Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
151 – 175 of 267 Classroom Resources
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Molecular Motion, Physical Properties | Middle School, High School
Activity: Categorizing States of Matter
In this activity students will analyze both written statements and images that describe the properties of a solid, liquid or gas. Students will determine which state of matter the description best describes and categorize it accordingly.
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Radioactive Isotopes, Radiation, Half Lives, Atomic Structure, Subatomic Particles, Model of the Atom, History | Middle School, High School
Activity: Marie Curie Video Questions
In this activity, students will watch a short video and learn about Marie Curie, her Nobel Prizes, radiation experiments, and discovery of new elements.
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Lab Safety, Introduction, Review | Middle School, High School
Activity: Laboratory Equipment Memory Game
In this activity, students will play a modified version of the classic Memory Game in order to help them identify common laboratory equipment by name. This activity provides an opportunity for students to increase their familiarity with the laboratory equipment that they will be expected to properly use.
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Atomic Theory, Subatomic Particles, Model of the Atom, History | Middle School, High School
Activity: Ernest Rutherford Video Questions
In this activity, students will watch a video about Ernest Rutherford. They will learn about his great contributions to chemistry, including his study of alpha particles and his use of the gold foil experiment. They will also find out that he won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his studies on radioactive substances.
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Phase Changes, Elements, Mixtures | High School, Middle School
Activity: Visualizing States of Matter
In this activity, students will view, sort and classify pure substances and mixtures into the 3 common states of matter found in the laboratory. Students will also discuss their classification system with their teacher and peers.
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Ionic Bonding, Naming Compounds, Polyatomic Ions | High School
Activity: Introduction to Naming and Formula Writing for Ionic Compounds
In this activity, students will be introduced to ionic compound formulas and names. They will group prepared cut-outs to note similarities and differences among different classes of ionic compounds (i.e. binary and ternary, including metals with varying charges). The goal is not to be equipped to write names and formulas for ionic compounds, but to recognize trends in naming.
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Electromagnetic Spectrum, Identifying an Unknown | Middle School, High School
Video: Color Matching Paint Video
This video explains how technology, specifically focusing on spectrophotometry, can be used for paint matching. Students will learn how the spectrophotometer interacts with the spectrum of visible light in order to match or reproduce specific paint colors.
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Radioactive Isotopes, Atomic Theory, History, Pros Cons of Nuclear Power, Radiation, Subatomic Particles | Middle School, High School
Activity: Lise Meitner Video Questions
In this activity, students will complete a short series of questions as they watch the Founders of Chemistry video about Lise Meitner. The video tells the story of Lise Meitner, a pioneering female scientist in the field of nuclear chemistry, who was denied a Nobel Prize but has an Element named in her honor.
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Pros Cons of Nuclear Power, Radiation, Radioactive Isotopes, Atomic Theory, Atoms, History | Middle School, High School
Video: Lise Meitner Video
This video tells the story of Lise Meitner, a pioneering female scientist in the field of nuclear chemistry, who was denied a Nobel Prize but has an Element named in her honor.
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Periodic Table, Elements, History, Subatomic Particles, Atomic Mass, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding | Middle School, High School
Project: Exploring Elements
In this project, students will select an element and then use Ptable.com to explore aspects of the element including its periodicity, electron configuration, history, and uses in industry.
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Periodic Table, Electronegativity, VSEPR Theory, Polarity, Molecular Structure | High School
Activity: Making Connections between Electronegativity, Molecular Shape, and Polarity
In this activity, students will find the electronegativity values of a variety of elements, draw the Lewis structures of select molecules that are made with those elements, and identify the molecular shape of each molecule. Students will then be asked to determine if the molecules are polar or nonpolar based on the electronegativity values of the atoms and the molecular shape. Students will use Ptable.com to find information about atoms and molecules and connect what they find to observable properties.
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Physical Change | High School
Activity: Magic Bubble (High School)
In this lesson, students will create and interpret particle diagrams that represent elements and compounds at the molecular level. They will also describe the process of dissolving and create particle diagrams that represent mixtures at the molecular level.
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Periodic Table, Elements | Middle School, High School
Activity: Periodic Table of Mistakes
In this activity, students will examine a periodic table that contains 25 mistakes. Students will be tasked with comparing the Periodic Table of Mistakes to a real periodic table in order to determine what mistakes are present. This activity provides an opportunity for students to become more familiar with the periodic table, including element names, symbols and placement, as well as trends in atomic mass.
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Review, Culminating Project | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Project: Icosahedron!
In this project, students will create an icosahedron, a twenty sided ball, to present information about a topic. The icosahedron can be used for any topic that would require the allocation and presentation of material.
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Atomic Theory, Model of the Atom, Subatomic Particles, History | High School
Project: The Scientists Behind the Atom
In this project, students will create a digital (or paper) book about the scientists who contributed to our understanding of the atom.
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Electron Configuration, Electrons, Valence Electrons, Periodic Table, Orbitals | High School
Activity: Electron Configuration and the Periodic Table
In this activity, students will learn how the periodic table can be used to predict the electron configuration of an atom and, thus, better predict the reactivity of an atom.
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Physical Properties, Molecular Structure, Polarity | High School, Elementary School, Middle School
Activity: 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.
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Molecular Structure , Molecular Structure, Molecular Formula, Naming Compounds, Chemical Bond, Interdisciplinary, Introduction | Middle School, High School
Activity: Modeling Carbohydrates
In this activity, students will identify that organic compounds contain carbon and other elements such as hydrogen and oxygen. They will investigate the structure of different organic and inorganic compounds and model several molecules, including a carbohydrate molecule. They will use their models to help understand how larger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules.
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Conservation of Mass, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary, Culminating Project, Phase Changes, Chemical Change | Middle School, High School
Project: Law of Conservation of Mass Comic Strip
In this project, students will work in groups to create a comic strip that illustrates understanding of the law of conservation of mass.
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Atomic Theory, Electrons, Model of the Atom, Subatomic Particles, History | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Video: Niels Bohr Video
This video tells the story of Niels Bohr, a great scientist who redefined how we think about atoms and the electron. Bohr’s model of the atom helped to advance understanding of subatomic particles, and holds an important place in the history and development of the atomic theory.
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Model of the Atom, Subatomic Particles, Atomic Mass, Valence Electrons, Atoms, Periodic Table, Elements | Middle School, High School
Activity: Mystery Elements
The students will work in cooperative groups to construct Bohr models of "mystery" elements and record missing information about each element. Students will also create a new "mystery" element card for a classmate to analyze and determine its identity.
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Culminating Project, Interdisciplinary, History, Renewable Energy | High School
Project: Understanding Renewable Energy
In this project, students will conduct research in order to become an “expert” on a specific type of renewable energy source. Students will produce a media presentation and a poster board as well as participate in a symposium focused on renewable energy sources.
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Periodic Table, History | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Video: Aluminum Video
In this video, Sam Kean tells stories about aluminum.
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Interdisciplinary | High School
Activity: Forensic Chemistry Crossword
In this activity, students are challenged to solve forensic chemistry themed clues in order to complete a crossword puzzle.
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Periodic Table, Orbitals , Electrons, Electron Configuration, Atomic Radius, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding | High School
Activity: Planet P-10
In this activity, students will create a periodic table using the unusual orbital rules elements follow on an imaginary planet called P-10 and identify periodic trends.