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

Polymers

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore online tutorial on polymers. In this chemistry lesson plan, they create two polymers in the lab and compare their properties. They write a sales letter about their new and improved polymer product.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physical Setting

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine chemical reactions.  In this chemistry lesson students choose an investigation that they wish to perform based on their interest.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature Changes Everything

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Middle school chemists visit interactive websites in order to discover what happens to molecular motion when heat is added to matter. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the expansion of matter with the addition of heat. A lab...
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Using Dissolving to Identify an Unknown

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
There is a solvent called aqua regis that can dissolve gold! After observing a solubility demonstration, groups receive four known crystals and one unknown. Based on the demo, they design an experiment to determine the identity of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter Unit

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students create products from studying about matter that include: Make a "T" chart with matter and non matter items. Write a poem, song, or rap about matter. Five vocabulary words from the chapter must be included in the poem.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth and Beyond

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this earth and beyond worksheet, students answer short answer questions about the atmosphere, the chemical compounds in Earth's atmosphere. Students visit different websites to conduct research of the discoveries of the scientist who...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Structure of Materials

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students brainstorm what matter is and how they define it. They construct a water molecule with marshmallows and toothpicks. In addition, they watch videos to explore the use the idea of nanoscience to investigate the properties of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oh - The Bonds of Matter!

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders identify the types of bonds elements form. In this chemistry instructional activity, 8th graders represent valence electrons with dot structures. They draw and label different atoms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Are The Properties of Covalent Compounds Influenced By Chemical Bonding?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Chemical Equations

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders interpret the chemical symbols and shorthand used for molecules and equations. Through guided practice, 8th graders work to decipher and interpret the symbols for chemical equations. An opportunity for independent...
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

Basic Chemistry Review

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students experiment to show their knowledge of molecules and atomic structures.  In this chemistry review lesson students participate in an activity and then fill out a worksheet.
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

Molecular Architecture

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students cuminate their study of molecular structure and bonding with this activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Goofy Putty

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine mixtures and solution properties by making a borax polymer. In this chemical reactions lesson, students make a putty out of borax solution mixed to create a polymer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Einstein's BIg Idea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils discuss what the m in E=mc2 represent. They relate that mass in a chemical reaction is always conserved. Students convey that atoms rearrange themselves in chemical reactions to form different molecules and compounds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pounds of Pollution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine pollutants and investigate air pollution emitted by a car in a year.  In this air pollution lesson plan students complete an activity and make calculations. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dissolved Oxygen Lesson

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate what dissolved oxygen is and why it is important to aquatic life and what factors influence levels of dissolved oxygen in a lake. They study how to use MS Excel to make charts to show trends and correlations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Scientists Research For Lab Activities?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the nature of scientific knowledge. They will also explore how to develop a lab plan to explain the structures of molecules and atoms. Research is essential to the success of the lab using necessary educational software.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grow an Alum Crystal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What an exciting lab experiment to conduct with your high school chemistry class! Crystals are formed naturally in the environment. However, allow your blossoming chemists to create their own unique crystals using alum and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gases and Plasmas

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars determine what plasma is and why the sun is made up of plasma. They recognize situations where plasmas are found in nature and made by man. They discuss why the sun is a huge ball of plasma and if there are different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature and Thermal Energy

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Examine how heat can be transferred between systems by reconstructing a diagram on energy flow and solving problems on heat flow and work done.
Lesson Plan
University of California

Hot! Hot! Hot!

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science lesson, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over time....