Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
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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 Mark as Favorite (13 Favorites)
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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Physical Properties, Molecular Structure, Polarity | High School, Middle School
Activity: What Makes Water So Special? Mark as Favorite (58 Favorites)
In this activity, students will become familiar with the special properties of water by completing several activities that investigate the following physical properties/phenomena: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, and capillary action.
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Phase Changes, Boiling Point, Melting Point, Physical Properties, Freezing Point, Molecular Motion, Physical Change, Density, Heat, Temperature | Elementary School, Middle School
Lesson Plan: Investigating Water's States of Matter Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
In this lesson, students will identify properties of different states of matter and then work in groups to model the molecular arrangement in water as a solid, liquid, and gas. This lesson will also help students understand that the change in state is a physical change and how the solid state of water has unique properties.
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Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Motion, Physical Properties, Density | High School
Activity: Molecular Structure in Glacier Formation Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
In this activity, students will model the compression of ice as a glacier forms. Students will make connections between density, distance between molecules, and the life of the glacier.
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Freezing Point, Solubility, Solute & Solvent, Phase Changes, Freezing Point Depression, Physical Change, Physical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School
Lesson Plan: Salting Roads in Winter Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
In this lesson, students investigate how the freezing point of water changes when salt is added. Many students know that water freezes at 0°C, and many believe that all substances freeze at 0°C. The investigations in this lesson help students understand why salt is spread on roads in cold and snowy conditions.
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Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties, History, Measurements, Dimensional Analysis | High School
Lesson Plan: Bettye Washington Greene Mark as Favorite (4 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about the significant chemistry contributions of Dr. Bettye Washington Greene, who was one of very few African American women to be awarded a doctorate in the chemical sciences in the 1960’s. Students will read an article and engaging in related activities. The activities help promote literacy in the science classroom. Parts of this lesson could be used as plans for a substitute teacher.
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Physical Properties, Covalent Bonding, Electronegativity, Polarity, Molecular Geometry, Intermolecular Forces, Solubility | Middle School, High School
Activity: The Chemistry of Water Video Questions Mark as Favorite (48 Favorites)
In this activity, students will watch a video and answer questions about how the molecular geometry and polarity of water give rise to many of its unusual physical properties, including its relatively high boiling point and its ability to dissolve some substances but not others.
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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 Mark as Favorite (80 Favorites)
In this activity, 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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Periodic Table, History, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Elements, Identifying an Unknown, Atoms, Atomic Radius, Ionic Radius, Ionization Energy, Electron Affinity, Valence Electrons, Electrons, Subatomic Particles, Ions, Model of the Atom | High School
Lesson Plan: The Periodic Table Unit Plan Mark as Favorite (80 Favorites)
The AACT high school classroom resource library and multimedia collection has everything you need to put together a unit plan for your classroom: lessons, activities, labs, projects, videos, simulations, and animations. We constructed a unit plan using AACT resources that is designed to teach the Periodic Table to your students.
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Density, Error Analysis, Accuracy, Identifying an Unknown, Physical Properties, Accuracy, Error Analysis, Measurements, Significant Figures | High School, Middle School
Lab: Determining the Density of Liquids and Solids Mark as Favorite (44 Favorites)
In this lab, students will experimentally determine the density of several liquids and solids from mass and volume measurements. They will then identify an unknown metal by comparing its density to that of known metals and calculate the percent error within the class for a specific sample.
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Heat, Temperature, Specific Heat, Law of Conservation of Energy, Enthalpy, Calorimetry, Exothermic & Endothermic, Balancing Equations, Chemical Change, Measurements, Mole Concept, Dimensional Analysis, Culminating Project, Interdisciplinary, Review, Graphing, Observations, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties | High School
Project: Handwarmer Design Challenge Mark as Favorite (44 Favorites)
In this project, students will use their knowledge of thermodynamics to design a handwarmer for a manufacturing company that can maintain a temperature of 30-40°C for at least 5 minutes and is designed for the average human hand. Students will create a final product after rounds of testing and an advertising poster that summarizes the results of their testing and promotes their design.
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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 Mark as Favorite (16 Favorites)
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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Isomers, Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Geometry, Molecular Structure, Intermolecular Forces, Boiling Point, Melting Point, Phase Changes, Isomers, Molecular Structure , Distillation, Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties | High School
Lesson Plan: Structural Isomers Mark as Favorite (17 Favorites)
In this activity, students will use models to explore structural isomers, and create explanations for the impact of structure on intermolecular forces (London dispersion) and physical properties (boiling point).
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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 Mark as Favorite (18 Favorites)
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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Beer's Law, Concentration, Physical Properties | High School
Lesson Plan: Introduction to Color Mark as Favorite (8 Favorites)
In this lesson students explore the properties related to color and how those properties vary with changes in concentration. This lesson introduces the use of a spectrophotometer to measure wavelength and absorbance in colored solutions as well as the use of Beer’s Law to determine an unknown concentration.
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Intermolecular Forces, Mixtures, Intermolecular Forces, Colligative Properties, Freezing Point Depression, Solubility, Polarity, Phase Changes, Freezing Point, Density, Mixtures, Physical Properties | High School
Lesson Plan: Fuel Line Antifreeze Mark as Favorite (14 Favorites)
In this lesson students will explore the role of a gasoline additive, fuel line antifreeze (generally methanol or 2‑propanol), in reducing the potential of water to block fuel lines in freezing weather. Students will prepare test tube models of water-contaminated fuel tanks and explore the effect of adding different types of fuel line antifreeze. This lesson can be used to bolster concepts about miscibility, density, intermolecular forces, phase changes (freezing), and colligative properties (freezing point depression).
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Distillation, Intermolecular Forces, Separating Mixtures, Observations, Physical Properties, Polarity, Cracking, Intermolecular Forces, Boiling Point, Balancing Equations | High School
Lesson Plan: Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil Mark as Favorite (26 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will be introduced to simple distillation while expanding their knowledge of intermolecular forces. Once a simple distillation has been accomplished in the lab, students will then research the various products of fractional distillation of crude oil and report on one of those products.
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Intermolecular Forces, Solubility, Intermolecular Forces, Intramolecular Forces, Polarity, Lewis Structures, Molecular Structure, Solute & Solvent, Mixtures, Melting Point, Freezing Point, Boiling Point, Physical Properties, Graphing, Mixtures | High School
Lab: Physical Properties (High School) Mark as Favorite (29 Favorites)
In this lesson, students investigate how intermolecular forces effect physical properties by investigating substances’ melting points as well as solubility.
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Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Molecular Geometry, Molecular Structure, Molecular Structure , Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Physical Change | High School
Lesson Plan: An Exploration of Intermolecular Forces Mark as Favorite (57 Favorites)
In this lesson students will explore intermolecular forces, and their associated effect on physical and chemical properties. Students will experiment with volatile liquids to investigate their predictions about intermolecular strength.
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Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Molecular Motion, Molecular Motion, Physical Properties | High School
Activity: Simulation Activity: Comparing Attractive Forces Mark as Favorite (119 Favorites)
In this activity, students will use a simulation to investigate different types of intermolecular forces (London dispersion, induced dipole, and hydrogen bonding). In the analysis that follows the activity, they will relate IMFs (also including dipole-dipole) to physical properties (boiling point, solubility, and vapor pressure). This activity and simulation are appropriate for students in any level chemistry course.
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Ionic Bonding, Naming Compounds, Molecular Formula, Ions, Ionic Radius, Solubility, Melting Point, Physical Properties | High School
Activity: Ionic Bonding Brackets Mark as Favorite (62 Favorites)
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.
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Mixtures, History, Physical Properties, Periodic Table, Atomic Structure, Ions | High School
Lesson Plan: George Eastman, Kodak, and The Birth of Consumer Photography Mark as Favorite (5 Favorites)
In this lesson, students will learn about George Eastman’s contributions to modern day photography, as well as the history and chemistry of photosensitive chemicals through reading an article and engaging in related activities. The activities help promote literacy in the science classroom. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.
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Observations, Physical Properties, Interdisciplinary | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Fashionable Chemistry Mark as Favorite (1 Favorite)
In this lesson, students will explore the characteristics of different types of natural and synthetic fabrics. Students will learn how synthetic fabrics are made and review the chemical formulas for various fabrics. Finally, students will demonstrate their knowledge by holding a chemistry fashion show.
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Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Elements, Alloys, Chemical Bond | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Behind the Metal Mark as Favorite (4 Favorites)
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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Freezing Point, Density, Phase Changes, Melting Point, Molecular Motion, Physical Change, Physical Properties | Elementary School
Lesson Plan: Pothole Science Mark as Favorite (3 Favorites)
In this lesson, students investigate how the density and therefore the volume, of water changes when it freezes.