Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

1 – 24 of 24 Classroom Resources

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  Identifying an Unknown, Chemical Properties, Solute & Solvent, Mixtures | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Local Water Analysis

  In this lab, students use simple pool test strips to collect water samples from local water sources, such as area faucets, pools, lakes, rivers, puddles, etc. They will compile all of the collected data to allow students to collectively make observations and ask testable questions. After determining a question of interest, groups of students will organize the related data, research relevant background information, form reasonable conclusions, and present their arguments.

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

  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).

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  Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Elements, Matter, Covalent Bonding, Ionic Bonding, Intermolecular Forces, Polymers | Middle School, High School

  Project: The Chemistry of Toys

  In this project, students will study the chemistry behind a toy or novelty item of their choosing. They will look at the parts that make up their item and determine what materials each part is made of; the types of atoms, molecules, and bonds present in those materials; and their physical and chemical properties.

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  Periodic Table, Introduction, History, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electrons, Valence Electrons | Middle School, High School

  Activity: How the Periodic Table Organizes the Elements Video Questions

  In this lesson, students will watch a video and answer questions about the organization of the periodic table. They will learn about how the elements on the periodic table are organized and what their location on the table can tell us about them.

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  Concentration, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, pH | Middle School

  Activity: Would You Drink it?

  In this activity, students are provided with data regarding the water quality at multiple locations throughout a city. Students will determine which location should be prioritized for cleaning of contaminates. Students will utilize Claim Evidence and Reasoning (CER) to develop a claim that is supported by the data provided.

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  Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Elements, Alloys, Chemical Bond | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Behind the Metal

  In this lesson, students will learn about the properties of metals. The students will work in small groups to create a video to anthropomorphize their selected metal as though it were a heavy metal musician and share the video with their peers.

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  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.

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  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.

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  Physical Change, Chemical Change, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Activity: A Physical vs. Chemical Challenge

  In this activity, students will first complete a card sort to best categorize examples of change as physical or chemical change. Then they will compete in teams to identify whether given situations represent a physical change or a chemical change, or a physical or a chemical property.

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  Measurements, Dimensional Analysis, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Matter, Observations, Mixtures | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Cupcake Conversions, Bench to Bakery

  This activity will help to reinforce the importance of scientific measurement and apply it to the introduction of chemical reactions. Using an example of baking a single batch of cupcakes, students will plan for a larger production scale in a commercial bakery. This will help to introduce the idea of producing a reaction at the lab bench and converting it to mass production. In addition this activity investigates how chemistry is used in everyday life and challenges students to consider potentials errors that may occur when completing chemical reactions in the kitchen.

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

  Project: Chemical Disasters: Good Chemicals gone Bad!

  In this project, students will research an industrial chemical accident. They will examine the chemicals involved including uses, hazards, chemical and physical properties. Students will investigate the cause of the accident and its repercussions. As the final product, they will film a 5-minute documentary which will be viewed in class.

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  Periodic Table, History, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Atomic Mass, Atomic Theory, Model of the Atom, Subatomic Particles | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Activity: Mendeleev Video Questions

  In this activity, students will watch a video and answer questions about Dimitri Mendeleev. They will learn about his contribution to chemistry, including his organization of the periodic table and awareness to leave gaps for elements that weren’t yet discovered.

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  Periodic Table, History, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Subatomic Particles, Atomic Mass | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Activity: History of the Periodic Table Video Questions

  In this activity, students will answer questions while watching a video about how the periodic table was developed and learn about those who contributed to it.

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  Polymers, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Scientific Method, Mixtures | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Exploring the Chemistry of Oil and Acrylic Paints

  In this lesson students learn about the chemistry of oil and acrylic paints. They make their own paint, and complete an experiment to collect qualitative and quantitative data through a series of tests. Students will also apply the concepts of physical and chemical change to the results of this controlled experiment.

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  Separating Mixtures, Observations, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Mixtures | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Clean-Up Pond Pollution

  In this lesson, students will compare polluted and filtered water to observe how filtering can remove some kinds of pollutants. Students will also be asked to consider how people affect ecosystems and use the scientific method to conduct an experiment on polluted water.

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  Physical Properties, Density, Chemical Properties, Matter, Interdisciplinary | Middle School, Elementary School

  Activity: Astronaut on a Mission

  In this activity students will take on the role as a NASA employee on a mission to discover what resources humans need in order to survive on a planet outside of our solar system. Students will come up with a plan including a list of materials and resources needed to sustain life on another planet. They will need to compare each planet and determine which is most ready to support life.

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  History, Interdisciplinary, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Observations, Mixtures | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Top Secret

  In this lab, students will learn about the history of invisible ink and will have the opportunity to compare two types of homemade invisible ink recipes.

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  Chemical Change, Physical Change, Separating Mixtures, Observations, Mixtures, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Test Tube Separation

  In this lab, students will mix four substances in a test tube and recreate the original four layers through chemical and physical means.

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  Acid, Mixtures, Acid Rain, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Environmental Problems

  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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  Periodic Table, History, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Atoms, Model of the Atom, Atomic Radius, Subatomic Particles, Electrons, Valence Electrons, Electron Configuration, Orbitals , Isotopes, Atomic Mass | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Ptable.com Investigations

  In this activity, students will use the online periodic table found at www.ptable.com to investigate a number of chemistry concepts. Students will use this online resource to explore information about the elements, including historical data, physical properties, periodic trends and more.

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  Periodic Table, Elements, Matter, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Observations, Identifying an Unknown | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Periodic Table Trends

  In this lab, students will investigate trends of the periodic table by examining samples of six elements. Students will use observations about the elements’ appearance, conductivity, and malleability to determine whether they are metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. They will also see how these elements, as well as two more in a teacher demo, react with water and use this information to make claims about reactivity patterns in the periodic table.

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  Chemical Change, Identifying an Unknown, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Chemical Change, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Lab: As Easy as Pie

  In this lab, students will use chemical and physical properties to identify an unknown powder.

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  Indicators, Acid, Chemical Properties | Middle School

  Lab: Acid & Base

  In this lab, students are given four unknown liquids and must identify whether they are acids or bases.

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  Culminating Project, Review, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Periodic Table, History, Interdisciplinary, Electron Configuration, Subatomic Particles, Isotopes, Atomic Mass | High School, Middle School

  Project: 21st Century Elements

  In this project, students will learn the importance of the elements in our lives. The students will research one chosen element and create a website, a digital comic strip, or a video to explain the important properties of the element as well as why the element is so important to our lives.