Chem4kids
Chem4 Kids: Chemical vs. Physical Changes
Identify chemical and physical changes and the differences between the two.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Does Salt & Vinegar Have an Effect on Pennies?
During this lab students will experiment to see whether a salt and vinegar solution can clean a tarnished penny. Included on site is lesson plan and student worksheet.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Polymers & Plastics: Classification & Models
Students will use their prior knowledge about changes of matter including physical and chemical changes to examine and categorize various types of plastics (polymers). They will identify how their chemical properties allow them to have...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fourth Grade Science: Physical Science: Forms and Changes of Energy
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses different forms of energy and how energy changes form.
Other
Classifying Matter and Changes in Matter
Learn to identify changes in matter and explain what happens as matter changes. The lesson is supplemented with several experiments to reinforce key concepts.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Changing States
[Free Registration/Login Required] Through this unit children consolidate their ideas about changes of state which can be reversed. They use their understanding to explain a range of familiar phenomena.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Lab: Matter
Step into Dirtmeister's Science Lab as he explores the challenge question: "How can you force a physical change in matter?" Learn about matter, make your predictions and then do the experiment.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Shrinky Dink Chemistry
In this instructional activity, students first learn about thermoplastics, and about polystyrene in particular, which is a #6 plastic. They will then heat different #6 plastics to create shrinky dinks. As they are heated, they shrink,...
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center: One Ring to Rule Them All [Pdf]
A simple experiment to create a secret message using invisible ink, in honor of J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday and the Ring in The Lord of the Rings.
The Wonder of Science
The Wonder of Science: 5 Ps1 4: Mixing Substances
Does mixing two or more substances result in new substances? This site contains work samples, phenomena, assessment templates, and videos that contain content to covers mixing substances.
Other
Educational Innovations: Diaper Polymer Activities [Pdf]
What can you do with diaper polymer? Check out these six quick student experiments involving the chemical used in diapers.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Diaper Inquiry
Students investigate the technology of a diaper. They consider various physical traits of a diaper and then come up with an investigation to test some of these traits.
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center: Shrinky Dink Charms [Pdf]
Use recycled plastic to make shrinky dink jewelry and decorations.
NOAA
Noaa: Estuaries 101 Curriculum: Chemistry in an Estuary
This activity introduces students to the complex chemistry of estuarine water. Students investigate how chemical and physical water quality factors-pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and salinity-change and interact over varying time...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Combustion or Oxidation
Learners burn a magnesium strip to reinforce the concepts of chemical vs. physical changes, reaction types, conservation of mass, formulas and equations, stoichiometry, Lewis structures, and to explore the concept of oxidation/reduction...
Other
Homewood City Schools: Classification of Matter
This Homewood City Schools site has an outline form and contains lots of information about the classification and composition of matter. Some of the topics covered are matter and temperature, changes in state, composition of matter, and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Freezing Things: States of Matter
The class will go back over the Power Point presentation on chemical and physical properties. The teacher will then conduct numerous liquid nitrogen demos. This instructional activity is used early in the Chemistry course. The students...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Cellular Respiration Reactions
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Definition of cellular respiration and its overall chemical equation. The energy changes that occur during cellular respiration, including in photosynthesis.
Read Works
Read Works: Mix the Old With the New
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about how cooking causes changes in matter. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Other
The Science House: Combustion
In this experiment, students will observe that the weight of the product of combustion is greater than that of the starting material. Teacher's notes address the key concepts of this experiment.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Thermodynamics Article
Thermodynamics is a very important branch of both physics and chemistry. It deals with the study of energy, the conversion of energy between different forms and the ability of energy to do work. Through this article, you will begin to...
PBS
Pbs: The Science of Fire
A virtual experiment bringing you to the center of combustion! Understand how fire ignites, what makes a flame, and how molecules rearrange themselves in chemical reactions. This interactive activity gives students four different...
Michigan State University
Michigan State University: How Pesticide Resistance Develops
An individual organism's genes determine its physical and behavioral traits. When individuals reproduce, they pass along unique combinations of genes to their offspring. Different environments favor individuals with different physical...
Children's Discovery Museum
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: Ice Exploration
Provides fun ideas for exploring how to transform ice using shapes, light, and color.