Kitchen Chemistry - Elementary School
26 Classroom Resources
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Activity | Chemical Change, Matter, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Physical Properties | Elementary School
Analyzing Root Beer Floats
In this activity students will observe the states of matter while making a root beer float. They will also discover the differences between a solid, a liquid and a gas.
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Activity | Chemical Change, Matter, Mixtures, Mixtures, Physical Change | Elementary School
Chemistry in the Kitchen!
In this activity, students will describe the steps required to complete a recipe of their choosing. They will identify any physical and chemical changes that occur throughout the process.
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Lesson Plan | Chemical Properties, Mixtures, Observations, Physical Properties, Separating Mixtures | Elementary School, Middle School
Clean-Up Pond Pollution
In this lesson, students will compare polluted and filtered water to observe how filtering can remove some kinds of pollutants. Students will also be asked to consider how people affect ecosystems and use the scientific method to conduct an experiment on polluted water.
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Demonstration | Mixtures, Observations, Physical Properties, Polarity | Elementary School
Colorful Milk
In this demonstration, students will observe as the teacher creates several colorful mixtures. Using food coloring, water and milk, students will watch the colors swirl and mix. Students will have the opportunity to make a prediction about what will happen to the colors when a sample of soap is introduced to the mixture.
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Lab | Density, Matter, Observations, Physical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School
Comparing Density of Liquids & Solids
In this lab, students will measure mass and volume, calculate density, and compare the density of given liquids and solids, inferring what causes objects to sink or float in a given liquid. 3-48
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Lab | Chemical Change, Observations, Physical Change | Elementary School
Gummy Bear Investigation
In this lab students will write a plan then conduct an experiment using the scientific method to observe the physical and chemical changes that a gummy bear will experience when placed in a solution of their choice.
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Demonstration | Density, Identifying an Unknown, Measurements | Elementary School, Middle School
Household Densities
In this demonstration, students will make predictions about various household materials and whether or not each will sink or float when placed in water. Data will be collected and then used to calculate the density value of each item. Finally students will analyze the relationship between the density value and the observed outcome, and use their knowledge to identify unknown materials.
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Lab | Separating Mixtures, Separating Mixtures | Elementary School
Investigating Black Ink
In this lab, students will discover that black ink is a mixture composed of a several different pigments through a chromatography investigation.
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Demonstration | Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Combustion, Density, Density, Observations | Elementary School, Middle School
Investigating Gas Density
In this demonstration, students will observe a reaction between baking soda and vinegar in the presence of a burning candle. The initial environment has plenty of oxygen present in order to sustain the candle’s flame; however the reaction will produce carbon dioxide which will cause the lit candle to extinguish. Students will analyze the outcome and compare the presence of the gases in the container and make determinations about the densities of each.
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Demonstration | Density, Measurements | Elementary School
Sinking Soda
In this teacher led demonstration, students will compare their observations when unopened cans of diet and regular soda are placed in a large container of water. They will use their observations to help differentiate between several fundamental chemistry concepts: mass, volume, and density.
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Lab | Chemical Change, Physical Change, Physical Properties | Elementary School
What's the Fizz?
In this lab, students will make a lemon fizzy drink. Students will discuss what happens when things are mixed together.
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Demonstration | Density, Observations, Physical Properties | Elementary School
Will it Float?
In this demonstration, students will observe the relationship between the density of a solution and its impact on an object’s ability to float or sink. Uncooked eggs will be placed in a tap water sample and in a salt water solution so that students can make observations and compare the results in order to make a determination regarding the density value for each item.
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Demonstration | Pressure, Temperature | Elementary School, Middle School
EGGsperiment
In this demonstration, students will learn how temperature change affects air pressure, while observing an egg getting sucked into a bottle without being touched!
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Lab | Catalysts, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Reaction Rate, Reaction Rate | Elementary School
To What DEGREE Does it Matter
In this lab the students will explore how factors such as temperature may influence chemical reactions. Students will use citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (Alka-Seltzer) and a catalyst (water) to induce a reaction at varying degrees. Observations will be made of the rate at which the reactions take place under these varying conditions. The students will make predictions of how the temperature of the water will affect the chemical reaction. They will use a stop watch to time the reaction between the Alka-Seltzer and the varying temperatures of water and graph their observations for analysis, they will compare data to deduce whether temperature has any influence during a chemical reaction.
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Demonstration | Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Oxidation | Elementary School
Apple's Oxidation
In this lab students will learn about the chemical reaction, oxidation, using apple wedges. They will apply different substances to a number of apple wedges to determine if these applications have any impact on the oxidation process. Students will also use a control sample so that they compare their results with an apple wedge that has not had any substance added to it. Students will measure and record the time it takes to see the changes to the apple which indicate oxidation. 3-46
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Demonstration | Chemical Change, Exothermic & Endothermic | Elementary School, Middle School
Giant Toothpaste
In this demonstration, students will identify factors that indicate a chemical change has occurred while observing the production of giant toothpaste. This reaction uses simpler materials than those that are often used in the typical high school version of the Elephant’s toothpaste demonstration.
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Demonstration | Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Physical Change | Elementary School
Make a Cake!
In this demonstration, students will learn about chemical reactions by observing the differences when 4 small cakes are baked. Each recipe will differ slightly in that one important ingredient will be left out in 3 of the 4 mixtures. Students will observe and discuss what happens when things are missing or left out of a mixture and how that effects the chemical reaction.
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Lesson Plan | Chemical Change, Conservation of Matter, Phase Changes, Polymers | Elementary School
Making Slime
In this lesson, students explore the science behind chemical reactions as well as the processes used by chemical engineering principles to develop new materials. The idea that mixing two substances can result in an explosion, the release of gas, and the formation of an entirely new substance is both fascinating and mysterious to most young students.
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Demonstration | Chemical Change, Concentration, Solute & Solvent | Elementary School, Middle School
Soft Eggs
In this demonstration, students will first observe a reaction between vinegar (acetic acid) and an egg shell (calcium carbonate) to produce a naked egg. Using these eggs, student will analyze how certain substances can move through a membrane and also determine if the membrane is affected.
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Lab | Chemical Change, Chemical Change | Elementary School
Teeth Eggsperiment!
In this lab students will observe and analyze how different drinks can stain an egg’s shell. They will then associate the results with how these drinks can stain their teeth.
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Lesson Plan | Acid, Acid Base Reactions, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations | Elementary School
The Chemistry of Eggs
In this lesson students will learn that vinegar can react with the Calcium in an egg shell to make it rubbery. First, the students will listen to the teacher read a book about eggs. The teacher will then put an egg in a jar with vinegar and let it set for two days. Students will make a prediction about what they think will happen to the egg, and then together they will investigate the final results.
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Lab | Freezing Point, Mixtures, Phase Changes | Elementary School
Coffee Creamer Ice Cream
In this lab, students will investigate how dissolving salt (sodium chloride) in water changes the freezing point of the solution. While investigating this, they will make ice cream from small coffee creamer cups.
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Demonstration | Physical Change, Solubility, Solute & Solvent | Elementary School
Crystallization of Sugar
In this demonstration, students will observe how to make rock candy in order to understand how sugar crystals form. They will be able to explain what a supersaturated solution is and how it is relevant to sugar crystallization.
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Lab | Precipitate, Saturated/Unsaturated/Supersaturated, Solubility, Solute & Solvent | Elementary School, High School, Middle School
Winter Crystals
In this lab, students will create a supersaturated solution by dissolving borax in boiling water. They will create a snowflake using pipe cleaner to suspend in the solution, which will serve as a nucleation site for crystallization as the solution cools and remains undistributed overnight. This lab gives students an opportunity to experience the exciting crystallization process and become more familiar with an engaging chemistry spectacle!
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Lab | Physical Change, Reaction Rate, Solubility, Solute & Solvent | Elementary School
M&M's Solution
In this lab, students will investigate dissolving using M&M’s and will determine whether dissolving happens faster without assistance, or with the assistance of the tongue and teeth.
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Activity | Molecular Structure, Physical Properties, Polarity | Elementary School, High School, Middle School
What Makes Water So Special?
In this activity, students will become familiar with the special properties of water by completing several activities that investigate the following physical properties/phenomena: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, and capillary action.