Curated OER
The Chemistry of Life
High schoolers study atoms and chemical compounds. They identify certain elements essential to human health, describe physical and chemical properties of water, and name four types of polymers unique to all life forms. They explain how...
Curated OER
Water Wonders
Young scholars measure the amount of surface tension using a balance scale after a classroom demonstration students diagram the appearance of several liquids and label them.
Curated OER
Dry Ice Activities Mini Lesson
Get your middle schoolers experimenting with dry ice. In the first activity, they place a piece in water and then use phenol red to identify its pH. In the second, they place a piece in a limewater solution and watch as the combination...
Cornell University
Unknown Powders
Create a little scientific magic within your classroom! Learners mix powders and liquids and identify chemical reactions. Based on the reactions, individuals determine the identity of various powders.
Teach Engineering
Superhydrophobicity – The Lotus Effect
Discover and demonstrate the Lotus Effect and superhydrophobic surfaces with the eighth installment of a nine-part series that teaches scholars about surfaces that exhibit superhydrophobicity. The lesson continues also describes...
NOAA
The Oceanographic Yo-yo
How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...
NEED Project
Calibrating Thermometers
Engage young scientists in the upper-elementary and middle school grades with this collection of simple experiments. Whether you're teaching about heat transfer, density, or potential energy this resource has a lab for you.
American Chemical Society
Investigating the Line
Note that this lesson is best paired with the preceding lesson in the unit. In that lesson, elementary physical scientists observed that the color coating of M&Ms® candies do not mix when dissolved off of the chocolate surface. Now...
American Chemical Society
Liquids - Clearly Unique
Bring chemistry to life for scholars as they perform two tests to examine the unique properties of three liquids. Classroom investigators make observations, develop basic lab skills, and follow step-by-step instructions to compare water,...
Curated OER
Physical Properties Of Coal
Students examine and identify the observable properties of coal. After a lecture/demo, students perform a simple experiment. They observe samples of coal and record data in an organized manner.
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere, and Nary a Drop to Drink!
Students sing the continent song and locate oceans between the continents on a map. They read "They Earth is Mostly Ocean" and copy notes into their journals. They watch a demonstration of water and saltwater evaporated to see what is...
Curated OER
Sink or Float?
Young scholars analyze the relationship between density, buoyancy, and salinity. In this chemical properties lesson, students read a background activity for the lesson and experiments to the topics. Young scholars discuss the questions...
Curated OER
Latent Heat and Clouds
Learners explore latent heat and how it relates to clouds in the atmosphere. In this earth science lesson students investigate how clouds are formed. Learners examine clouds and the water cycle.
Curated OER
Evaporation
Students study the evaporation stage of the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students participate in an experiment to study the process of evaporation that uses jars and water. Students complete an observation worksheet for...
Curated OER
Liquids in Bottles
Students investigate different liquids to develop their concept of a liquid. They work at a center to tip, swirl, shake, roll, and otherwise investigate seven liquids in small, clear plastic bottles: plain water, corn syrup, liquid...
Curated OER
Food Chemistry: The Chemistry of Sweeteners
Students investigate the properties of sweeteners. In this chemical property lesson, students examine the unique properties of sweeteners by performing several experiments. They will analyze the data to form a conclusion about the...
Curated OER
Observing Rocks
Fifth graders explore the various properties of earth and rocks. They play "Twenty Questions" with the teacher, and analyze a rock using a magnifying glass. They record their rock observations and list the differences between the wet...
Curated OER
Scientific Method
Students explore the steps in the scientific methods. Through activities, students discover the scientific is a tool for solving problems of any kind. Students will fill out a scientific method chart, and determine what information is...
Curated OER
What's the Matter?
First graders identify solids, liquids, and gases. In this matter lesson, the teacher guides students through numerous demonstrations as they determine the properties of solids, liquids, and gases and classify things as each. As the...
Curated OER
Light
Students examine how light waves travel. For this properties of light lesson, students observe how light travels in water, how light is reflected and refracted, and how light is pure energy.
Curated OER
Not A Drop To Drink
Fifth graders discuss ways that humans pollute our natural water supply. They observe a video about water pollution. Students identify eight different ways water is contaminated. They investigate an oil spill by conducting a hands-on...
Curated OER
Elements and Compounds
Eighth graders explore the chemical and physical properties of a variety of elements in a lab setting. They organize the data they collect onto a spreadsheet and then choose one element from the periodic table to research. They...
Curated OER
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
First graders explore the properties of matter. In this states of matter activity, 1st graders conduct scientific investigations that require them to mix, cool, and heat objects in order to observe changes in the properties of matter.
Curated OER
Piece Like a River
Students investigate water formations by creating a puzzle. In this water properties lesson, students create a giant river puzzle by drawing on large butcher paper as a class, then dividing the image up into many pieces. ...