environmental scholars experiment with pollution clean-up options to discover which are the most cost-effective, fastest, and most thorough....
Curated OER
Observing The Influence Of Acid Rain On Plant Growth
Students observe one of the direct effects of acid water on plant growth. Students engage in an experiment which will take about 2 weeks. Students will understand the effect that acid rain has on plant growth.
Curated OER
Looking At Acid's Effects On Metals
High schoolers perform an experiment that demonstrates acid rain. The chemical effect of acids on metals may take at least five days for the human eye to see, even though the reaction starts as soon as the acid contacts the metal.
Curated OER
Soil Buffering
Young scholars observe the pH change of an acid mixture poured over soil in a filter. Since the buffering capability of soils differs, you may want to do this experiment with several different soil types.
NASA
Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables
How long do fresh foods last in space at the International Space Station? Which foods perish quicker than others? How can astronauts preserve their foods to make them last longer in space? Young scientists test the rates at which some...
Curated OER
Towers of the Lost City
Middle school marine scientists compare the pH change in distilled and saltwater as acetic acid is added one drop at a time. Then they compare the pH change in both when sodium hydroxide is added. This experiment demonstrates the...
Curated OER
Investigating What Makes Fruit Go Brown
Is there anything that can be done to slow the browning of fruit once it has been cut? High schoolers determine the answer through five different investigations involving apples, potatoes, and chemical reactions. After each experiment,...
Nuffield Foundation
Digestion of Starch: Microbes
Sugar isn't good for you, but it's great for microbes. A simple experiment has pupils investigate the digestion of starch by microbes to produce sugars. They apply two bacterial cultures, an amylase solution, and distilled water on a...
Curated OER
Digital Video Lesson Plan: Brine Shrimp
Middle schoolers participate in classroom experiment to gain better understanding of type of environment brine shrimp can best survive. Students then explore effects of common saltwater pollutants on survival of animals in sea.
Virginia Department of Education
Mystery Anions
Lost an electron? You should keep an ion them. Young chemists learn qualitative analysis in the second lesson plan of an 11-part chemistry series. After observing reactions of simple salts, the teacher provides pupils with unknown...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Synthesis of Nickel Nanowires
It's all about the scale—they're not just wires, they're nanowires! The second lesson of the series builds on the oxidation-reduction experiment in the first lesson. Scholars synthesize a sample of nanowires using electrolysis. As they...
Curated OER
Black Death Biology
Students in pairs explore the transmission of the Plague, through experimentation. Cooperative groups use the scientific method to solve the fictional problem of a bacteria spreading in the Amazon. Groups also create a vector to visually...
Curated OER
Life in Extreme Environments - Who is on Top in the Food Chain?
Students discuss the design of experiments to determine how much and how fast rotifers feed and design experiments with a lab partner and in small collaborative groups. They then collect data from experiments and present results of...
Curated OER
Enzymes and Catalysts
Learners discuss the functioning of the digestive system and the specific enzymes present. They observe the action of amylase on starch to identify characteristics of enzymes then perform an experiment on the effects of temperature on...
Curated OER
Exploring the Science of Oil
Students analyze the basic techniques used to find and produce oil. They also create a small project that allows them experiment with solutions to maximize the amount of colorless liquid produced from colored solutions.
Curated OER
Experimenting with Yeast Metabolism
Ninth graders determine the rate of respiration by yeast and which sugars can be used as a food source by yeast using a CO2 gas sensor and computer software. This lesson is for an honors Biology class.
NOAA
Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – What Killed the Seeds?
Most drugs used today come from nature, so the discovery of new ecosystems in the deep sea is exciting from a medical perspective. Scholars develop their own bioassay to test germination rates in seeds.
Curated OER
Effect of Acid Rain on Plants
Students observe the effects of acid rain on plants through experimentation and research. Students research types of crops in their area. Students work in small groups to complete the experiments given, as well as write a report and...
Curated OER
Analysis of Bleach
High schoolers analyze and compare laundry bleaches by testing their oxidizing powers. They conduct their lab experiment, compare/contrast their results with other students' work, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Can Acid and Bases Remedy the Body?
Students experiment with acids and bases using technology-based "probe-ware", computers, and household products in this exciting biology/chemistry lesson. The lesson was written for an advanced 6th grade class.
Curated OER
Temperature Affects The Heart Rate
Learners relate heart rate and development to environmental conditions through experiment. In cooperative groups, students record the heart rate in developing zebra fish. Groups create a standard curve to predict the temperature at...
Curated OER
The Action of A Buffer Solution
In this buffer solution instructional activity, students experiment with the addition of different solutions to a buffer solution and observe the changes in pH using a pH probe. Students describe the differences among the addition of...