Curated OER
BioFuels: The Chemistry and Economics of Alternative Fuels
Junior chemists manufacture biodiesel in the lab. In this exercise, they check the purity of the biodiesel using thin layer chromatography. They also calculate its density and heat of combustion. They are sure to rise to the...
Concord Consortium
Charged and Neutral Atoms
Do charged and neutral particles behave differently as they undergo phase changes? Science sleuths examine two types of attractive forces using an informative interactive. Pupils can vary the amount of Van der Waals attraction present...
University of Georgia
Density and Texture of Soil
All soil is not created equal! A lab activity asks learners to collect and analyze soil. Specific calculations determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample and allow individuals to identify the soil texture.
Curated OER
Introduction And Brief History of Materials Science
Students develop an understanding of the concept of matter. They l participate actively in the bubble raft experiment as described on the Center for Thermal Spray Research's website. They demonstrate dislocations and grain...
American Chemical Society
Condensation
It's time to break the ice! If you are doing all of the lessons in the unit, children have already seen that increasing heat increases the rate of evaporation, but is the opposite true? Does decreasing temperature cause more condensation...
Curated OER
The Conservation Of Mass (The Mass Of Gas)
Students gain an understanding of matter in all of its phases. In this science lesson plan, students further their knowledge of the laws of conservation of mass, the loss in mass can be accounted for, when the gas is allowed to escape...
Steinhardt Apps
Kinetic Molecular Theory
Building off young chemists' knowledge of the states of matter, kinetic molecular theory is the focus of the unit. Eight days of lessons including multiple demonstrations, one lab experiment, directed instruction, and worksheets,...
Curated OER
Oobleck/Slime War
Students compare slime recipes. In this properties of matter lesson, students make Oobleck and glurch and compare the properties of each and examine the solid and liquid properties of them.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Nanotechnology Invention and Design: Phase Changes, Energy, and Crystals
What does it take to be considered a smart material? Learners investigate the properties of Nitinol, a smart material, through a hands-on lab activity. They examine the crystal lattice structure and the conditions required for Nitinol to...
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Ice Cream
For this chemistry of ice cream worksheet, students investigate colligative properties and how they affect freezing points while making ice cream. Students answer short answer questions to determine if freezing is an endothermic or...
Curated OER
Temperature Changes Everything
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...
Curated OER
Ice Cream: a Taste of Science!!
Learners define the term solution. They explain conservation of energy and energy transfer as it relate to how the milk solution became ice cream. Students are able to explain freezing point depression.
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...
Curated OER
Eight Lunar Phases, Lunar Rotation and Revolutionary Periods
Eighth graders create a slide show to show their knowledge of the eight lunar phases and lunar rotation and revolutionary periods.
Curated OER
Ice Cream
Open this instructional activity by giving a brief history of ice cream. Using liquid nitrogen to lower the temperature, preteens make their own confection. The accompanying activity sheet queries learners about freezing point, the...
Curated OER
Melting and Freezing of Water
Students differentiate the three states of matter. In this chemistry lesson, students analyze graphs of heating and cooling curve of water. They complete a lab report and discuss results.
Curated OER
Heat and Thermodynamics
This is actually a 10-day mini unit on thermal energy for your high school chemists. Every avenue is taken to get learners absorbed in heat: a pretest, a PowerPoint presentation, Internet exploration, demonstrations, lab activities, and...
Curated OER
Changes of State
Students examine molecules and the changes in energy of a system. In this energy systems lesson students complete a lab activity and describe changes of state.
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Density and Pressure of a Hot Air Balloon
Using a dry cleaner bag and a blow dryer, create a hot air balloon! The materials list suggests obtaining one dry cleaner bag per student, but since this is probably inconvenient, consider doing this as a demonstration during a lesson on...
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Introduction to Density
Seventh grade scientists weigh in on the concept of density. In a nutshell, they participate in the following activities:
Measurement of the mass and volume of fruit in order to compare densities
Measurement of the mass of oil and water...
Curated OER
Heat Transfer
The young scholars construct a heating curve and explain its components. They perform calculations. They review phase changes and quantify Energy differences. They review phases of matter and their energy content.
Curated OER
Heating Curve Lab
Tenth graders examine the heating curve of water when head is added constantly over time. They input values into a calculator as they record water temperature every thirty seconds as it is heated on a hot plate. They complete the...
Curated OER
Melting Ice is Hot Stuff!
Fourth graders determine the amount of energy required to melt ice using a calorimeter. They calculate the Molar Heat of Fusion of Ice.
Curated OER
Matter and Energy
Students participate in a small group read aloud of the short story, "Cerium" by Primo Levi. They answer several questions about the story and then relate the reading to a lecture on Kinetic theory. After the lecture they apply the...