Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
126 – 150 of 501 Classroom Resources
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Molecular Structure, Lab Safety, Identifying an Unknown, Interdisciplinary | High School
Lesson Plan: How Modern Instrumentation Revolutionized the Poison Game
In this lesson, students are introduced to the world of Forensic Chemistry using the prologue of Deborah Blum’s The Poisoner’s Handbook. Discussion revolves around why murder by poison was so prevalent during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and why it is so rare today. Students create their own Safety Data Sheet on a poison of choice, and learn about how mass spectroscopy has helped revolutionize the modern analysis of toxins.
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Titrations, Acid Base Reactions, Molarity, Identifying an Unknown | High School
Lesson Plan: Investigating a Suspicious Drowning with Titrations
In this lesson, students take on the role of a forensic chemist who is tasked with investigating a suspicious drowning incident. Students will conduct a series of titrations on an evidence sample of water collected from the victim's lungs as well as on several water samples from local water sources (lakes, rivers, wells, etc.) Based on their findings, they will determine where the victim actually drowned.
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Density, Identifying an Unknown, Physical Properties | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: The Shattered Glass Mystery
In this lesson, students will take on the role of a Forensic Scientist to help solve a hit and run investigation. They will learn how physical properties of matter, such as density and refractive index, can be used to help identify evidence samples such as glass.
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Density, Chemical Properties, Polymers, Polymers | High School
Lab: The Big Six Plastics
In this lab students will use data and chemical tests to better understand different types of plastics and their properties. Ultimately, students can choose the best plastic material to construct a compost bin.
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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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Solubility, Intermolecular Forces, Mixtures, Separating Mixtures | High School
Lab: Using Paper Chromatography to Separate the Pigments Found in Ink
In this lab, students will separate the component pigments of a water-soluble black marker using paper chromatography.
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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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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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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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Lab Safety, Introduction | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: ACS Chemical Safety Video: RAMP
In this lesson, students will learn about a simple yet powerful tool for protecting themselves and their classmates in the lab, RAMP. It stands for: Recognize hazards; Assess risks; Minimize risks and Prepare for emergencies. Using a video, and multiple activities, students will become more knowledgeable and better prepared to assess risks and identify hazards in the lab.
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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, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Change | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 1—A Sign on the Door: Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D.
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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History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 2 —Finding Her Way: Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D.
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, Chemical Change, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 3—A Yellow Sweater: Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D.
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 4—When Girls Didn't "Do" Science: Mamie Moy
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, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Video: Spellbound Episode 5— A Born Chemist: Isiah Warner, Ph.D.
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 6 —Mentors Made the Difference: Nancy Jackson, Ph.D.
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 7—Heroes Made the Difference: Peter Agre, M.D.
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 8—The Winds of War: Helen Free, Ph.D.
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 | 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, 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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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.