Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
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51 – 75 of 128 Classroom Resources
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Physical Properties, Observations, Interdisciplinary | Elementary School
Lab: Soil Permeability Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
In this lab, students will learn about the draining properties of different types of soil and how it affects the type of plants that can grow in those soils.
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Molecular Formula, Empirical Formula, History, Interdisciplinary | High School
Activity: Herbal Remedies Mark as Favorite (43 Favorites)
In this activity, students learn how the modern atomic theory evolved. They further their understanding of empirical and molecular formulas through research and a presentation of an herbal remedy.
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Conservation of Matter, Chemical Change, Photosynthesis, Balancing Equations, Reversible Reactions, Molecular Formula, Molecular Structure, Conservation of Mass, Interdisciplinary, Matter, Elements, Monomer | Elementary School
Lesson Plan: Plant Chemistry Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
In this lesson, students will explore a simple, but key, biochemical reaction: photosynthesis.
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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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Mixtures, Solute & Solvent, Phase Changes, Distillation, Introduction, Separating Mixtures, Interdisciplinary, Mixtures, Physical Change | Elementary School
Lesson Plan: Now I Can Drink the Water! Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
In this lesson, students review important concepts of the water cycle and then design, test, and evaluate a working model of a desalination plant (a distiller).
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Measurements, Introduction, Dimensional Analysis, Scientific Notation, Error Analysis, Significant Figures, Accuracy, Density, Error Analysis, Interdisciplinary, Accuracy | High School
Lab: Math and Measurement Mark as Favorite (107 Favorites)
In this lab, students will practice introductory math skills that will be used in chemistry all year. This includes metric conversion, significant figures, scientific notation, dimensional analysis, density, percent error, accuracy and precision, as well as using lab equipment.
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History, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary | High School, Middle School
Activity: Tie Dye Mark as Favorite (25 Favorites)
In this activity, students make tie-dye shirts and complete a worksheet about a reading from ChemMatters about how dyes work. It gives students the opportunity to apply chemistry to everyday life.
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Measurements, Graphing, Interdisciplinary | High School
Activity: Modeling Algae Growth Mark as Favorite (2 Favorites)
In this activity, students will read a ChemMatters article about the science of algal blooms to learn how the blooms affect ecosystems. While developing their understanding, students will create a mathematical model to predict algal growth.
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Photosynthesis, Interdisciplinary | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Algae – The Good, the Bad, and the Tasty Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
In this lesson, students will learn about the chemistry of algae, while working in a small group to become an expert on a specific type of algae. Divided into four parts the lesson is designed for students to investigate the process of photosynthesis, learn about the variety of uses for algae as well as products that contain algae, and the harmful effects of algae, such as red tides. As a culminating task, student groups will each complete a short presentation.
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Interdisciplinary, Photosynthesis | High School
Activity: Algae Trivia Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
In this activity, students will participate in a trivia game created in support of the 2023 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) theme, The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae. Students will participate individually or as a team to test their knowledge about algae and related chemistry topics.
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Physical Properties, Density, Separating Mixtures, Matter, Culminating Project, Interdisciplinary, Phase Changes | Elementary School, Middle School
Activity: The Castaway! Mark as Favorite (14 Favorites)
In this activity, students use their knowledge of the properties of matter to create and/or design items needed for survival on a deserted island.
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Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Activity: Chemistry Reading Reflection Mark as Favorite (14 Favorites)
In this activity, students will read a short informational science text about chemistry in the real-world (either pre-selected by the teacher, or chosen by the student from a collection of articles) and will briefly summarize and reflect on what they read. This activity could be reused many times with different articles (or even other types of media, like videos) and would be easy to incorporate into a sub plan.
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Interdisciplinary, Functional Groups, Molecular Structure | High School
Video: Ingenious Video 8: Is the Answer to Overfishing… Algae? Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
Omega-3s are an essential nutrient that humans have to get from fish. But many of the world’s wild fish species are in crisis because we’ve taken too many of them from the ocean. So the answer is to farm more of our fish, right? While fish-farming relieves some pressure on the ocean’s wild species, it also contributes to that pressure, since farmed fish are fed fishmeal made from wild-caught fish. That’s because fish don’t make their own Omega-3s either. Like us, they get them from their diet. Using technology that came out of the space program, scientists have developed a way to cut out the middle-fish from the food chain and harvest Omega-3s for fishmeal directly from the source: algae.
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Interdisciplinary, Functional Groups, Molecular Structure | High School
Activity: Ingenious: Is the Answer to Overfishing… Algae? Video Questions Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
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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Concentration, Precipitate, Molarity, Molality, Conductivity, Colligative Properties, Boiling Point Elevation, Freezing Point Depression, Distillation, Culminating Project, Graphing, Accuracy, Error Analysis, Interdisciplinary, Mixtures, pH, Buffers, Boiling Point, Freezing Point, Phase Changes | High School
Lesson Plan: Investigating Sea Water Mark as Favorite (27 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will consider their water footprint and means to obtain fresh water from seawater using a solar still. To understand the differences between fresh water and seawater, students will determine the composition of artificial seawater by using qualitative analysis to test for different ions in solution and calculate the molarity of different salts used in the recipe. Students will observe the effects of solutes in aqueous solutions by measuring conductivity and the freezing and boiling points of seawater and deionized water and determine total dissolved solids. In addition, students explore the buffering ability of seawater and the effect of carbon dioxide on its pH.
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History, Interdisciplinary | High School
Activity: Sustainability Mark as Favorite (14 Favorites)
In this activity, students are introduced to the idea of sustainability by building a vocabulary that they will use and develop through the unit. The subsequent unit focuses on water sustainability, specifically.
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Interdisciplinary, Graphing | Middle School, High School
Simulation: Graphing Mark as Favorite (70 Favorites)
In this simulation, students will be introduced to good graphing techniques and how to interpret data presented in a graph. They are introduced to the TAILS acronym (Title, Axes, Intervals, Labels, Scale) to help them remember how to set up a graph and the concepts of line of best fit, positive and negative correlation, and interpolating and extrapolating. Then students complete a six-question quiz on these topics.
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Interdisciplinary, History, Solubility, Concentration | High School
Lesson Plan: Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Mark as Favorite (17 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will read an article to learn about the impact Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring has had. Arguably, the U.S. EPA was formed as a result, and a Nobel Prize-worthy discovery was banned after the book was published. 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 since most of the activities are self-guided.
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Intermolecular Forces, Intramolecular Forces, Polymers, History, Interdisciplinary | High School
Lesson Plan: Scotch Transparent Tape Mark as Favorite (21 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about how sticky tape was developed 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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Interdisciplinary, History, Electromagnetic Spectrum | High School
Lesson Plan: Isolation of Phytochrome Mark as Favorite (2 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about plant cycles of development in relation to the electromagnetic spectrum 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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Interdisciplinary, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Molecular Structure, Chemical Bond, Radiation | High School
Lesson Plan: Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion Mark as Favorite (14 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about the history of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the harm they cause the ozone layer 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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Interdisciplinary, Polymers | Middle School, High School
Activity: Puzzling, Twisted Fibers Mark as Favorite (4 Favorites)
In this activity, students will attempt to solve clues related to the chemistry of fabrics. Starting at the center of the maze, students will fill in each word suggested by the 20 given clues. Answering each clue correctly will help students solve the riddle provided at the end of the activity. This puzzle can be used in the classroom as part of the Fabulous Fibers theme celebration for 2022 National Chemistry Week.
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Electromagnetic Spectrum, Heat, Radiation, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, History, Interdisciplinary, Functional Groups, Molecular Structure | High School
Lesson Plan: Mars Exploration with Infrared Spectrometers Mark as Favorite (13 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about how space scientists used infrared spectrometers to explore Mars through an article reading. Space exploration involves a lot of chemistry, which many students are surprised to learn. 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, SI Units, Dimensional Analysis, Scientific Notation, Molecular Structure , Elements, History, Interdisciplinary | High School
Lesson Plan: The Discovery of Fullerenes Mark as Favorite (5 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about a class of compounds called fullerenes through a reading about their discovery. Metric conversions, organic chemistry, and allotropes are all touched on in this lesson. 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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Interdisciplinary | Elementary School, Middle School
Activity: Discovering Entomology Mark as Favorite (0 Favorites)
In this activity, students will first work in small groups on a card sort aimed to activate their prior knowledge about insects and attempt to match the name of several common insects with a corresponding scientific fact. Students will then watch a short video while answering several questions to discover more about the field of entomology.