Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

1 – 25 of 125 Classroom Resources

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  Elements, Interdisciplinary, Photosynthesis | High School

  Lesson Plan: Growing Green on the Red Planet Emergency Lesson

  In this lesson, students will learn about elements, compounds, and chemical reactions through reading the highly rated ChemMatters article, Growing Green on the Red Planet. The lesson includes several activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as an emergency lesson plan for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Saturated vs. Unsaturated, Molecular Structure , Molecular Structure, Covalent Bonding, Lewis Structures, Interdisciplinary, Dimensional Analysis, Intermolecular Forces, Melting Point | High School

  Lesson Plan: Dietary Fats

  In this lesson, students will learn about the chemistry of dietary fats in the food they eat. They will calculate the number of calories coming from fats, carbohydrates, and proteins based on a food label before completing a guided activity focused on investigating the chemical structures of different types of fats. Students will then engage in a literacy component where they will use an article about the biological role of various types of dietary fats and foods to answer a series of questions.

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

  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.

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  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.

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  History, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Lesson Plan: Marie Maynard Daly

  In this lesson, students will learn about the significant contributions to chemistry by Dr. Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry in the U.S. Students will read an article and engage in related activities that help to promote literacy in the science classroom. Parts of this lesson could be used as plans for a substitute teacher. This lesson provides teachers with strategies to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the chemistry curriculum.

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  Measurements, Graphing, Interdisciplinary | High School

  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.

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  Photosynthesis, Interdisciplinary | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Algae – The Good, the Bad, and the Tasty

  In this lesson, students will learn about the chemistry of algae, while working in a small group to become an expert on a specific type of algae. Divided into four parts the lesson is designed for students to investigate the process of photosynthesis, learn about the variety of uses for algae as well as products that contain algae, and the harmful effects of algae, such as red tides. As a culminating task, student groups will each complete a short presentation.

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  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.

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  Interdisciplinary | Middle School, High School

  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.

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  Pharmaceuticals, Monomer, Polymers, Molecular Structure , Interdisciplinary, History | High School

  Lesson Plan: Carbohydrate Metabolism

  In this lesson, students will learn about how the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body were studied. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Concentration, Precipitate, Molarity, Molality, Conductivity, Colligative Properties, Boiling Point Elevation, Freezing Point Depression, Distillation, Culminating Project, Graphing, Accuracy, Error Analysis, Interdisciplinary, Mixtures, pH, Buffers, Boiling Point, Freezing Point, Phase Changes | High School

  Lesson Plan: Investigating Sea Water

  In this lesson, students will consider their water footprint and means to obtain fresh water from seawater using a solar still. To understand the differences between fresh water and seawater, students will determine the composition of artificial seawater by using qualitative analysis to test for different ions in solution and calculate the molarity of different salts used in the recipe. Students will observe the effects of solutes in aqueous solutions by measuring conductivity and the freezing and boiling points of seawater and deionized water and determine total dissolved solids. In addition, students explore the buffering ability of seawater and the effect of carbon dioxide on its pH.

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  Renewable Energy, Heat, Temperature, Specific Heat, Interdisciplinary, Graphing | Middle School, High School

  Lesson Plan: Solar Cookers

  In this lesson, students will learn about the use of alternative cooking fuels that could replace burning wood, coal, or other smoke-producing materials to heat and cook food in developing nations, focusing on solar cookers. They will watch a video and read an article that provide a general overview of the need for alternative fuels. Then, in small groups, students will research, design, build, and test a solar cooker to determine if it is an effective method of cooking food in a developing nation. They will give a presentation to the class on their design, test results, and any improvements they would make to their initial design, and they will answer some reflection questions about the solar cookers made by their class and their role in the group project.

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  Combustion, Chemical Change, Balancing Equations, Reaction Rate, Conservation of Mass, Conservation of Matter, Stoichiometry, Limiting Reactant, Chemical Change, Conservation of Matter, Conservation of Mass, Graphing, Error Analysis, Accuracy, Observations, Inferences, Interdisciplinary, Reaction Rate, Catalysts, Measurements, Mole Concept | High School

  Lesson Plan: Clean Air Chemistry

  In this lesson, students will learn about air pollution and some steps toward mitigating it. First, they will burn a candle and measure its mass and the concentration of CO2 over time. Students will discuss which data set they have more confidence in and why and then use stoichiometry to predict outcomes. Next, students explore incomplete combustion in a model-based worksheet that shows how a lack of O2 in the burning of fuels can produce air pollution. Students work together to interpret the models, define terms, and draw conclusions. Lastly, students work in groups using Lego models to illustrate how a catalytic converter works. They race “Nature” against catalysts “Palladium,” “Platinum,” and “Rhodium” to see what breaks down air pollution molecules fastest.

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  Observations, Physical Properties, Interdisciplinary | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Fashionable Chemistry

  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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  Measurements, SI Units, Dimensional Analysis, Scientific Notation, Molecular Structure , Elements, History, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Lesson Plan: The Discovery of Fullerenes

  In this lesson, students will learn about a class of compounds called fullerenes through a reading about their discovery. Metric conversions, organic chemistry, and allotropes are all touched on in this lesson. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Interdisciplinary, Polymers | Middle School, High School

  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.

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  Intermolecular Forces, Intramolecular Forces, Polymers, History, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Lesson Plan: Scotch Transparent Tape

  In this lesson, students will learn about how sticky tape was developed through reading an article. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Interdisciplinary, History, Polymers, Polymers, Condensation, Monomer, Monomer, Alloys | High School

  Lesson Plan: Synthetic Materials Through History

  In this lesson, students will learn about the history of synthesized materials through reading an article. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Interdisciplinary, History, Electromagnetic Spectrum | High School

  Lesson Plan: Isolation of Phytochrome

  In this lesson, students will learn about plant cycles of development in relation to the electromagnetic spectrum through reading an article. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Interdisciplinary, History, Solubility, Concentration | High School

  Lesson Plan: Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring

  In this lesson, students will read an article to learn about the impact Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring has had. Arguably, the U.S. EPA was formed as a result, and a Nobel Prize-worthy discovery was banned after the book was published. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher since most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Electromagnetic Spectrum, Heat, Radiation, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, History, Interdisciplinary, Functional Groups, Molecular Structure | High School

  Lesson Plan: Mars Exploration with Infrared Spectrometers

  In this lesson, students will learn about how space scientists used infrared spectrometers to explore Mars through an article reading. Space exploration involves a lot of chemistry, which many students are surprised to learn. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Interdisciplinary, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Molecular Structure, Chemical Bond, Radiation | High School

  Lesson Plan: Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion

  In this lesson, students will learn about the history of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the harm they cause the ozone layer through an article reading. There are a series of activities to help promote literacy in the science classroom related to the reading. This lesson could be easily used as plans for a substitute teacher, as most of the activities are self-guided.

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  Interdisciplinary | Elementary School, Middle School

  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.

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  Graphing, Interdisciplinary | High School

  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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  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.