Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics


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  • Trends of the Periodic Table, Elements, Review | Middle School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Chemistry Pyramids

    In this activity, students will use the periodic table, combined with math and logic to solve several chemistry themed pyramid puzzles. In a traditional pyramid puzzle, there is a relationship between the numbers, which is used to determine the missing numbers. In all of these chemistry pyramids, each element symbol is determined by the sum of the two atomic numbers of the elements directly below it. Students are challenged with determining the missing element symbols in each puzzle, but first must use a periodic table to find the atomic number for each element symbol appearing in the puzzle. This activity is a fun challenge for students and provides the opportunity to strengthen logic and reasoning skills.

  • Elements, Interdisciplinary, Periodic Table | Middle School, High School

    Simulation: What Type of Element Are You?

    In this simulation, students will take a nine question personality quiz to determine which of four types of elements best matches their personality. The accompanying student activity provides students an opportunity to reflect on why their answers led to their final quiz results and to consider what the "personality profile" of other types of elements not included in this quiz might look like.

  • Elements, Periodic Table, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Simulation Activity: What Type of Element Are You?

    In this activity, students will take a nine question personality quiz to determine which of four types of elements best matches their personality. They will then have an opportunity to reflect on why their answers led to their final quiz results and to consider what the "personality profile" of other types of elements not included in this quiz might look like.

  • Separating Mixtures, Mixtures, Physical Properties, Distillation | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Animation Activity: Separating Mixtures

    In this activity, students will view an animation that explores different ways of separating a variety of mixtures. The separation techniques addressed in this animation include filtration, evaporation, distillation, and chromatography (focusing on paper chromatography). Real-world applications as well as particle diagrams of the separation processes are included.

  • Solubility, Observations | Elementary School, Middle School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Paper Flower Blossoms

    In this activity, students will investigate solubility by using a combination of washable markers and permanent ink to color a paper flower. The petals of the flower will be folded, and then placed in a shallow dish of water. Students will be intrigued by the outcome as they observe several changes occur. Using their knowledge of several fundamental chemistry topics, student will explain their observations using evidence and modeling.

  • Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Chemistry Reading Reflection

    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.

  • Measurements, SI Units, Mole Concept, Physical Properties, Density | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Animation Activity: Units of Chemistry

    In this activity, students will view an animation that explores the importance of including units to communicate the value of measurements effectively. The animation presents definitions, units of measurement, and measuring tools for physical properties that are commonly measured or calculated in chemistry class: mass, length, temperature, volume, amount (moles), and density.

  • SI Units, Mole Concept, Measurements, Physical Properties, Density | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Animation: Units of Chemistry Animation

    This animation explores the importance of including units to communicate the value of measurements effectively. It presents definitions, units of measurement, and measuring tools for physical properties that are commonly measured or calculated in chemistry class: mass, length, temperature, volume, amount (moles), and density. This animation was featured in the November 2022 issue of Chemistry Solutions. **This video has no audio**

  • Colligative Properties, Boiling Point Elevation, Freezing Point Depression, Concentration, Solute & Solvent, Boiling Point, Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Molecular Motion, Graphing, Physical Properties, Heat, Temperature | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Simulation Activity: The Effect of Solutes on Boiling and Freezing Point

    In this activity, students will use a colligative properties simulation to investigate the effects of different solutes, and different amounts of those solutes, on the boiling point and freezing point of a solution. Students will see particle-level animations of boiling and freezing with different types and amounts of solutes, as well as graphical representations of the results of each trial.

  • Interdisciplinary, Polymers | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Puzzling, Twisted Fibers

    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.

  • Molecular Structure, Covalent Bonding, Molecular Formula, Review, Atoms | Elementary School, Middle School

    Activity: Atom Catcher Game

    In this activity, students will make several different molecules out of four types of atoms: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen in an online game. In order to be successful, the student must move a beaker on the screen to catch the correct type and number of atoms needed to form a particular molecule. Students can score points by making as many correct molecules as possible in a given amount of time.

  • Atoms, Model of the Atom, Atomic Theory, Matter, Elements, History, Introduction, Periodic Table | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Animation: Atoms: The Building Blocks of Matter Animation

    This animation explores the idea that everything is made of atoms, and that since atoms are so extremely small, even small objects contain vast numbers of atoms. Students will see several examples to illustrate this point. Then they will be given a brief overview of the evolution of how people thought about atoms from the ancient Greeks through Dalton. This animation was featured in the May 2022 issue of Chemistry Solutions. **This video has no audio**

  • Interdisciplinary | Elementary School, Middle School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Discovering Entomology

    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.

  • Interdisciplinary, Graphing | Middle School, High School

    Simulation: Graphing

    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.

  • Graphing, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School

    Activity: Simulation Activity: Graphing

    In this activity, students will use a simulation to learn good graphing techniques, as well as how to interpret data presented in a graph. They will take a quiz in the simulation, and then have an opportunity to put their graphing skills to work and generate their own graph using sample data.

  • Elements, Periodic Table | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Chemistry Kakuro Puzzle

    In this activity, students will use both math and logic to solve a chemistry themed kakuro puzzle. This puzzle differs slightly from a traditional kakuro by first requiring students to use a periodic table to find the atomic number for each element symbol appearing in the puzzle. Using the atomic numbers as starting clues, students then fill-in the empty squares with numbers 1-9 that sum to the value of the clue, but without reusing any digits. This activity is a fun challenge for students, and provides the opportunity to strengthen logic and reasoning skills.

  • Density, Observations, Inferences | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    Activity: Animation Activity: Density

    In this activity, students will view an animation that explores density on the particulate level. There are opportunities to make qualitative and quantitative comparisons between substances.

  • Periodic Table, Review, Elements, Subatomic Particles, Model of the Atom, Atomic Mass | Elementary School, Middle School

    Activity: Periodic Table Challenge Game

    In this activity, students will play an online game that quizzes their knowledge about the atomic structure of the first 20 elements on the periodic table. Students will be asked to identify different elements based on information related to subatomic particles, placement on the periodic table or from a provided Bohr model. This game has several options for students to choose from, and can be used to review content, or as a formative assessment.

  • Review | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Vocabulary Learning Made Simple

    In this activity, students write definitions for vocabulary words using only the 1000 most common English words. Then students interact with the simplified definitions in order to try to guess the vocabulary words correctly.

  • Lab Safety, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: ACS Chemical Safety Video Questions

    In this activity, students will learn about safety, a core value of chemistry, through watching related videos produced by the American Chemical Society, Students will complete guided notes and questions during the activity. This chemical safety video series includes five videos: Safety Mindset, Safety Data Sheets, How to Dress for the Lab, and PPE, Preparing for Emergencies, and RAMP (Recognize hazards, Assess risks, Minimize risks, Prepare for emergencies).

  • Elements, Periodic Table | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Element Matching Puzzle

    In this activity, students will become more familiar with select elements from the periodic table. They will use the periodic table to determine the symbol for given elements, and recall any prior knowledge about each element. Then students will be challenged to solve a puzzle by organizing a set of cards that contain jumbled information about these elements. After all of the cards have been correctly organized, a secret message can be found.

  • History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Spellbound Episode 8 Helen Murray Free 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 eighth episode focuses on the childhood of Helen Murray Free, a former ACS president and pioneering woman in chemistry who developed self-testing diagnostic strips for diabetes and other diseases.

  • History, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Spellbound Episode 7 Peter Agre 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 seventh episode focuses on the childhood of Peter Agre, who won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is noted for his work in the study of malaria, as well as scientific diplomacy and policy.

  • Lab Safety | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Race to Safe

    In this activity, students will be engaged in a kinesthetic activity to teach laboratory safety. They will be prompted with different laboratory safety and equipment scenarios and asked to demonstrate the correct safety protocols to follow.

  • Specific Heat, Heat, Temperature, Experimental Design | Middle School, High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. 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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