Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics


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1 – 25 of 258 Classroom Resources

  • Review | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Chemistry Emoji Pictionary

    In this activity, students will try to determine the correct chemistry related term, phrase, or item based on a provided set of emojis.

  • Periodic Table, Ionization Energy, Electronegativity | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Introduction to Ionization Energy and Electronegativity with a Tactile Model

    In this activity, students will investigate the definitions of ionization energy and electronegativity as well as the periodic trends for each through building tactile models using Lego blocks.

  • Physical Properties, Physical Change, Observations, Identifying an Unknown, Lab Safety, Molecules & Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Ionic Bonding, Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Motion, Solutions, Conductivity, States of Matter, Melting Point, Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Motion | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Animation Activity: Physical Properties and Particle Interaction

    In this activity, students will view an animation that explores the relationship between physical properties and particle-level interactions. Particle diagrams of common household substances are used to illustrate that forces of attraction influence melting points. Similarly, particle diagrams of the same substances dissolved in water are used to compare their conductivity in solution.

  • Polyatomic Ions | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Polyatomic Ion Word Search

    In this activity, students will be challenged to recognize and identify common polyatomic ions by name and chemical formula. Unlike a traditional word search puzzle, students are only provided with a list of formulas for 24 polyatomic ions, instead of the names of each. They are tasked with finding the corresponding ion names hidden in the puzzle, and then must match each one with its correct formula.

  • Separating Mixtures, Distillation, Physical Properties | High School

    Activity: Investigating Crude Oil

    In this activity, students will watch a video and answer questions about crude oil and the process of fractional distillation. They will see how this process effectively separates a mixture and the importance of understanding physical properties.

  • 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.

  • Physical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Chemical Change, Radioactive Isotopes | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Physical, Chemical and Nuclear Changes

    In this activity, students will analyze the representation of physical, chemical, and nuclear changes in four ways: submicroscopic (particle diagrams), symbolic (equations), macroscopic (observations), and linguistic (vocabulary words). This self-guided activity is designed to ensure that students internalize fundamental chemistry concepts that will serve as a meaningful basis for future learning about matter and its changes.

  • Alpha/Beta/Gamma Decay, Radioactive Isotopes, Graphing | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: The Nuclear Decay of Uranium

    In this activity, students will model the Uranium decay series through nuclear equations, graphing, and particulate diagrams.

  • Elements, Periodic Table, Review | High School

    Activity: Clueless Crossword

    In this activity, students will need a pencil and eraser as they are challenged to complete a crossword puzzle without any traditional clues! Instead, students are given a list of element symbols and tasked with determining the element name for each symbol. Then, using the names, they will then attempt to place each one correctly in the puzzle. With only one possible solution, this puzzle can be very tricky!

  • 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.

  • Solutions, Concentration, Solubility, Molarity, Graphing | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Concentration and Solubility

    In this activity, students will use news articles and EPA publications to compare Federal drinking water regulations to the concentrations found in Flint, Michigan. Students are introduced to the unit parts per billion (ppb) and compare it both conceptually and mathematically to molarity. As a group, students use data to compare the solubility of various lead salts and perform solubility calculations.

  • Measurements, Graphing, Interdisciplinary | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Modeling Algae Growth

    In this activity, students will read a ChemMatters article about the science of algal blooms to learn how the blooms affect ecosystems. While developing their understanding, students will create a mathematical model to predict algal growth.

  • Interdisciplinary, Photosynthesis | High School

    Activity: Algae Trivia

    In this activity, students will participate in a trivia game created in support of the 2023 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) theme, The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae. Students will participate individually or as a team to test their knowledge about algae and related chemistry topics.

  • Review, Culminating Project, Stoichiometry | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: The Chemistry Escape Room Remix

    In this activity, students will apply their chemistry knowledge in order to solve ten clues in an effort to determine a three-digit combination that will open a “lock.” This is ideal for a review activity, as the clues span a plethora of chemistry topics. The solution from each clue will be used to correctly write a chemical reaction and a corresponding stoichiometry calculation. Ultimately, by solving the stoichiometry calculation, the answer will match the numbers in the three-digit combination and open the “lock.”

  • 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.

  • Atomic Radius, Atoms, Ionic Radius, Subatomic Particles, Periodic Table | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Animation Activity: Atomic & Ionic Radii

    In this activity, students will view an animation that explores atomic and ionic radii. They 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.

  • 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.

  • Atomic Structure, Atomic Mass, Electrons, Ions, Subatomic Particles, Density, Periodic Table, Quantitative Chemistry, Dimensional Analysis, Mole Concept | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: A Pound of Numbers

    In this activity, students will review a series of fundamental chemistry questions and select the answer from two choices provided. Upon completion, the sum of all the correct answers will equal the number of grams in one pound. Students can then use dimensional analysis to determine the number of grams in one pound for comparison.

  • Limiting Reactant, Stoichiometry, Balancing Equations, Conservation of Mass, Conservation of Matter, Combustion, Conservation of Mass, Conservation of Matter | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Animation Activity: Limiting Reactant

    In this activity, students will view an animation that explores what happens in a limiting reactant problem on the particulate level. Assembling a bike is used as an analogy to introduce the concept of limiting reactant, and then the balanced equation of the combustion of methane is used in four quantitative examples to show what it means for a chemical to be a limiting reactant. The concept of the conservation of mass is also demonstrated by calculating masses from the mole quantities of the reactants and products.

  • 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.

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

    Simulation: Colligative Properties

    In this simulation, students will 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.

  • Review, Periodic Table | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Sudoku by the (Chemical) Numbers

    In this activity, students will first answer clues about fundamental chemistry concepts in order to determine the missing digits from a sudoku puzzle. After solving the clues, students must then use both logic and reasoning while following the rules of sudoku to solve the 9x9 puzzle.

  • Graphing, Interdisciplinary | High School

    Access is an AACT member benefit. Activity: Insect Investigators

    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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Grade Level: High School

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