Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
26 – 50 of 297 Classroom Resources
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Lab Safety, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties | Middle School, High School
Activity: ACS Chemical Safety Video Questions
In this activity, students will learn about safety, a core value of chemistry, through watching related videos produced by the American Chemical Society, Students will complete guided notes and questions during the activity. This chemical safety video series includes five videos: Safety Mindset, Safety Data Sheets, How to Dress for the Lab, and PPE, Preparing for Emergencies, and RAMP (Recognize hazards, Assess risks, Minimize risks, Prepare for emergencies).
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Reaction Rate, Catalysts, Experimental Design, Chemical Change, Reaction Rate, Chemical Change | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Investigating Fast and Slow Reaction Rates
In this lesson, students will review the characteristics of chemical changes and then use a catalyst and an inhibitor to explore the reaction rate of the oxidation of iron.
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Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties, Mixtures | Middle School, High School
Lab: Mixture Separation Challenge
In this lab, students investigate the composition of a given mixture. Using their content knowledge and a variety of provided materials, students are tasked with separating the mixture into its individual components.
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Lab Safety | Middle School, High School
Demonstration: Why Do We Have to Wear Goggles?
In this simple demonstration, students will observe a reaction between an acid and an egg white and learn why is important to wear safety goggles in the lab. The reaction is similar to the damage that can be done to your eye if acid comes in contact with it.
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Physical Change, Chemical Change, Observations | Elementary School, Middle School
Lab: Comparing Physical and Chemical Changes
In this lab, students will analyze different scenarios in order to determine if a physical or chemical change has occurred. This lab experience will provide students with the opportunity to record observations, as well as improve their ability to differentiate between physical and chemical changes.
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Scientific Method, Experimental Design, Observations, Introduction, Graphing | Middle School, High School
Lab: Applying the Scientific Method to Stain Removal
In this lab, students will explore the real scientific process by designing an experiment to solve a problem. Students will learn about basic lab equipment, safety, and the scientific process of trial and error while solving a common problem: What color of food coloring requires the most bleach to remove?
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Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Elements, Matter, Covalent Bonding, Ionic Bonding, Intermolecular Forces, Polymers | Middle School, High School
Project: The Chemistry of Toys
In this project, students will study the chemistry behind a toy or novelty item of their choosing. They will look at the parts that make up their item and determine what materials each part is made of; the types of atoms, molecules, and bonds present in those materials; and their physical and chemical properties.
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Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Graphing, Observations | Middle School, High School
Lab: Mentos and Soda Investigations
In this lab, students will design their own experiment in which they manipulate a variable that relates to Mentos and soda. Students will generate a testable question, design an experiment, collect and analyze the data and present their findings.
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Heat of Vaporization , Boiling Point, Intermolecular Forces, Phase Changes, Heating Curve, Heat of Combustion, Temperature, Specific Heat, Observations, Chemical Change, Physical Change | Middle School, High School
Demonstration: Cooking an Egg in Chemistry Class
In this demonstration, students will observe the very high latent heat of vaporization for water by boiling water over a Bunsen burner in a paper cup to cook a boiled egg. The discussion can be extended to incorporate intermolecular forces to explain the unusually high boiling point of water, as well as heat of vaporization and specific heat capacity.
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Solubility, Solute & Solvent, Precipitate, Mixtures, Error Analysis, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Observations, Identifying an Unknown, Graphing | Middle School, High School
Lab: Chemicals, Chromatography, and Crime!
In this lab, students will test “evidence” that has been collected from a crime scene. In order to determine if the victim was poisoned, students will perform a solubility and crystallization test on an unknown powder. Then, students will attempt to identify the culprit by using paper chromatography to analyze the lipstick from the potential criminals.
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Scientific Method, Observations, Experimental Design | Elementary School, Middle School
Lab: Introducing the Scientific Method
In this lab, students will be introduced to and become familiar with the scientific method. They will apply their understanding by following the steps of the scientific method while investigating the amount of fat in potato chips.
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Atomic Radius, Model of the Atom, Atomic Theory, History, Inferences | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: Indirectly Measuring the Atom
In this lesson, students will try to determine the radius of one circle and the total area of multiple circles on a piece of paper by indirect measurement. They will relate this to the experiment done by Ernest Rutherford in which he bombarded a gold foil with Alpha particles.
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Elements, Periodic Table | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Activity: Element Matching Puzzle
In this activity, students will become more familiar with select elements from the periodic table. They will use the periodic table to determine the symbol for given elements, and recall any prior knowledge about each element. Then students will be challenged to solve a puzzle by organizing a set of cards that contain jumbled information about these elements. After all of the cards have been correctly organized, a secret message can be found.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 8 Helen Murray Free Video Questions
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching a video from the Spellbound series produced by ACS. Each episode focuses on a different notable scientist, recounting how their interest in science was sparked in their childhood and how they went on to make great contributions to the scientific community. This eighth episode focuses on the childhood of Helen Murray Free, a former ACS president and pioneering woman in chemistry who developed self-testing diagnostic strips for diabetes and other diseases.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 7 Peter Agre Video Questions
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching a video from the Spellbound series produced by ACS. Each episode focuses on a different notable scientist, recounting how their interest in science was sparked in their childhood and how they went on to make great contributions to the scientific community. This seventh episode focuses on the childhood of Peter Agre, who won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is noted for his work in the study of malaria, as well as scientific diplomacy and policy.
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Lab Safety | Middle School, High School
Activity: Race to Safe
In this activity, students will be engaged in a kinesthetic activity to teach laboratory safety. They will be prompted with different laboratory safety and equipment scenarios and asked to demonstrate the correct safety protocols to follow.
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Density, Identifying an Unknown, Physical Properties | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: The Shattered Glass Mystery
In this lesson, students will take on the role of a Forensic Scientist to help solve a hit and run investigation. They will learn how physical properties of matter, such as density and refractive index, can be used to help identify evidence samples such as glass.
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Lab Safety, Introduction | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: ACS Chemical Safety Video: RAMP
In this lesson, students will learn about a simple yet powerful tool for protecting themselves and their classmates in the lab, RAMP. It stands for: Recognize hazards; Assess risks; Minimize risks and Prepare for emergencies. Using a video, and multiple activities, students will become more knowledgeable and better prepared to assess risks and identify hazards in the lab.
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Review, Culminating Project, Molecular Structure | Middle School, High School
Activity: Online Meeting Scavenger Hunt
In this activity, students will work in teams on a virtual meeting platform to find as many objects as possible from a comprehensive scavenger hunt list within their homes during a given timeframe. The items on the list provided in this activity are related to organic chemistry topics, however the list can be easily modified for use with many chemistry topics.
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Introduction, Lab Safety, Review | Middle School, High School
Activity: Laboratory Equipment Bingo
In this activity, students will play a Bingo game, crossing out the names of laboratory equipment on their Bingo card that corresponds to the pictures of equipment shown by the teacher. This will help students to identify common equipment found in a chemistry lab.
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Specific Heat, Heat, Temperature, Experimental Design | Middle School, High School
Activity: Simulation Activity: Understanding Specific Heat
In this simulation, students will play the role of engineer in deciding which materials are the best candidates for a building project. They will calculate the specific heat capacity of various building materials to determine which ones meet the criteria for building an energy efficient home. Students will also do a cost analysis to determine which material to use in their building project. On the student activity sheet, they will answer additional conceptual and numerical questions related to specific heat capacity.
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Measurements, Error Analysis, Scientific Notation, Density, Identifying an Unknown | Middle School
Lab: A Chemistry Calculation Challenge
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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History, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Change | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 1—A Sign on the Door: Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D.
Produced for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, the video series Spellbound, tells the story of scientists whose childhood curiosity about everyday things helped them launch careers in the lab, win Nobel Prizes and make other achievements. Their early childhood experiences may encourage young people into careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This episode features Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 2 —Finding Her Way: Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D.
Produced for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, the video series Spellbound, tells the story of scientists whose childhood curiosity about everyday things helped them launch careers in the lab, win Nobel Prizes and make other achievements. Their early childhood experiences may encourage young people into careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This episode features Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D.
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History, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 3—A Yellow Sweater: Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D.
Produced for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, the video series Spellbound, tells the story of scientists whose childhood curiosity about everyday things helped them launch careers in the lab, win Nobel Prizes and make other achievements. Their early childhood experiences may encourage young people into careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This episode features Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D.