Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chemistry E3 Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders perform a series of experiment to investigate heat transfer and phase changes. In this physical science activity, 9th graders identify and calculate the different subatomic particles. They explain the importance of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not In My Backyard: The Nature and Danger of Nuclear Radiation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers evaluate the ways to control exposure to radiation and determine how to deal with the problem of nuclear waste in a rational rather than an emotional way.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will the Lights Go Out?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students diagram nuclear power plant, describe process for generating electrical power, discuss nuclear disasters in the 20th century, and draw conclusion about value of nuclear power for the future.
Lesson Plan
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Alphas, Betas and Gammas Oh, My!

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Referring to the periodic table of elements, nuclear physics learners determine the resulting elements of alpha and beta decay. Answers are given in atomic notation, showing the atomic symbol, mass, atomic number, and emission particles....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter and Energy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore energy by completing a science worksheet in class. In this principles of matter lesson, students define the vocabulary terms force, gravity, nuclear, and electromagnetic before reading assigned text about energy....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grating Spectrometer

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students calculate the Balmer series. In this physics lesson, students observe hydrogen lamp spectra using spectrometers. They calculate wavelength and compare them with their theoretical calculations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students calculate the values of electron binding energies. In this physics lesson, students solve for different wavelength characteristics of X-rays. They present their findings to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of the Plug: How Electricity Will Change Our Lives... Again

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners study electricity. In this physics lesson, students review electrical energy by discussing three ways of generating it. Learners explore various energy sources used for creating electricity and examine how different states...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recognizing and Describing Chemical Changes

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders distinguish between physical and chemical changes in both natural and technological settings. They identify the reactants and products for a given chemical reaction. they then write simple chemical equations given the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Uranium On a Diet

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine how nuclear reactions differ from other chemical reactions they have studied. They add up atomic masses of both the product and reactant side of an example of uranium decomposition, demonstrating mass loss involved.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cold Fusion?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students apply their knowledge of relativity and nuclear radiation to the concept of cold fusion. They also read the article from the website listed in the related and resource websites and discuss the article with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Automated Vehicle Programming Design

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students design a program to make an automated vehicle perform a specific task. In this robotics lesson, students play the role of scientists competing to win a factory's contract. They present their algorithm to class.
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Properties of Compounds and Chemical Formulas

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young chemists have unknown compounds they need to sort. Performing three different tests on each, the chemical behaviors they observe become the basis for data analysis. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jell-O Optics

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners observe an activity with Jell-O to learn about optics.  In this investigative lesson students fill out a handout on the activity that helps them to investigate the index of refraction and the speed of light. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radioactivity Experiments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the difference between types of ionizing radiation and how elements are transmuted. They determine that radiation is normal and surrounds us. They calculate the amounts of alpha, beta and gamma radiation emitted from a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Big Bang

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders relate the elements in the human body to those produced during a supernova. In this space science and chemistry lesson, 5th graders listen to a lecture and view visuals about the big bang. They relate the production of...