Lesson Plan
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The Effects of Temperature on Chemical Mixtures

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore chemical cahnges and the effect of temperature on chemical mixturees, They make observations of the behavior and appearance of certain chemical mixtures and reactions.
Lesson Plan
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The Energy Debate - Stoichiometry

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine crude oil can be separated into useful fractions by a process of fractional distillation. They write a balanced equation for the reaction between a hydrocarbon and oxygen.
Lesson Plan
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Of Electron Bondage

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create models of ionic and covalent electronic bonds to demonstrate their understanding of these chemistry concepts. They explain how both ionic bonds and covalent bonds work so that younger students can understand.
Lesson Plan
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Polymers Lab: Bouncy Ball and Slime

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate chemical reactions to produce polymers. In this polymers lesson plan, 8th graders experiment with sodium silicate and ethyl alcohol to make a polymer. They also experiment with borax and glue to make a polymer....
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Bhopal - Rate of Reaction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine that the rate of reaction is affected by temperature, surface area, concentration of reagent, and addition of a catalyst or inhibitor. They observe that on December 3rd, 1984, 8000 people died when the chemical plant...
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When Things Start Heating Up

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore how and why heat is produced from things that give off light, from machines, or when one thing is rubbed against another. They participate in several hands-on activities designed to help them realize that heat is related...
Lesson Plan
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The Energy Debate - Energy of Peanut

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students articulate the difference between the terms heat and temperature. They calculate the amount of energy associated with a given temperature rise and design an experiment to measure the energy of a fuel.
Lesson Plan
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Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Young scholars identify the physical and chemical properties of matter. They review the types of matter. Students list the four states of matter (Solid, Liquid, Gas and Plasma). They recognize and describe the different types of matter.
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Hot Cans and Cold Cans

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students investigate the physics of heating and cooling through conduction, convection, and radiation. Working in groups, they determine the best way to cool a can of water and warm a can of water. Temperature is taken at five minute...
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Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
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Virus and Bacteriophage

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the differences between a virus and a bacteriophage. They explore various websites, identify the parts of a virus and a bacteriophage, and construct a model of a virus or bacteriophage.
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When Things Start Heating Up

For Teachers 3rd - Higher Ed
Students develop a clearer understanding of how and why heat is produced from things that give off light, from machines, or when one thing is rubbed against another.
Lesson Plan
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Stellar Fingerprints: the Spectra of Stars

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explain how an element can be identified using emission spectra. They relate the emission spectrum of hydrogen to its absorption spectrum and identify hydrogen absorption lines in the spectrum of stars.
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Polymers

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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.
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A Chemical Balancing Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners decompose glucose and write an equation for the reaction. In this decomposition reaction lesson plan, students burn a sample of glucose and test the products for water using cobalt chloride paper. They write a balanced equation...
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What is a greenhouse?

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students experiment to gain understanding of how a greenhouse retains heat.  In this greenhouse lesson, students work with soda bottles and simulate a greenhouse. Students compare data from a vented and intact bottle. Students...
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Speeding up the Fizz

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate temperature and chemical reactions. They explore the effect of temperature and particle size has on the rate of a simple chemical reaction. In addition, they graph their results and answer assessment questions.
Lesson Plan
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Isomers and Polymers

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students create models of structural isomers, geometric isomers, and polymers.  In this chemistry lesson, students are given definitions and molecular model kits to create a variety of different isomers and polymers.
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Physical vs. Chemical Changes

For Teachers 8th - 10th
In this chemical and physical change worksheet, students are given details about chemical and physical changes. They are given 2 examples using water and salt and they identify 15 statements as chemical or physical changes. Students...
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Matter Matters: Solids, Liquids and Gases

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Scientists participate in a variety of hands-on experiments in this ten-day unit on the three states of matter. Lessons incorporate literature, a-v materials, and poetry to help students differentiate between solids, liquids and gases.
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Frosty the Snowman Meets His Demise: An Analogy to Carbon Dating

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and discuss an article about carbon dating, then participate in a hands-on lab to discover how carbon dating works. Students also write a letter to a friend explaining the process, and how archeologists use the process to...
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pH Scale, acids and bases

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders define the pH scale, acids and bases. They distinguish between acidic and basic solutions using litmus paper. Students review simple chemical formulas. They define the subscript and coefficient in terms of chemical...
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Plastics by the Numbers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate plastic resins and their uses. In this plastics lesson plan, students describe major plastic resins and what they are used for, they compare and contrast the properties of plastic resins and they list products that...
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Static Electricity and Lightning

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study concepts related to static electricity, based on a single example: lightning. They explain how static electricity, lightning, and sparks are all related phenomena. They draw a diagram illustrating the negative and positive...