Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

201 – 225 of 267 Classroom Resources

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  Introduction, Interdisciplinary, Scientific Method | High School

  Activity: Write the Methods Section

  In this activity, students will learn how to write and think like a scientist when they complete their lab write ups.

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  Lab Safety | High School, Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: What Not to do in the Chemistry Lab

  In this activity, students will examine a cartoon of a chaotic chemistry laboratory and note the specific behaviors that are dangerous and unsafe in a chemistry laboratory setting. This activity provides an opportunity for teachers to introduce laboratory safety and best laboratory practices and discuss them with their students.

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  Heat, Temperature, Specific Heat, Observations, Molecular Motion | High School, Middle School

  Activity: What Makes Something Feel Warm

  In this lesson students actively engage in thinking about energy issues in chemistry and the nature of energy (thermal) transfer. The idea that temperature is a measure of heat content will be challenged, and students will be given the opportunity to collect data that will allow them to clearly see that different materials transfer energy at different rates.

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  Conservation of Mass, Balancing Equations, Limiting Reactant, Introduction, Conservation of Mass | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Kinesthetic Reactions

  In this lesson students, through their physical movement, will model the law of conservation of mass during a chemical reaction. Students will also explore the concepts of limiting and excess reactants as well as balancing a chemical equation. Through this activity they also develop a means of representing particles at the molecular level.

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  Culminating Project | High School

  Activity: Video Project

  In this activity, students will solve a multistep problem in a video so others can learn how to solve it.

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  Periodic Table | High School

  Activity: Trends of the Periodic Table

  In this activity, students will assemble a fictitious periodic table based on clues about the structure of the real periodic table.

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  Polyatomic Ions, Review, Ions | High School

  Activity: Trade Ions

  In this activity, students will learn common ions by creating notecards and quizzing each other.

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  Introduction, Culminating Project | High School

  Activity: Toy Project

  In this project, students will develop a toy or elementary school project into an inquiry demonstration suitable for a high school chemistry class.

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  Elements, Model of the Atom, History, Introduction, Matter, Observations, Periodic Table, Culminating Project, Atoms | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Is a Picture Worth 1000 Words?

  In this activity, students will learn about early chemistry discoveries through a textbook reading as well as from a cartoon.

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  Naming Compounds, Observations | High School

  Activity: Ionic Compound Identification

  In this activity, students will practice naming and writing formulas of ionic compounds by looking at examples.

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  Molecular Formula, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Molecular Geometry, Naming Compounds, Lewis Structures, Periodic Table, Valence Electrons, Lewis Dot Diagrams, Ions, Subatomic Particles | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Ionic and Covalent Bonding

  In this simulation, students investigate both ionic and covalent bonding. Students will have the opportunity to interact with many possible combinations of atoms and will be tasked with determining the type of bond and the number of atom needed to form each. The simulation visually differentiates between the transferring of electrons when forming an ionic compound and the sharing of electrons when forming a covalent compound so that students can have a complete understanding of each. Finally, students will become familiar with the molecular formula, as well as the naming system for each type of bond and geometric shape, when applicable.

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  History, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Tie Dye

  In this activity, students make tie-dye shirts and complete a worksheet about a reading from ChemMatters about how dyes work. It gives students the opportunity to apply chemistry to everyday life.

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  Review, Subatomic Particles, Ions, Isotopes, Electrons, Atomic Mass, Lewis Dot Diagrams, Model of the Atom, Balancing Equations | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Tic-Tac-Toe Review

  In this activity students collaborate to complete tic-tac-toe review questions to prepare for a test on the atomic structure unit. The idea behind the activity is to give students choice and you can read more about the inspiration for the activity in the May issue of Chemistry Solutions.

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  Acid Rain, Chemical Change, Acid Base Reactions, pH, Chemical Change, Classification of Reactions, Observations, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Activity: Investigating Acid Rain

  In this activity, students will investigate the chemistry of acid rain through web based research. Students will also have the opportunity to observe the reaction between a common acid and a material in a week long simulation and relate their findings to the effects of acid rain.

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  Intermolecular Forces, Physical Change, Intermolecular Forces, Polarity | High School

  Activity: Intermolecular Forces Activity

  In this activity, students will represent molecules and energy to investigate the different types of intermolecular forces.

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  Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Molecular Motion, Molecular Motion, Physical Properties | High School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Comparing Attractive Forces

  In this activity, students will use a simulation to investigate different types of intermolecular forces (London dispersion, induced dipole, and hydrogen bonding). In the analysis that follows the activity, they will relate IMFs (also including dipole-dipole) to physical properties (boiling point, solubility, and vapor pressure). This activity and simulation are appropriate for students in any level chemistry course.

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  Intermolecular Forces, Physical Properties, Melting Point, Boiling Point | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Exploring Intermolecular Forces with Odyssey

  In this simulation, students will learn about the different intermolecular forces. They will use the simulation to see how molecules in various species interact with one another.

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  History, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Activity: Sustainability

  In this activity, students are introduced to the idea of sustainability by building a vocabulary that they will use and develop through the unit. The subsequent unit focuses on water sustainability, specifically.

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  Observations, Separating Mixtures, Mixtures, Interdisciplinary, Physical Properties, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Activity: How Do We Clean Up An Oil Spill

  In this activity, students simulate an oil spill and test different materials’ ability to “clean” the oil spill.

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  Gas Laws, Kinetic Molecular Theory, Ideal Gas, Temperature, Volume, Pressure, Density, Density, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Hot Air Balloon

  In this activity, students use their knowledge of Charles’ law to build a hot air balloon and evaluate its design.

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  Molecular Formula, Empirical Formula, History, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Activity: Herbal Remedies

  In this activity, students learn how the modern atomic theory evolved. They further their understanding of empirical and molecular formulas through research and a presentation of an herbal remedy.

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  Culminating Project | High School

  Activity: Stop-Motion Video

  In this activity, students will pick a concept to bring to life in a stop-motion video.

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  Gas Laws, Pressure, Volume, Temperature, Kinetic Molecular Theory, Graphing | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Gas Laws

  In this simulation, students will investigate three of the fundamental gas laws, including Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law and Gay-Lussac’s Law. Students will have the opportunity to visually examine the effect of changing the associated variables of pressure, volume, or temperature in each situation. Also, students will analyze the gas samples at the particle level as well as manipulate quantitative data in each scenario. Finally students will interpret trends in the data by examining the graph associated with each of the gas laws. This lesson accompanies the simulation from the November 2015 issue of Chemistry Solutions.

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  Culminating Project | High School

  Activity: Second Semester Projects

  In this project, students will choose a topic and express their knowledge using a medium that they feel suits their style.

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  Atomic Theory, History, Interdisciplinary, Culminating Project, Model of the Atom | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Scientist Infographic

  In this activity, students will design and publish an infographic focused on a well-known scientist and their contribution to the development of the atomic model.