Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
51 – 75 of 226 Classroom Resources
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History | High School
Activity: Evaluating the Name Reactions in Chemistry
In this activity, students will discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in chemistry by exploring name reactions in organic chemistry. Students will engage in preliminary reflection, then listen to the podcast, Should organic chemistry’s name reactions go the way of the mouth pipet? from C&EN, and then share their perspective on a discussion board.
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Activity Series, Electrons, Electron Transfer, Balancing Equations, Predicting Products, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations | High School
Activity: Simulation Activity: Metals in Aqueous Solutions
In this activity, students will run simulated tests of various metals in aqueous solutions to determine the relative reactivity of these metals. A total of eight metals will be observed in various combinations with the corresponding metal nitrate solutions and hydrochloric acid. Students will interpret the data collected to construct an activity series of the elements used in this simulation.
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Activity Series, Chemical Change, Electrons, Electron Transfer, Balancing Equations, Chemical Change, Predicting Products, Observations, Acid Base Reactions | High School
Simulation: Metals In Aqueous Solutions
In this activity, students will run simulated tests of various metals in aqueous solutions to determine the relative reactivity of these metals. A total of eight metals will be observed in various combinations with the corresponding metal nitrate solutions and hydrochloric acid. Students will interpret the data collected to construct an activity series of the elements used in this simulation.
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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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Accuracy | High School
Activity: Football Accuracy
In this activity, students will analyze data collected from a football tryout. Using their knowledge of the terms accuracy and precision, students will interpret the data, and apply their understanding to several questions.
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Interdisciplinary, Functional Groups, Molecular Structure | High School
Activity: Ingenious: Is the Answer to Overfishing… Algae? Video Questions
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching the video, Is the Answer to Overfishing… Algae? 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 Omega-3’s, the essential nutrient that humans have to get from fish. However, fish don’t make their own Omega-3’s, and like humans, must get them from an important part of their diet, algae. But with over-fishing considerations and fish-farming limitations, scientists are working to develop a new way to harvest Omega-3’s to maintain stability.
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Periodic Table, History, Elements | High School
Activity: Periodic Table Trivia Crossword Puzzle
In this activity, students will be presented with trivia questions related to the periodic table of elements. Many of the questions can be answered by examining a periodic table, while others are related to specific elements and may require additional research. Students will complete a crossword puzzle as they answer each of the questions.
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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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Introduction, Interdisciplinary, Experimental Design, Dimensional Analysis | High School
Project: Food Chemistry Infographic
In this project, students will research the chemical content and nutritional value of their favorite holiday foods, presenting their findings in an infographic. They will also include a recipe, which they will convert to metric units to practice dimensional analysis. As an extension to explore experimental design, they could alter one aspect of the recipe and observe how that change affects the final product.
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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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Polyatomic Ions, Ionic Bonding | High School
Activity: Common Ion Memory Game
In this activity, students will play a modified version of the classic Memory Game in order to help identify common ions by name and symbol. This activity provides an opportunity for students to increase their familiarity with the names and formulas of common ions that they will be expected to properly use when they begin writing chemical formulas and reactions.
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Density, Separating Mixtures, Polymers, Polymers | High School
Activity: Identifying Plastics with Density Data
In this activity, students will familiarize themselves with different types of plastics. Using data analysis, students will determine how to use the density values of a variety of plastic samples in order to separate a specific sample from a mixture.
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Atomic Mass, Subatomic Particles, Law of Conservation of Energy, Conservation of Mass | High School
Activity: Building a Nuclide
In this activity, students will construct a model of a nuclide and use this model to investigate why the mass of the nuclide is less than the summative mass of the individual nucleons (protons and neutrons). Additionally, the constructed nuclide will be used to help students conceptualize and differentiate between key lesson terminology (mass defect, strong nuclear force, and nuclear binding energy).
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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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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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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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Radioactive Isotopes, Half Lives, Subatomic Particles, Periodic Table | High School
Activity: Why are Some Isotopes Radioactive?
In this activity, students use periodic trends and data to make predictions about what makes an isotope radioactive. They will then verify or refine their predictions using a PhET simulation.
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Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Interdisciplinary | High School
Project: Working for NASA
In this project, students will take on the role of a NASA employee on a mission to discover what resources humans need in order to survive on another planet inside of our solar system as well as an exoplanet outside of our solar system. Students will research the materials and resources needed to sustain life on Earth and compare these to another planet and exoplanet to determine if they can possibly be habitable and sustain life.
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History | Middle School, High School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 5 Isiah Warner 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 fifth episode focuses on the childhood of Isiah Warner, who is an African American chemistry professor and researcher at LSU. He has won awards for his decades-long teaching career and for the programs he founded to encourage and mentor African American students pursuing advanced chemistry degrees.
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History | High School, Middle School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 6 Nancy Jackson 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 sixth episode focuses on the childhood of Nancy Jackson, who was the 2011 president of ACS. She worked for the U.S. Department of State to create the Chemical Security Engagement Program and has been involved in research, scientific policy, and mentoring and advocacy for underrepresented minorities and women in science.
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History | Middle School, High School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 4 Mamie Moy 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 fourth episode focuses on the childhood of Mamie Moy, who was one of few women in her time to study chemistry and get a master’s degree. She has been a devoted professor for decades, is involved in outreach, supports K-12 science educators, and mentors young women pursuing science careers.
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History, Chemical Change | Middle School, High School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 3 Bassam Shakhashiri 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 third episode focuses on the childhood of Bassam Shakhashiri, whose early interest in colors led him to study chemistry and become a passionate chemistry educator and ambassador.
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Periodic Table, Interdisciplinary | High School
Project: Repurpose the Periodic Table
In this project, students will take the principles governing the organization of the periodic table and apply them to a periodic table of their own creation. Students will choose a category of objects and organize them into a “periodic table,” establishing trends across a period and within a group and creating a poster to present their table to the class.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Activity: Spellbound Episode 2 Kristala L. Jones Prather 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 second episode focuses on the childhood of Kristala L. Jones Prather, who went on to become a chemical engineer and award-winning professor.