Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

1 – 25 of 39 Classroom Resources

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  Electromagnetic Spectrum, Observations, Scientific Method, Experimental Design, Error Analysis, Accuracy, Chemical Properties | High School

  Lesson Plan: Screen Your Sunscreen!

  In this lesson, students will learn more about UV radiation, its effect on skin, and the different ways in which sunscreen protects skin. After exploring this, students will develop an investigation to assess the claims made by different sun protection products. Students will compare the effectiveness of a variety of sunscreens and/or clothing that claim to offer sun protection. The lab will be wrapped up with a CER-style report.

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  Identifying an Unknown, Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Chemical Change, Net Ionic Equation, Precipitate, Solubility, Solubility Rules, Balancing Equations, Predicting Products, Chemical Change | High School

  Lab: Mislabeled Mess!

  In this lab, students will identify 3 unknown acids by using the solubility rules. They will be given a list of materials and will design their own procedures for identifying the unknowns. For each combination of reactants, they will predict whether a product forms and, if it does, write complete and net ionic equations for those reactions.

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  Identifying an Unknown, Experimental Design, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Observations, Polyatomic Ions, Chemical Change, Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding, Solubility | High School

  Lab: Determining the Composition of Bridge Straw Stalactites

  In this lab, students will investigate “straws” that hang from a local bridge, and then determine various tests that can help to determine their chemical composition. Evaluating both the test results, as well as given information students will then make a claim about the composition, while providing evidence and supporting it with reasoning.

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  Reaction Rate, Catalysts, Experimental Design, Chemical Change, Reaction Rate, Chemical Change | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Investigating Fast and Slow Reaction Rates

  In this lesson, students will review the characteristics of chemical changes and then use a catalyst and an inhibitor to explore the reaction rate of the oxidation of iron.

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  Scientific Method, Experimental Design, Observations, Introduction, Graphing | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Applying the Scientific Method to Stain Removal

  In this lab, students will explore the real scientific process by designing an experiment to solve a problem. Students will learn about basic lab equipment, safety, and the scientific process of trial and error while solving a common problem: What color of food coloring requires the most bleach to remove?

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  Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Graphing, Observations | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Mentos and Soda Investigations

  In this lab, students will design their own experiment in which they manipulate a variable that relates to Mentos and soda. Students will generate a testable question, design an experiment, collect and analyze the data and present their findings.

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  Scientific Method, Observations, Experimental Design, Physical Properties | Elementary School

  Lab: Stains, Stains, Go Away

  In this lab, students will become more familiar with the scientific method as they investigate what type of cleaning product is best. Students will identify variables as they carry out a controlled test to compare the ability of different products to remove a ketchup stain.

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  Scientific Method, Observations, Experimental Design | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lab: Introducing the Scientific Method

  In this lab, students will be introduced to and become familiar with the scientific method. They will apply their understanding by following the steps of the scientific method while investigating the amount of fat in potato chips.

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  Introduction, Interdisciplinary, Experimental Design, Dimensional Analysis | High School

  Project: Food Chemistry Infographic

  In this project, students will research the chemical content and nutritional value of their favorite holiday foods, presenting their findings in an infographic. They will also include a recipe, which they will convert to metric units to practice dimensional analysis. As an extension to explore experimental design, they could alter one aspect of the recipe and observe how that change affects the final product.

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  Molecular Structure , Functional Groups, Experimental Design, Interdisciplinary, Chemical Change | High School

  Lab: Designing Biomimetic Songbird Preen Oil from Waste Cooking Oil

  In this guided-inquiry lab, students will design and test a procedure reacting waste cooking oil in a blue cheese slurry to create a substance that mimics songbird preen oil, which is both antibacterial and hydrophobic. Students will convert the fatty acids in waste oil to methyl ketones, thought to be the principal antibacterial component of preen oil, using the P. roqueforti mold found in blue cheese. Students will expand their knowledge of biomimicry, inherent properties of preen oil, and chemical synthesis by applying the principles of green chemistry. They will also assess their own process through higher-order problem solving and building on their scientific research skills.

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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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  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.

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  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.

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  Graphing, Scientific Method, Experimental Design | Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: Graphing Glow-in-the-Dark Paint

  In this activity, students will have the opportunity to review the scientific method, and analyze data from a scenario about glow-in-the-dark paint. Additionally, students with create a graph to help them to interpret data.

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  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.

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  Physical Properties, Observations, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School

  Lesson Plan: Not Breaking Up is Hard to Do: the Properties of Glass

  In this lesson students will learn about the properties of glass, and relate those properties to the new engineering design of glass in a car.

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  Calorimetry, Exothermic & Endothermic, Temperature, Stoichiometry, Limiting Reactant, Chemical Change, Molarity, Enthalpy, Heat, Concentration, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School

  Lab: Less Than Zero

  In this lab, students will investigate the endothermic reaction between baking soda and HCl. Students will consider stoichiometric ratios, molar concentrations, reaction scale, and calorimetry. The lab starts with a scripted reaction that uses given molar ratios, a glass beaker, and 2-M HCl. They will witness a temperature drop of about 5 to 8 C. Students then adjust the experiment so they can achieve a temperature drop of more than 20 C.

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  Combustion, Limiting Reactant, Catalysts, Gas Laws, Stoichiometry, Activation Energy, Enthalpy, Energy Diagrams, Experimental Design | High School

  Lab: Launching Rockets

  In this lab, students create a stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gases to launch a soda bottle rocket.

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  Isotopes, Atomic Mass, Subatomic Particles, Experimental Design | High School

  Lab: Isotopes Make Cents

  In this lab, students use a sample of pennies to mimic how average atomic mass is calculated.

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  Density, Measurements, Graphing, Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Physical Properties, Error Analysis, Significant Figures, Error Analysis | High School

  Lab: Investigating the Density of an Irregular Solid Object

  In this lab, students will use common laboratory equipment to devise a method to measure the density of several irregular objects. They will then create a formal laboratory report using both their own data and data from the entire class.

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  Physical Properties, Intermolecular Forces, Identifying an Unknown, Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Error Analysis, Graphing, Molecular Structure | High School

  Lesson Plan: The Importance of Motor Oil Viscosity in Optimal Car Functioning

  In this lesson students will determine how temperature affects viscosity and relate the data to the structure of motor oil and the optimal functioning of a car.

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  Identifying an Unknown, Culminating Project, Classification of Reactions, Experimental Design, Scientific Method, Interdisciplinary, Review, Balancing Equations, Stoichiometry, Concentration, Molarity | High School

  Lab: The Culminating Unknown

  In this lab, students identify an unknown from a list of 12 possible compounds by designing a procedure and using evidence to prove their claim. They must draw from knowledge gained throughout the year to properly develop a procedure to identify the unknown.

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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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  Redox Reaction, Electron Transfer, Chemical Change, Observations, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Lab: Test Tube Geology

  In this lab, students will observe a reaction between an iron nail and copper(II) sulfate in a test tube over the course of several days, modeling how a similar reaction occurs to form copper deposits in the earth. Students will also modify the procedures to evaluate how changing a factor of their choice affects the results of the test tube reaction, introducing them to concepts of experimental design. It also introduces students to my version of the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH).

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  Gas Laws, Kinetic Molecular Theory, Ideal Gas, Temperature, Volume, Pressure, Density, Density, Experimental Design, Scientific Method | High School, Middle School

  Activity: Hot Air Balloon

  In this activity, students use their knowledge of Charles’ law to build a hot air balloon and evaluate its design.