Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
Filter by:
151 – 175 of 484 Classroom Resources
-
History | Middle School, High School
Project: Famous Women Chemists: Snapchat Storyboard
In this lesson, students will research female chemists and create a 6-panel ‘Snapchat’ storyboard to present the information learned.
-
Ionic Bonding, Naming Compounds, Molecular Formula, Ions, Ionic Radius, Solubility, Melting Point, Physical Properties | High School
Activity: My Name is Bond, Ionic Bond
In this lesson, students will demonstrate their knowledge of ionic bond strength using a “brackets” activity. Pairs of students start the activity playing a game of “Ionic Compound War” to build eight compounds. Then then transfer the compounds to a “bracket” and use their knowledge of ionic bonding, along with a solubility chart, to predict the strongest and weakest bond between four pairs of ionic substances.
-
Ionic Bonding, Naming Compounds, Molecular Formula, Ions, Ionic Radius, Solubility, Melting Point, Physical Properties | High School
Activity: Ionic Bonding Brackets
In this lesson, students will demonstrate their knowledge of ionic bond strength and its relationship to the properties of melting point and solubility using a “brackets” activity. After analyzing the ionic charge and radius to predict the strongest and weakest bond between four pairs of ionic substances, they will then determine which will be the least soluble.
-
Experimental Design, Scientific Method | Middle School, High School
Activity: Designing a Procedure for Product Testing
In this activity, students will take on the role of research engineers who work for a chemical company that sells coatings for different types of surfaces. Students are required to design a procedure for testing their common household coating to prove its durability to various types of stresses. Students will be required to create procedures that can collect both quantitative and qualitative data as well as an appropriate data table.
-
Predicting Products, Activity Series, Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Observations | High School
Project: Wastewater Recovery
In this project, students will analyze test results in order to design a procedure for recovering certain metals from wastewater using their knowledge of the Activity Series of Metals and single replacement reactions. Based on their analysis, students will create a proposal for presentation in an effort to recommend the best plan for reclaiming the metals from the wastewater.
-
Chemical Change, Scientific Method, Experimental Design, Observations, Inferences | Middle School, High School
Demonstration: What Causes Yeast to Ferment?
In this lesson, students will observe and verify molasses sugar content as a result of its ability to ferment yeast. They will compare how molasses allows yeast to ferment with other sugar solutions as well as a sugar-free solution.
-
Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Molecular Formula, Physical Properties | High School
Lesson Plan: Investigating Properties of Ionic and Covalent Compounds
In this lesson, students will use a PhET simulation in combination with Safety Data Sheets in order to analyze specific ionic and covalent substances. Students will then use the collected data in order to identify trends in the properties of similar substances.
-
Electromagnetic Spectrum, Identifying an Unknown | Middle School, High School
Activity: Color Matching Paint Video Questions
In this activity, students will watch a video and answer related questions about how technology, specifically focusing on spectrophotometry, can be used for paint matching. During the video, students will learn how the spectrophotometer interacts with the spectrum of visible light in order to match or reproduce specific paint colors.
-
Matter, Elements, Mixtures | High School, Middle School
Animation: Classifying Matter Animation
In this animation, students will become familiar with definitions and examples of several broad classifications of matter, including pure substances (elements and compounds) and mixtures (homogeneous and heterogeneous). Students will be given real-life examples as well as particle diagrams. **This video has no audio**
-
Density, Interdisciplinary, Elements | High School
Activity: Applying Density to Earth
In this activity, students will analyze data related to elevation and rock composition, in order to better understand the impact that density has on earth chemistry.
-
Matter, Mixtures, Elements | Middle School, High School
Activity: Elements, Compounds, & Mixtures - Oh My!
In this activity, students will define terms related to various kinds of pure substances and mixtures, as well as analyze and draw particle diagrams.
-
Matter, Elements, Mixtures | Middle School, High School
Activity: Animation Activity: Classifying Matter
In this animation, students will become familiar with definitions and examples of several broad classifications of matter, including pure substances (elements and compounds) and mixtures (homogeneous and heterogeneous). Students will be given real-life examples as well as particle diagrams.
-
Periodic Table, Density, Elements, Atomic Mass, Atomic Radius, Electronegativity | Middle School, High School
Activity: Organizing the Periodic Table
In this activity, students are challenged to organize elements into the shape of the periodic table based on trends in data. Students are given a set of cards, each card representing an element, and containing five data points for consideration. The data that students will analyze includes atomic mass, atomic radius, melting point, density and electronegativity.
-
Physical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Molecular Structure | Middle School, High School
Lab: Determining a Chemical or Physical Change
In this lab, students will follow a laboratory procedure that instructs them how to heat a small sample of copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate. Students will make observations in order to determine if a chemical or physical change occurs.
-
Mole Concept, History, Periodic Table | High School
Activity: The Mole Crossword Puzzle
In this activity, students will be challenged with clues that are related to the concept of the mole in order to complete a crossword puzzle.
-
Introduction, Interdisciplinary, History, Heat, Renewable Energy, Polymers, Molecular Structure | Middle School, High School
Video: Frontiers of Chemistry
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.
-
Matter, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Mixtures, Elements, Alloys | High School
Lesson Plan: Observing Properties of Those Marvelous Metals
In this lesson, students will see how metals, both pure metals and alloys, may have different physical and chemical properties. They will investigate how these properties contribute to their usefulness in manufacturing and construction.
-
Chemical Change, Physical Change, Observations, Molecular Structure, Lewis Structures, Polarity, Chemical Change | High School
Lab: DIY Triiodide
In this lab, students will investigate how iodine interacts with various substances. They will use color changes to justify whether a chemical or physical change is taking place. This activity is referenced in the October 2019 ChemMatters article called “Cash, Chemistry, and Counterfeiting.”
-
Physical Properties, Molecular Structure, Intermolecular Forces | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: Structure Matters
In this lesson, students will explore the atomic level structure of various elements and compounds to determine how arrangement of atoms at the microscopic level affects macroscopic material properties.
-
Radiation, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Heat, Temperature, Experimental Design, Graphing, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: The Ozone Layer
In this lesson, students will develop an explanation for the consequences of ozone depletion on Earth by planning and carrying out an investigation. Students will use analysis and interpretation of data to develop a model to explain the cause and effect of Ozone depletion on the planet Earth.
-
Lab Safety, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: Lab Safety and Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
In this lesson, students will identify various safe lab practices with a focus on the importance of labeling and knowing the background safety information for all reagents used in a lab. Students will design a series of tests to determine the identity of an unknown substance using properties found on safety data sheets.
-
Density, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Graphing, Alloys | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: The Captivating Chemistry of Coins
In this lesson, students will develop a better understanding of physical and chemical properties of matter by comparing the composition of different pennies. This is done by determining the density of different pennies which will be compared to the density of different metals.
-
Interdisciplinary, Elements, Molecular Structure, Molecular Formula | High School
Activity: Discovering Minerals as Naturally Occurring Compounds
In this activity, students will learn about the basics of earth chemistry. Students will investigate and analyze the composition of various minerals, while drawing connections to their chemistry content knowledge. Additionally, students will examine the chemical make-up of the earth’s crust and interpret associated data.
-
Lab Safety | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Video: Video 1: Safety Mindset
The chemistry lab is an amazing place! Through experiments and demonstrations your high school students have been discovering that chemistry is more than just a collection of facts and formulas-- it’s a way of observing and understanding the very real properties of matter all around them. However, the lab can also be a dangerous place. Contrary to what your students might have seen in films and TV, safety is a core value of chemistry—it is essential to everything they do in the lab. It begins with their mindset, the attitudes and beliefs they bring to class with them every day. Use this video to introduce your students to elements of safe importance of safety mindset in the chemistry lab.
-
Balancing Equations, Classification of Reactions, Chemical Change, Identifying an Unknown, Molarity, Concentration | High School
Lab: An Environmental Impact Study
In this lab, students will test a water sample which comes from a local zoo, where, it is reported that many bird eggs are not hatching. Students will test the water for the presence of multiple ions. Once the type of ion in the water is determined, students will write balanced equations to illustrate their findings. Students will also conduct a serial dilution to determine the concentration, or molarity, of the ion in the water sample. This molarity will be compared to known values to determine if the materials in the water are at an unhealthy level.