Activity
American Chemical Society

Energy and Entropy of a Stretched Rubber Band

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Stephen Perry invented and patented the modern rubber band in 1845. Young scientists put his discovery to work as they use rubber bands to observe entropy and enthalpy. They determine the change in free energy to figure out if it...
Interactive
Royal Society of Chemistry

Apparatus Diagrams 1

For Students 6th - 12th
One of the biggest challenges for beginning scientists is figuring out the names of the equipment! Introduce your chemistry class to essential lab apparatuses using a series of related games. Pupils pair images of a test tube, funnel,...
Interactive
Royal Society of Chemistry

Apparatus Diagrams 2

For Students 6th - 12th
Ready to heat things up in the lab, but your class doesn't know its way around a Bunsen burner? Scholars get familiar with heating apparatuses through a series of puzzles designed to promote vocabulary and reasoning skills. The...
Interactive
Royal Society of Chemistry

Apparatus Diagrams 4

For Students 6th - 12th
Lab tools are cool! But, which one is the right tool for the job? Young scientists participate in a series of puzzles focused around some common lab equipment. Each puzzle requires learners to associate the tool with its image and a...
Interactive
Royal Society of Chemistry

Elements 1

For Students 6th - 12th
The periodic table can be a little overwhelming to young scientists. Meet your class' worries head on by introducing the table in a game. Individuals test their knowledge of the names and symbols of common elements, then use deductive...
Activity
Colorado State University

If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Why is the weather man wrong so often? Young climatologists discover how chaos rules both weather and climate through a math-based activity. Using an iterative equation, the class examines how small day-to-day weather events total up to...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Does the Wind Blow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Can You Drink Through a 30 Foot Straw?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Drinking straws are a pretty simple device ... or, are they? Explore the possibility of sipping a beverage 30 feet away with an engaging activity that's sure to keep pupils guessing. Just place a long piece of plastic tubing in a glass,...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What's the Difference Between Blue Light and Red Light?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Finally, an electromagnetic spectrum lab that will get glowing reviews from your class! Explore the nature of light using red and blue LED sources and fantastic phosphorescent paper. Young scientists compare the effects of blue light...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Can it Really Rain Fish and Frogs?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
You've heard of it raining cats and dogs ... but what about fish and frogs? It turns out, one scenario is much more likely than the other! Intrepid weather investigators examine the curious behavior of waterspouts using a leaf blower,...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Is the Sky Purple?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The color of the sky depends on the time of day. Young scholars experiment with scattering different wavelengths of light to recreate the color of the sky. They observe both the longer blue wavelengths and the shorter red and orange...
Activity
Colorado State University

What Causes Pressure?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Are you feeling the pressure? Let loose a little with a kinesthetic activity that models molecular motion in a closed space! The activity varies conditions such as volume and temperature and examines the effects on molecules.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

If Hot Air Rises, Why Is it Cold in the Mountains?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Investigate the relationship between temperature and pressure. Learners change the pressure of a sample of air and monitor its temperature. They learn that as air decreases its pressure, its thermal energy converts to kinetic energy.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Can Gravity Push Something Up?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
How does a hot air balloon fly? An experimental lesson has scholars build a balloon from a garbage bag and monitor the movement of air. As the temperature of the air in the balloon increases, gravity moves the denser cool air down,...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Does Air Weigh Anything?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Can you feel the weight of the air on your shoulders? Your classes may not believe that air has weight. A straightforward experiment asks individuals to weigh a bottle before and after adding air. Their results may surprise them!
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Do Clouds Form in the Afternoon?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The stability of the atmosphere changes on a daily basis. A kinesthetic lesson models how the stability of the air changes as it's warmed by the sun. Learners connect their models to the changing air currents and movement of warm and...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can Freezing Make Something Warmer?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Crazy fact—freezing liquid actually gives off heat! Young scholars investigate the transfer of energy when liquids freeze using a chemical heat pack. The heat pack gives off heat as its liquid core freezes.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can Clouds Keep the Air Warmer?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Condensing water warms the air around it. Young scholars consider this concept as they experiment with air temperature around evaporating and condensing water vapor. They simulate the formation of clouds to experience the associated...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Does it Get Colder on a Clear Night than a Cloudy Night?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Clouds are nature's insulator! A lab investigation asks learners to use an infrared thermometer to measure differences in infrared temperatures. They find that pointing the thermometer at a cloud has a much different result than pointing...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Do Cities Affect the Weather? (Making a Cloud in a Bottle)

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The dynamics of a city can have a drastic effect on the weather. A hands-on lesson asks learners to build a model to illustrate how city pollution provides a nucleus for condensation. The greater the pollution, the greater chance for...
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What Is a "Convection Cell"?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Round and round in circles it goes! A hands-on activity has learners recreate a model of a convection cell. They watch as the difference in density of their materials creates a current.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Does the Earth Cool Itself Off?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Where does all the heat go when the sun goes down? An interesting lesson has learners explore this question by monitoring the infrared radiation emitted over time. They learn that hot spots cool more quickly that cooler spots.
Lesson Plan
Colorado State University

What Is a "Model"?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Model the transfer of energy during a typical 24-hour period. Young scholars use a game-like approach to learning the patterns of heat transfer through the day and night. Groups of four exchange different tokens as the energy...
Activity
Colorado State University

Why Do Hurricanes Go Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Test your class' coordination as they model the Coriolis Effect. Forming a large circle, learners move to the right as they try to toss a ball to the person across from them. The movement of the circle represents the rotation of the...

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