Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
76 – 100 of 128 Classroom Resources
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Graphing, Interdisciplinary | High School
Activity: Insect Investigators Mark as Favorite (10 Favorites)
In this activity, students will learn that insects can be used as a tool in a criminal investigation to predict the time of death of a person or an animal by a Forensic Entomologist. Students will analyze and graph multiple data sets related to the life cycle of a blow fly in order to better understand how the blow fly can be used as evidence in an investigation.
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Acid Rain, Chemical Change, Acid Base Reactions, pH, Chemical Change, Classification of Reactions, Observations, Interdisciplinary | High School
Activity: Investigating Acid Rain Mark as Favorite (28 Favorites)
In this activity, students will investigate the chemistry of acid rain through web based research. Students will also have the opportunity to observe the reaction between a common acid and a material in a week long simulation and relate their findings to the effects of acid rain.
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Molecular Structure , Polymers, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Properties
Video: Ingenious Video 10: Oversexed Moths are Ruining Apples for Everyone Mark as Favorite (2 Favorites)
Codling moths may look harmless, but their larvae wreak havoc in orchards, burrowing into fruit and eating them from the inside out. Pesticides have always been the solution to the old “worm in the apple” problem, but pesticides kill all the insects in the field, even the good ones. Instead of pesticides, farmers may soon use pheromones, those scented chemical messages animals release at mating time. Spreading synthetic, species-specific pheromones keeps male codling moths from finding females to mate with. No mating means no eggs, no larvae, and no more bad apples. Scaling up agricultural pheromones has proved difficult, but innovative approaches to pheromone production (using yeast cells) and distribution (with the help of customized weather stations) are starting to make it happen.
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Molecular Structure , Polymers, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Properties | High School
Activity: Ingenious: Oversexed Moths Are Ruining Apples for Everyone Video Questions Mark as Favorite (4 Favorites)
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching the video Oversexed Moths are Ruining Apples for Everyone 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 how the larvae of codling moths wreak havoc in orchards—burrowing into fruit and eating them from the inside out. Scientists are developing synthetic, species-specific pheromones as an alternative to pesticides. Pheromones are scented chemical messages that animals release at mating time and can help to prevent male codling moths from finding females to mate with. No mating means no eggs, no larvae and no more bad apples!
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Lab Safety, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Interdisciplinary, Heat, Temperature, Polymers, Molecular Structure | High School
Video: Ingenious Video 3: This Sandwich Will Save Your Life in an Arc Flash Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
It’s never fun when your clothes catch on fire. And while “stop, drop, and roll” may be a good idea sometimes, in more extreme cases, you need a better plan. Every day, industrial workers, firefighters, and soldiers risk fiery situations that might seem hard to imagine. In an arc flash event, for one, temperatures can jump to metal-melting levels in milliseconds. How can anyone possibly survive that? Well, take a tip from a club sandwich, because it’s all about the layers. The composite fabrics that protect life and limb in these situations rely on some incredible, multilayered chemistry, including the ability to quickly form a protective carbonaceous crust around the wearer.
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Combustion, Heat of Combustion, Stoichiometry, Balancing Equations, Dimensional Analysis, Interdisciplinary, Culminating Project | High School
Lesson Plan: Redesigning a Car for the Environment Mark as Favorite (26 Favorites)
Chemland’s city public transportation board has requested the class to help them determine the direction the city should move towards in reducing the carbon footprint. Students will be divided into groups and will come up with proposals of how to reduce the carbon footprint from carbon dioxide released from vehicles. The groups will represent different ways to reduce the carbon footprint via an alternative fuel source or a new technology. They will debate their findings to determine the direction that the city council should move towards to reduce the carbon footprint.
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Lab Safety, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Interdisciplinary, Heat, Temperature, Polymers, Polymers | High School
Activity: Ingenious: This Sandwich Will Save Your Life in an Arc Flash Video Questions Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this activity, students will answer questions while watching the video, This Sandwich will Save your life in an Arc Flash, 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 the composite fabrics that protect lives of many people, like industrial workers, firefighters, and soldiers. When these workers encounter a fiery situation, they rely on protective clothing, designed using multiple layers of chemistry, to keep them safe.
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Mixtures, Acid Rain, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School
Lesson Plan: Environmental Problems Mark as Favorite (13 Favorites)
In this lesson, students are presented with an environmental problem to solve using important concepts of chemistry, which involves a lake with deteriorating water quality.
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Pros Cons of Nuclear Power, Radiation, Radiation, Renewable Energy, Interdisciplinary, History | High School
Activity: Nuclear Energy Debate Mark as Favorite (39 Favorites)
In this activity, students will watch a debate between experts on the merits and drawbacks of nuclear energy. They will use this debate, as well as additional research, to write a short position paper on whether or not to continue using nuclear energy that explains and defends their opinion, as well as the chemistry involved in nuclear energy production.
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Pros Cons of Nuclear Power, Radiation, Radiation, Renewable Energy, Interdisciplinary, History | High School
Activity: Nuclear Energy Power Plants Mark as Favorite (29 Favorites)
In this activity, students will conduct research and write a persuasive essay in which they state an opinion about whether the number of nuclear plants should be increased or decreased.
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Molecular Structure, Intermolecular Forces, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Metallic Bonding, Polarity, Intramolecular Forces, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Interdisciplinary, Culminating Project | High School
Project: Problem-Solving with Materials Mark as Favorite (60 Favorites)
In this project, students will develop a presentation to explain how and why a specific material can solve a problem. The explanation will involve researching the properties of the material and how its properties are suited for solving a specific problem.
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Introduction, Interdisciplinary, Experimental Design, Dimensional Analysis | High School
Project: Food Chemistry Infographic Mark as Favorite (28 Favorites)
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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Molecular Structure , Functional Groups, Experimental Design, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Change | High School
Lab: Designing Biomimetic Songbird Preen Oil from Waste Cooking Oil Mark as Favorite (19 Favorites)
In this guided-inquiry lab, students will design and test a procedure reacting waste cooking oil in a blue cheese slurry to create a substance that mimics songbird preen oil, which is both antibacterial and hydrophobic. Students will convert the fatty acids in waste oil to methyl ketones, thought to be the principal antibacterial component of preen oil, using the P. roqueforti mold found in blue cheese. Students will expand their knowledge of biomimicry, inherent properties of preen oil, and chemical synthesis by applying the principles of green chemistry. They will also assess their own process through higher-order problem solving and building on their scientific research skills.
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Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Interdisciplinary | High School
Project: Working for NASA Mark as Favorite (15 Favorites)
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, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 8—The Winds of War: Helen Free, Ph.D. Mark as Favorite (0 Favorites)
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 Helen Free, Ph.D.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 7—Heroes Made the Difference: Peter Agre, M.D. Mark as Favorite (0 Favorites)
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 Peter Agre, M.D.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 6 —Mentors Made the Difference: Nancy Jackson, Ph.D. Mark as Favorite (0 Favorites)
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 Nancy Jackson, Ph.D.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 5— A Born Chemist: Isiah Warner, Ph.D. Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
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 Isiah Warner, Ph.D.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 4—When Girls Didn't "Do" Science: Mamie Moy Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
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 Mamie Moy.
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History, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 3—A Yellow Sweater: Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D. Mark as Favorite (2 Favorites)
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.
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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 2 —Finding Her Way: Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D. Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
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, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Change | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 1—A Sign on the Door: Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D. Mark as Favorite (6 Favorites)
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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Periodic Table, Interdisciplinary | High School
Project: Repurpose the Periodic Table Mark as Favorite (63 Favorites)
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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Interdisciplinary, Elements | High School
Activity: Investigating the Chemistry under Your School Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this activity, students investigate the earth chemistry under their school by examining what rocks or other materials are found there use geological maps. Students determine how the rocks are affected by surface conditions, like the weather.
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Introduction, Interdisciplinary, History, Heat, Renewable Energy, Polymers, Molecular Structure | Middle School, High School
Video: Frontiers of Chemistry Mark as Favorite (19 Favorites)
This video explores new scientific developments that were made possible by the application of fundamental chemistry concepts. Students will learn about exciting advances in science and technology focused on three main topics: Solar Cells, 3D Printing and Micro Machines.