Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
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426 – 450 of 665 Classroom Resources
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Elements, Identifying an Unknown, Atomic Spectra, Emission Spectrum, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Emission Spectrum | Elementary School, Middle School
Lesson Plan: Elements Are Out of This World Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about the elements that make up Earth’s atmosphere and lithosphere and then compare and contrast the information with the elements that compose various other astronomical objects.
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Heat, Physical Properties, Physical Change, Molecular Structure, Monomer, Polymers | High School
Video: Ingenious Video 7: The World has a Receipt Problem Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
The receipts you take home from the store – or stuff in your bag, or lose in your car -- employ a printing method that’s been around since the 1970s. Thermal printing involves heat-sensitive inks called leuco dyes that show up when they react with an acid developer embedded in the paper. Not only do these inks fade easily, but receipts that use them aren’t recyclable, and could even be dangerous to your health. Taking a cue from a failed experiment, scientists are developing a new kind of receipt paper that will use the same thermal printers without leuco dyes. Instead of acid developers, this paper is coated in reflective microspheres that collapse under heat, allowing regular ink underneath to show through.
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History, Interdisciplinary | High School
Lesson Plan: Marie Maynard Daly Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about the significant contributions to chemistry by Dr. Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry in the U.S. Students will read an article and engage in related activities that help to promote literacy in the science classroom. Parts of this lesson could be used as plans for a substitute teacher. This lesson provides teachers with strategies to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the chemistry curriculum.
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Density, Mixtures, Solubility | Middle School
Lab: Investigating Density within Lava Lamps Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
In this lab students will make a simple yet spectacular lava lamp while focusing on the density of the components.
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Physical Change, Physical Properties, Review, Mixtures, Separating Mixtures, Distillation, Sublimation, Phase Changes, Boiling Point, Gas Laws, Temperature, Volume, Pressure | High School
Activity: Physical Properties Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
In this activity, students will play a game to review topics relating to physical properties of matter, including mixtures, states of matter, and gas laws. They will be prompted with questions in a PowerPoint and they will use white boards to communicate their answers.
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Limiting Reactant, Stoichiometry, Balancing Equations, Conservation of Mass, Conservation of Matter, Combustion, Conservation of Mass, Conservation of Matter | High School
Activity: Animation Activity: Limiting Reactant Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
In this activity, students will view an animation that explores what happens in a limiting reactant problem on the particulate level. Assembling a bike is used as an analogy to introduce the concept of limiting reactant, and then the balanced equation of the combustion of methane is used in four quantitative examples to show what it means for a chemical to be a limiting reactant. The concept of the conservation of mass is also demonstrated by calculating masses from the mole quantities of the reactants and products.
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Periodic Table, Introduction, Elements, History | High School, Middle School
Activity: Element Skit Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
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, Interdisciplinary, Photosynthesis | High School
Lesson Plan: Growing Green on the Red Planet Emergency Lesson Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about elements, compounds, and chemical reactions through reading the highly rated ChemMatters article, Growing Green on the Red Planet. The lesson includes several activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as an emergency lesson plan for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.
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Interdisciplinary, History, Polymers, Polymers, Condensation, Monomer, Monomer, Alloys | High School
Lesson Plan: Synthetic Materials Through History Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about the history of synthesized materials through reading an article. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.
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Measurements, Error Analysis, Scientific Notation, Density, Identifying an Unknown | Middle School
Lab: A Chemistry Calculation Challenge Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
Students will apply their knowledge to solve four challenging chemistry-based calculation problems involving mass, volume, density, and number of molecules.
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Chemical Change, Activity Series, Redox Reaction, Chemical Change, Physical Change | High School
Demonstration: Understanding the Discrepant Reactivity of Copper in the Presence of Strong Acids Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this demonstration, students practice their observation skills during the additions of different acids to two test tubes containing copper. The activity is structured to allow students to make thoughtful remarks about what they observe, using rich indicators of both chemical and physical properties and changes. In subsequent lessons on new concepts, students can reflect back on their observations to rationalize the discrepant results of the reactions in the demonstration.
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Identifying an Unknown, Experimental Design, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Observations, Polyatomic Ions, Chemical Change, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Solubility | High School
Lab: Determining the Composition of Bridge Straw Stalactites Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lab, students will investigate “straws” that hang from a local bridge, and then determine various tests that can help to determine their chemical composition. Evaluating both the test results, as well as given information students will then make a claim about the composition, while providing evidence and supporting it with reasoning.
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Physical Change, Chemical Change, Matter, Mixtures, Mixtures | Elementary School
Activity: Chemistry in the Kitchen! Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
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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Interdisciplinary, Elements | High School
Activity: Investigating the Chemistry under Your School Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this activity, students investigate the earth chemistry under their school by examining what rocks or other materials are found there use geological maps. Students determine how the rocks are affected by surface conditions, like the weather.
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Periodic Table, History, Physical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Video: Gallium Video Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this video, Sam Kean tells stories about gallium.
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Periodic Table, History, Physical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Video: Silicon Video Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this video, Sam Kean tells stories about silicon.
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Density, Density, Chemical Change, Observations, Chemical Change, Combustion | Elementary School, Middle School
Demonstration: Investigating Gas Density Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
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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Lab Safety, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Interdisciplinary, Heat, Temperature, Polymers, Polymers | High School
Activity: Ingenious: This Sandwich Will Save Your Life in an Arc Flash Video Questions Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching the video, This Sandwich will Save your life in an Arc Flash, from the Ingenious series produced by the American Chemical Society. Each episode investigates a different topic related to how leading-edge chemistry is taking on the world’s most urgent issues to advance everyone’s quality of life and secure our shared future. This episode investigates the composite fabrics that protect lives of many people, like industrial workers, firefighters, and soldiers. When these workers encounter a fiery situation, they rely on protective clothing, designed using multiple layers of chemistry, to keep them safe.
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Quantitative Chemistry, Percent Composition, Measurements, Observations | High School
Lab: Dehydration of Hydrated Salt Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lab, students are introduced to chemical measurement in a hands-on investigation using a heat source and a hydrated compound. Students will determine the percentage water lost, by mass, from a hydrated compound during the heating process. Additionally, students will analyze and interpret their results in a claim, evidence, reasoning format.
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Beer's Law, Concentration, Physical Properties | High School
Lesson Plan: Introduction to Color Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lesson students explore the properties related to color and how those properties vary with changes in concentration. This lesson introduces the use of a spectrophotometer to measure wavelength and absorbance in colored solutions as well as the use of Beer’s Law to determine an unknown concentration.
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Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties, Mixtures | High School
Activity: Ingenious: The World's Smallest Water Treatment Plant Comes in a Packet Video Questions Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching the video The World’s Smallest Water Treatment Plant Comes in a Packet from the Ingenious series produced by the American Chemical Society. Each episode investigates a different topic related to how leading-edge chemistry is taking on the world’s most urgent issues to advance everyone’s quality of life and secure our shared future. This episode investigates the global shortage in accessing clean water. Using a technology that was first developed to reuse dirty laundry water, scientists have developed a water treatment plant the size of a teabag that contains a chemical triple-threat—it removes microbes, heavy metals, silt and dirt to produce clean, safe water.
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Elements, Periodic Table, Polyatomic Ions | Middle School, High School
Game: Guess What: Compounds Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this game, students will use their knowledge of the different types of elements and the compounds they can form to guess the computer opponent’s secret compound before the computer can identify their compound.
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Physical Properties, Molecular Structure, Intermolecular Forces | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: Structure Matters Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will explore the atomic level structure of various elements and compounds to determine how arrangement of atoms at the microscopic level affects macroscopic material properties.
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Radioactive Isotopes, Half Lives, History | High School
Lesson Plan: Radiocarbon Dating and Willard Libby Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about the development and application of radiocarbon dating through an article reading. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.
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Periodic Table, Elements, Subatomic Particles, Model of the Atom | Elementary School, Middle School
Activity: Element Brochure Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this activity, students will research a common element from the periodic table and create a brochure about it. Students will include information about its atomic structure, subatomic particles, Bohr model, chemical symbol, and common uses.