Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

251 – 275 of 301 Classroom Resources

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  Exothermic & Endothermic, Physical Change, Temperature, Freezing Point, Boiling Point | High School, Middle School

  Demonstration: Energy

  In this demonstration, students will observe the exothermic and endothermic properties of state changes of substances with different freezing and boiling points.

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  Precipitate, Reactions & Stoichiometry, Solubility Rules, Balancing Equations, Chemical Change, Chemical Change | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Predicting Precipitates

  In this lab, students use solubility rules to predict which chemical reactions will produce precipitates.

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  Periodic Table, Introduction, Elements, History | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Element Skit

  In this activity, students will become familiar with the periodic table by creating a skit to explain an element’s symbol, atomic number, and atomic mass.

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  Elements, Periodic Table, Interdisciplinary, History, Atoms, Model of the Atom | Middle School, High School

  Project: Element Baby Book

  In this activity, students will “adopt” an element and create a baby book about their “new baby” while they research and learn about the element.

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  Electricity, Atoms, Electrons, Electrons, Culminating Project, Interdisciplinary | Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: Electrical Circuit Quiz Box

  In this activity, students will learn that the flow of electrons within a closed circuit make our lives easier. Students will construct a circuit quiz box that lights up when the correct question and answer are chosen.

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  Phase Changes, Sublimation, Physical Change, Density, Observations, Temperature | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Dry Ice

  In this lesson, students will investigate how dry ice undergoes a phase change from solid to gas, skipping the liquid phase under normal temperature and pressure.

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  Sublimation, Density, Observations | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Dry Ice (High School)

  In this lab, students perform several small experiments using dry ice and record their observations.

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  Polymers, Scientific Method, Physical Properties, Mixtures | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lab: Polymer Investigation

  In this lab, students will follow the procedure for creating a polymer, flubber, which will be similar in consistency to Silly Putty. Students will then design an experiment to test a physical property of the flubber that they have created using the scientific method.

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  Heat, Specific Heat, Temperature, Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Physical Properties | High School, Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Designing & Engineering a Fast Defroster

  In this activity students use their understanding of energy transfer to “design a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.”  And “evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.”  The real world problem is to help a cook who is trying to make a meal, but realizes some of the ingredients are frozen and must be thawed before he can begin.

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  Density, Error Analysis, Accuracy, Identifying an Unknown, Physical Properties | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Density Lab

  In this lab, students determine the density of several liquids and solids. They then identify an unknown metal by determining its density. They then calculate the percent error within the class for a specific sample.

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  Lab Safety, Culminating Project, Interdisciplinary | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Dangerous Goods Specialist

  In this activity, students will take on the role of a Dangerous Goods Specialist for a large chemical company. In this role, students will research a specific commercially available industrial chemical looking at both the properties of the compound as well as how can they safely ship the chemical to a buyer in a cost effective and timely manner.

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  Density, Observations, Interdisciplinary, Scientific Method | Middle School, Elementary School

  Lab: Crush's Dilemma

  In this lab, students explore the concept of density. They will examine the density of a plastic sandwich bag compared to water. Students will create their own experiment and investigate factors that affect floating and sinking.

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  Periodic Table, Elements, Matter, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Observations, Identifying an Unknown | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Periodic Table Trends

  In this lab, students will investigate trends of the periodic table by examining samples of six elements. Students will use observations about the elements’ appearance, conductivity, and malleability to determine whether they are metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. They will also see how these elements, as well as two more in a teacher demo, react with water and use this information to make claims about reactivity patterns in the periodic table.

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  Elements, Model of the Atom, Periodic Table, Introduction, Atoms, Electrons | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Periodic Puzzler

  In this activity, students will learn about what makes up an atom and how important protons are in the placement of elements on the periodic table.

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  Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Corrosion in Motion

  In this lab, students will expose metal samples to various solutions and observe the amount of corrosion of a period of time.

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  Exothermic & Endothermic, Physical Change, Heat, Temperature, Observations, Intermolecular Forces, Solute & Solvent, Saturated/Unsaturated/Supersaturated | High School, Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Particle Modeling of Hand Warmers

  In this lesson, students will create a particulate model of matter that explains energy changes and transfer during a physical process, such as the crystallization of a solid from a supersaturated solution.

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  Conservation of Mass, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Conservation of Mass

  In this lab, students perform three simple experiments, recording the mass of a substance before and after a reaction. They then explain how the law of conservation of mass was not violated, even if the mass changed.

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  Phase Changes, Physical Change, Observations, Temperature | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lab: Condensation

  In this lab, students will explore the process of condensation. Students will investigate how water vapor condenses, and then they will conduct a comparison test to see if cooling water vapor has an effect on the rate of condensation.

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  Density, Density, Chemical Change, Observations, Inferences | High School, Middle School

  Demonstration: Comparing Gas Density

  In this demonstration, students will observe a reaction between baking soda and vinegar in the presence of a variety of different heights of lit candles. 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 candles to extinguish in order of height. Students will analyze and compare the presence of the gases in the container and make determinations about the densities of each.

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  Observations | Middle School, Elementary School, High School

  Activity: Compare and Contrast

  In this activity, students will use their observation skills to compare and contrast two similar chemistry classroom scenes in order to identify the differences between the two.

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  Separating Mixtures, Density, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Mixtures, Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces | Middle School

  Lab: Clean it Up!

  In this lab, students will consider and utilize various separation techniques to purify and reclaim used motor oil.

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  Solute & Solvent, Physical Change, Solubility | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Chemistree

  In this lab, students will prepare a solution to observe a physical change.

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  Chemical Change, Observations, Chemical Change, Reaction Rate, Interdisciplinary, Physical Change, Reaction Rate | Middle School

  Lab: Chemical Weathering in Geology

  In this lab, students will explore the differences between erosion, weathering and chemical weathering. They will complete a lab experiment that simulates chemical weathering on 4 different types of rocks. They will also learn how to use the Mohs Hardness Test to analyze the results.

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  Balancing Equations, Chemical Change, Observations | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Chemical Reactions & Equations

  In this lesson, students will observe a series of reactions, make observations, and then write balanced chemical equations to chemically describe what they observed.

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  Introduction, Inferences, Observations, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Check Activity

  In this activity, students develop a theory based on evidence they collect from (fake) cancelled checks to come up with a story of how they are related.