Virginia Department of Education
Soap, Slime, and Creative Chromatography
Do you think chromatography paper suffers from separation anxiety? Young chemists make soap, slime, silly putty, and experiment with chromatography in this lesson. The material includes clear instructions for each experiment along with...
Space Awareness
Let's Break the Particles
Build learning by breaking atoms! Young scientists study the way energy changes with a hands-on activity. As they roll steel marbles down a ramp, learners test the hypothesis that kinetic energy does not go away with friction...
Cornell University
The Science of Snowflakes
Who can grow the best crystals? Challenge class members to develop strategies for enhancing growth in the crystals. Through a lab investigation, learners study the properties of crystals and test the effectiveness of different...
NASA
The Importance of Food
Pupils make observations while eating food. They act out the process of food breaking down in the body and the roles of various chemical components, such as sugar and protein. It concludes with an activity illustrating the process and a...
Cornell University
Polymers: Instant Snow
Is it easy to make snow? Scholars use critical thinking skills as they investigate the concept of polymers by making snow. The class tests several different variables and takes measurements over the course of several days. They then...
Curated OER
Chemical Formulas Unit-Day 4
The purpose of this lesson involves reviewing nomenclature and molecular
formulas as well as introducing naming molecular compounds and identifying acids. The students investigate and understand how conservation of energy
and matter is...
Curated OER
Emulsion_ Compulsion
Students experiment with common household products to determine the properties of emulsions and how they fit into the classifications of matter through this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Density
Students, in groups, design a procedure to calculate the mass of gas molecules in the classroom by measuring the volume of the classroom and researching the density of air. They apply changes in air density with altitude and effects on a...
Curated OER
It's Just a Phase: Water as Solid, Liquid and Gas
Students construct models of the way water molecules arrange themselves in three physical states - solid, liquid, and gas. They explain the molecular behavior of ice, water, and water vapor.
Curated OER
Rising Water!
Students observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that describe how...
Curated OER
Diffusion Through Balloons
Students observe the diffusion of air molecules through a balloon. In this chemistry and molecules lesson, students fill balloons with air and a scented substance and observe whether the scented air is able to permeate the balloon.
Curated OER
Beads, Balls, and Beakers
Students analyze the amount of space required to pack round objects. In this geometry lesson, students practice using space economically by practicing packing spheres into beakers. They then translate this concept to molecules being...
Curated OER
Electron Transport System Made Fun and Easy:
High schoolers identity the components of electron transport system through role play. They explain the role of intermediate energy carriers to the production of ATP molecules. They describe the relationship of electron transport system...
Curated OER
Winter
Students explore the nature of water and water molecules. They examine the role of ice on organisms.
Curated OER
Indirect Observation
Students observe obscertainers through indirect observations and make hypotheses about the internal wall structures of the containers. In this indirect observation lesson plan, students make observations of 4 obscertainers with a steel...
Curated OER
Melting and Freezing
Learners explore how various substances change from a solid to a liquid or from a liquid to a solid and how temperature, pressure and nature play an important role in this process. In this melting and freezing lesson,...
Curated OER
Liquids Have Differnt Viscosities
Students explore visosity of matter. They run tests of various liquid substances to observe and compare rates of flow of different substances. In addition, they relate viscosity to distance travelled by sample substances.
Curated OER
Reaction Reasoning
Third graders experiment with chemical reactions and examine what happens to the atoms when different reactions occur. In this matter lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab experiment.
Virginia Department of Education
Molecular Model Building
During this hands-on activity, young chemists build molecular models based on the Lewis dot structure before studying valence shell electron pair repulsion theory.
American Chemical Society
Mixing Liquids to Identify an Unknown Liquid
Yellow and blue make green in a colorful lesson on liquid solutions. The seventh installment of a 16-part Inquiry to Action series asks pupils to mix different-colored solutions and record their observations. They then use their...
Curated OER
Polymers
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.
Curated OER
Traveling Nitrogen
Students act out the cycling of nitrogen through the environment. In this nutrient cycle instructional activity, students role play as nitrogen atoms traveling through the nitrogen cycle. They travel to stations and roll dice...
Curated OER
From Molecules to Mole Day Do's
Students recognize methods used to define the mole. After converting various quantities to the mole, students provide a context for understanding the usefulness of scientific notation and the mole.
Curated OER
Energy Extravaganza
Tenth graders study how cells and organisms acquire and release energy through photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They explain that living organisms use matter and energy to synthesize a variety of organic molecules and they will...