Curated OER
Recognition and Classification of Mixtures
Immerse your chemistry class in solutions! They melt and compare the mixtures that make up margarine, separate black ink into its component colors, distill ocean saltwater, and practice chromatography with plant pigments. There are eight...
Curated OER
Investigating the Effect of Salinity on the Density and Stability of Water
Water with varying amounts of dissolved salt are dyed and then used to compare densities. The objective is to discover the effect of salinity, and therefore density, on ocean water on the stability of the ocean. Many branches of science...
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Eyes on Dissolved Oxygen
Learn about the factors that affect the way oxygen dissolves in salt water with a chemistry lab. After studying the molecular structure of water, young scientists figure out how aeration, temperature, and organic waste affect...
Curated OER
Frozen Water Before? I'm Sure You Have; But I Bed You've Never Frozen Salt Water! Water!!
Students examine what happens to salt water when it freezes. In groups, they measure density and salt concentrations in different samples of water and record its freezing time. They discuss the relationship between water density and...
Curated OER
The Floating Egg Problem
This is the grown-up version of the classic "float an egg in salt water" experience, plus an experiment in soap making. High schoolers explore density, but more importantly, practice accuracy, precision, and the use of significant...
Curated OER
Towers of the Lost City
Middle school marine scientists compare the pH change in distilled and saltwater as acetic acid is added one drop at a time. Then they compare the pH change in both when sodium hydroxide is added. This experiment demonstrates the...
Curated OER
I Wood if I Could
Tenth graders investigate the process of how specific products are made from trees. For this chemistry activity, groups of students must choose among ice cream, bubble gum, paper, toothpaste and lipstick. They research, design and...
Curated OER
DNA Extraction with Kitchen Chemistry
Students extract DNA from green peas. In this DNA extraction lesson plan, students use a blender to chop up peas, they mix them with a little soap, they tenderize them and they mix them with alcohol to see the DNA precipitate through the...
Virginia Department of Education
States of Matter
Scientists have been studying exothermic reactions before they were cool. The lesson begins with a discussion and a demonstration of heat curves. Scholars then determine the heat of fusion of ice and the heat needed to...
Curated OER
What Are The Properties of Sea Water?
Ninth graders conduct research on the subject of sea water. They use a variety of resources to obtain information. There are helpful resource links listed in the lesson. In conjunction with the research students make inquiry of the...
Curated OER
Physical and Chemical Reactions - Factors Which Affect Reaction Rate
A total of five experiments lead chemistry pros to understand the difference between physical and chemical change. They also experiment with exothermic reaction factors that affect rate of reaction. The procedures are not written in the...
Curated OER
Castaway or Survivor
What a clever idea! Chemistry learners imagine themselves deserted on an island with a radio, but no batteries. They also have a few odds and ends in their pockets and storage chest. They are challenged to create a battery that will...
Curated OER
Earth Water Distribution and Water Consumption
Students explore the need for conserving fresh water and understand that it is a limited supply. In this water consumption instructional activity students participate in an activity and answer questions.
American Chemical Society
Density: Sink and Float for Liquids
We don't think of liquids as floating typically, but a quick look at any oil spill tells a different story. Lesson explores various densities of liquids and why this fact is important. After observing the density variation, scholars...
Curated OER
Alicia Screams for Ice Cream!
Student make ice cream and study the chemistry of how it is made and frozen.
Curated OER
I Have the Solution!
Students explain how to make solutions with specific concentration. In this chemistry instructional activity, students differentiate acids and bases. They calculate molarity of solutions.
Curated OER
Density Columns
Eighth graders create solutions with 5 different densities. In this chemistry lesson, 8th graders analyze the density of solutions stacked on top of each other. They document their data through graphing. This assignment requires 4 class...
Curated OER
Capillary Action and Adhesion
Students perform classroom experiments to observe adhesion. They perform a second experiment using sand, salt, water, and a heat lamp to observe the principle of capillary action. They also experiment with adhesion in plants.
Curated OER
Properties of Salt
Students see how the properties of salt affect the color of flame, the flow of electricity, and the freezing temperature of water. They identify salt and sugar crystals under a microscope and discuss various practical uses of salt.
Curated OER
Changing the Freezing Point of Water with Salt
First graders explore freezing points. In this science lesson plan, 1st graders determine the temperature at which water freezes, understand why salt water freezes at a lower temperature than plain water, and understand why the string...
Curated OER
Corrosion/Conservation/Preservation
Students examine the reasons why metal corrodes in regard to metal artifacts. In groups, they discover the affects of salt water on metal and compare the type of corrosion found on iron. They also research the types of metal...
Curated OER
Activity #8 U Are So Dense!
Students watch as the teacher demonstrates: if a single liquid is placed in a U-shaped tube, the level of liquid on both sides are the same. When the mass is greater on one side than the other, liquid is pushed from one side to the...
Curated OER
Make An Egg Float!
Students analyze density. In this density activity, students experiment with floating an egg. Students discover that salt added to water changes the density of the water allowing an egg to float.
Virginia Department of Education
Aspirin Analysis
Laughter may be the best medicine, but aspirin is also important. Young chemists analyze aspirin tablets using titration in this lab experiment. They then repeat the entire experiment using a different aspirin brand.