Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

26 – 50 of 71 Classroom Resources

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  Phase Changes, Physical Change | Middle School

  Lab: I Can’t Believe It’s Butter!

  In this lab students will learn about the phases of matter and phase changes while making a small sample of butter.

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  Observations, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Chemical Change | Elementary School

  Demonstration: Make a Cake!

  In this demonstration, students will learn about chemical reactions by observing the differences when 4 small cakes are baked. Each recipe will differ slightly in that one important ingredient will be left out in 3 of the 4 mixtures. Students will observe and discuss what happens when things are missing or left out of a mixture and how that effects the chemical reaction.

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  Physical Properties, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Matter | Elementary School

  Activity: Analyzing Root Beer Floats

  In this activity students will observe the states of matter while making a root beer float. They will also discover the differences between a solid, a liquid and a gas.

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  Physical Properties, Physical Change, Interdisciplinary, Matter, Separating Mixtures, Mixtures | Elementary School

  Activity: Creating Finger-Paint from Rocks

  In this activity, the students will explore the physical properties of different rocks. Students will have the opportunity to physically change the rocks, and make them part of a mixture in order to create finger paint.

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  Physical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Chemical Change | Middle School

  Lab: Little Miss Muffet Investigation

  In this lab, students will work in cooperative groups to conduct a chemical reaction by mixing vinegar with milk. This reaction will cause the curds to precipitate and separate from the liquid whey. The lesson can be extended by experimenting with different types of milk or by using different acids.

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

  Lab: Chemistry in a Bag

  In this lab, students will observe and identify chemical and physical changes contained inside a plastic bag. Students will also use this lab to understand the Law of Conservation of Mass.

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  Melting Point, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Scientific Method | Middle School

  Lab: S'more Change Please

  In this lab, students will be able to demonstrate the difference between a physical and chemical change by making ooey, gooey, yet yummy S’mores!

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  Physical Change, Chemical Change, Chemical Change | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Lab: Chemical and Physical Changes

  In this lab, students will observe and analyze a number of examples in order to determine if a chemical or physical change occurred.

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  Observations, Physical Change, Chemical Change | Elementary School

  Lab: Gummy Bear Investigation

  In this lab students will write a plan then conduct an experiment using the scientific method to observe the physical and chemical changes that a gummy bear will experience when placed in a solution of their choice.

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  Separating Mixtures, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Exothermic & Endothermic | Elementary School

  Lab: Super Suds

  In this lab, students will investigate an endothermic chemical reaction by combining baking soda, hand soap and citric acid. The students will be tasked with differentiating between chemical and physical changes during this experiment.

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  Physical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change | Elementary School

  Lab: What's the Fizz?

  In this lab, students will make a lemon fizzy drink. Students will discuss what happens when things are mixed together.

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  Physical Change, History, Periodic Table | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Video: Gold Video

  In this video, Sam Kean tells stories about gold.

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  Observations, Melting Point, Phase Changes, Introduction, Physical Change | Elementary School

  Lesson Plan: Let's Get Physical About Water

  In this lesson, students will learn about the phase changes of matter. During the course of two days students will perform several short experiments in order to change the state of water and they will record their observations.

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  Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Temperature | Middle School

  Lab: Lemon Ice

  This activity explores the interaction between salt and water (ice) as a way to further investigate their impact on the state of matter of a substance. Students will use salt and ice to create a slushy lemonade drink without the use of a freezer. They will learn through this hands-on experiment how salt and ice can rapidly cool a liquid.

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  Physical Change, Identifying an Unknown, Chemical Change, Acid Base Reactions | Middle School

  Lab: Is It a Hoax

  In this lab, students will perform tests on the physical and chemical properties of different substances to determine the identity of the unknown.

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  Physical Change, Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Intermolecular Forces | 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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  Physical Change, Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Motion, Polarity, Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Motion | 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 and dipole-dipole). In the analysis that follows the activity, they will relate IMFs (including hydrogen bonding) to physical properties (boiling point and solubility).

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  Observations, Density, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Balancing Equations, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Mixtures | High School

  Lab: The Lovely Lava Lamp

  In this lab, students add food coloring to a mixture of oil and water and record their observations. They then add an Alka-Seltzer tablet, record their observations and answer a series of questions about the chemical and physical changes that took place.

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  Density, Gas Laws, Density, Pressure, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Temperature, Sublimation, Interdisciplinary, Mole Concept, Dimensional Analysis, Measurements, Ideal Gas, Volume | High School

  Demonstration: Ideal Gas Law using Carbon Dioxide

  In this demonstration, students observe dry ice sublime while the CO2 gas fills a balloon. They then calculate the moles and volume of CO2 produced.

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  Observations, Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Scientific Method, Chemical Properties, Mixtures, Experimental Design | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Test Tube Separation

  In this lab, students will mix four substances in a test tube and recreate the original four layers through chemical and physical means.

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  Melting Point, Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Physical Change, Exothermic & Endothermic, Heat, Temperature, Intermolecular Forces, Heating Curve, Graphing | High School

  Lab: Heating & Cooling Curve

  In this lab, students will create a phase change graph by adding and removing heat to observe and record data during actual phase changes.

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  Acids & Bases, Melting Point, Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Physical Change | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Stearic Acid

  In this lesson, students investigate how stearic acid undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid and back from liquid to solid. Temperature readings will be collected at one-minute intervals once the acid melts, the heat escapes, and the acid cools. Students are introduced to the idea that energy loss does not always result in a continuous temperature drop.

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  Separating Mixtures, Mixtures, Solubility, Phase Changes, Physical Change | Middle School

  Lab: A Solution to Your Mix-up

  In this lab, students will perform a step by step process of mixing and separating substances based on their states and solubility in order to solve a problem.

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  Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties, Physical Change, Scientific Method, Mixtures, Error Analysis, Experimental Design | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Separation of a Mixture

  In this lab, students devise their own method to separate a mixture of sand, salt, poppy seeds, and iron filings.

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  Physical Change, Physical Change, Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Intermolecular Forces, Matter | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Sandy Beaches—A Foray into ‘Magic’ Sand

  In this lesson, students will investigate the properties of magic sand and learn about the concept of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules. It also introduced students to the field of nanotechnology.