Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

76 – 100 of 120 Classroom Resources

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  Atomic Theory, Subatomic Particles, Model of the Atom, History | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Ernest Rutherford Video Questions

  In this activity, students will watch a video about Ernest Rutherford. They will learn about his great contributions to chemistry, including his study of alpha particles and his use of the gold foil experiment. They will also find out that he won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his studies on radioactive substances.

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

  Activity: Distillation in Survival Mode

  In this activity, students will investigate methods for purifying water as they consider a survival based situation that requires clean drinking water. Students will investigate processes such as boiling and distillation, as well as review the phase changes within the water cycle.

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  Phase Changes, Elements, Mixtures | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Visualizing States of Matter

  In this activity, students will view, sort and classify pure substances and mixtures into the 3 common states of matter found in the laboratory. Students will also discuss their classification system with their teacher and peers.

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  Radioactive Isotopes, Atomic Theory, History, Pros Cons of Nuclear Power, Radiation, Subatomic Particles | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Lise Meitner Video Questions

  In this activity, students will complete a short series of questions as they watch the Founders of Chemistry video about Lise Meitner. The video tells the story of Lise Meitner, a pioneering female scientist in the field of nuclear chemistry, who was denied a Nobel Prize but has an Element named in her honor.

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  Periodic Table, Elements | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Periodic Table of Mistakes

  In this activity, students will examine a periodic table that contains 25 mistakes. Students will be tasked with comparing the Periodic Table of Mistakes to a real periodic table in order to determine what mistakes are present. This activity provides an opportunity for students to become more familiar with the periodic table, including element names, symbols and placement, as well as trends in atomic mass.

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  Periodic Table, Elements, Subatomic Particles, Model of the Atom | Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: Element Brochure

  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.

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  Periodic Table, Elements, Percent Composition | Middle School

  Activity: The Universe of Elements

  In this activity, students are introduced to the periodic table and its elements. Student will discuss that all material in the Universe is composed of elements and that the atom is the smallest particle that still has the physical and chemical properties of any given element. Students will engage in an activity to determine the percent composition of common elements in the universe, and based on their results they will hypothesize the identity of each element based on its relative abundance.

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  Physical Properties, Density, Separating Mixtures, Matter, Culminating Project, Interdisciplinary, Phase Changes | Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: The Castaway!

  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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  Physical Properties, Density, Chemical Properties, Matter, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, Elementary School

  Activity: Astronaut on a Mission

  In this activity students will take on the role as a NASA employee on a mission to discover what resources humans need in order to survive on a planet outside of our solar system. Students will come up with a plan including a list of materials and resources needed to sustain life on another planet. They will need to compare each planet and determine which is most ready to support life.

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  Physical Properties, Molecular Structure, Polarity | High School, Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: What Makes Water So Special?

  In this activity, students will become familiar with the special properties of water by completing several activities that investigate the following physical properties/phenomena: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, and capillary action.

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  Molecular Structure , Molecular Structure, Molecular Formula, Naming Compounds, Chemical Bond, Interdisciplinary, Introduction | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Modeling Carbohydrates

  In this activity, students will identify that organic compounds contain carbon and other elements such as hydrogen and oxygen. They will investigate the structure of different organic and inorganic compounds and model several molecules, including a carbohydrate molecule. They will use their models to help understand how larger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules.

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  Model of the Atom, Subatomic Particles, Atomic Mass, Valence Electrons, Atoms, Periodic Table, Elements | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Mystery Elements

  The students will work in cooperative groups to construct Bohr models of "mystery" elements and record missing information about each element. Students will also create a new "mystery" element card for a classmate to analyze and determine its identity.

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  Atomic Radius, Ionic Radius, Electrons, Model of the Atom, Subatomic Particles, Periodic Table | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Animation: Atomic & Ionic Radii Animation

  This animation explores patterns in atomic and ionic radii. Students will look at the different sizes of atoms in the third period and the atoms in the sixth group to see trends across periods and down groups. They will also look at an atom and its corresponding cation as well as an atom and its corresponding anion. **This video has no audio**

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  Density, Matter, Physical Properties, Measurements | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Animation: Density Animation

  This animation explores density on the particulate level. There are opportunities to make qualitative and quantitative comparisons between substances. **This video has no audio**

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  Periodic Table, Elements, Introduction, History, Atoms, Electrons, Subatomic Particles | Middle School, Elementary School, High School

  Activity: Writing Your Name using Chemical Element Symbols

  In this activity, students will use their creativity to spell their name (first or middle name and their last name) using chemical symbols of elements on the periodic table. For example, you can spell Yvonne using the symbols for yttrium (Y), vanadium (V), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and neon (Ne).

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  Lab Safety | High School, Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: What Not to do in the Chemistry Lab

  In this activity, students will examine a cartoon of a chaotic chemistry laboratory and note the specific behaviors that are dangerous and unsafe in a chemistry laboratory setting. This activity provides an opportunity for teachers to introduce laboratory safety and best laboratory practices and discuss them with their students.

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  Heat, Temperature, Specific Heat, Observations, Molecular Motion | High School, Middle School

  Activity: What Makes Something Feel Warm

  In this lesson students actively engage in thinking about energy issues in chemistry and the nature of energy (thermal) transfer. The idea that temperature is a measure of heat content will be challenged, and students will be given the opportunity to collect data that will allow them to clearly see that different materials transfer energy at different rates.

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  Conservation of Mass, Balancing Equations, Limiting Reactant, Introduction, Conservation of Mass | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Kinesthetic Reactions

  In this lesson students, through their physical movement, will model the law of conservation of mass during a chemical reaction. Students will also explore the concepts of limiting and excess reactants as well as balancing a chemical equation. Through this activity they also develop a means of representing particles at the molecular level.

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  Elements, Model of the Atom, History, Introduction, Matter, Observations, Periodic Table, Culminating Project, Atoms | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Is a Picture Worth 1000 Words?

  In this activity, students will learn about early chemistry discoveries through a textbook reading as well as from a cartoon.

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  Molecular Formula, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Molecular Geometry, Naming Compounds, Lewis Structures, Periodic Table, Valence Electrons, Lewis Dot Diagrams, Ions, Subatomic Particles | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Ionic and Covalent Bonding

  In this simulation, students investigate both ionic and covalent bonding. Students will have the opportunity to interact with many possible combinations of atoms and will be tasked with determining the type of bond and the number of atom needed to form each. The simulation visually differentiates between the transferring of electrons when forming an ionic compound and the sharing of electrons when forming a covalent compound so that students can have a complete understanding of each. Finally, students will become familiar with the molecular formula, as well as the naming system for each type of bond and geometric shape, when applicable.

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  History, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Tie Dye

  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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  Review, Subatomic Particles, Ions, Isotopes, Electrons, Atomic Mass, Lewis Dot Diagrams, Model of the Atom, Balancing Equations | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Tic-Tac-Toe Review

  In this activity students collaborate to complete tic-tac-toe review questions to prepare for a test on the atomic structure unit. The idea behind the activity is to give students choice and you can read more about the inspiration for the activity in the May issue of Chemistry Solutions.

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  Intermolecular Forces, Physical Properties, Melting Point, Boiling Point | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Simulation Activity: Exploring Intermolecular Forces with Odyssey

  In this simulation, students will learn about the different intermolecular forces. They will use the simulation to see how molecules in various species interact with one another.

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  Observations, Separating Mixtures, Mixtures, Interdisciplinary, Physical Properties, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Activity: How Do We Clean Up An Oil Spill

  In this activity, students simulate an oil spill and test different materials’ ability to “clean” the oil spill.

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  Gas Laws, Kinetic Molecular Theory, Ideal Gas, Temperature, Volume, Pressure, Density, Density, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Hot Air Balloon

  In this activity, students use their knowledge of Charles’ law to build a hot air balloon and evaluate its design.