Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics

1 – 25 of 69 Classroom Resources

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  Observations, Density, Inferences | Elementary School, Middle School, High School

  Activity: Animation Activity: Density

  In this activity, students will use an animation to visualize density on the particulate level. There are opportunities to make qualitative and quantitative comparisons between substances.

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  Separating Mixtures, Density, Physical Properties, Chemical Change, Phase Changes, Introduction, Elements, Physical Change, History, Lab Safety, Molecular Motion, Accuracy, Dimensional Analysis, Measurements, Scientific Notation, Significant Figures, SI Units, Chemical Properties, Mixtures | High School

  Lesson Plan: The Chemistry Basics and Measurement Quick Start Unit Plan

  This Quick Start Unit Plan includes all the materials that a teacher will need for the first 10 class meetings of the school year. Each day is outlined with teacher notes, and includes slide presentations as well as directions for demonstrations, activities and labs to use. The fundamental topics covered in the 10 days of lessons are: laboratory safety, laboratory equipment, experimental design, classification of matter, chemical properties, physical properties, chemical change, physical change, phase changes, separation techniques, dimensional analysis, unit conversions, factor label method, accuracy, precision, significant figures, and percent error calculations. This Quick Start Unit plan aims to help students to build a foundation of understanding, and master important topics before moving deeper into the chemistry curriculum.

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  Density, Physical Properties, Inferences, Covalent Bonding, Ionic Bonding, Chemical Properties | High School

  Lesson Plan: Murder Mystery

  In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of the properties of ionic and covalent compounds to examine the evidence from a crime scene. Students will conduct several tests, and compare their data with known data in a collection of SDS documents. Using the evidence from their investigation, students will write a claim, evidence and reasoning statement detailing whether the victim was murdered or died accidentally.

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  Density, Physical Properties, Identifying an Unknown | Middle School, High School

  Lesson Plan: The Shattered Glass Mystery

  In this lesson, students will take on the role of a Forensic Scientist to help solve a hit and run investigation. They will learn how physical properties of matter, such as density and refractive index, can be used to help identify evidence samples such as glass.

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  Separating Mixtures, Density, Polymers, Polymers | High School

  Activity: Identifying Plastics with Density Data

  In this activity, students will familiarize themselves with different types of plastics. Using data analysis, students will determine how to use the density values of a variety of plastic samples in order to separate a specific sample from a mixture.

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  Density, Polymers, Polymers, Chemical Properties | High School

  Lab: The Big Six Plastics

  In this lab students will use data and chemical tests to better understand different types of plastics and their properties. Ultimately, students can choose the best plastic material to construct a compost bin.

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  Density, Identifying an Unknown, Measurements, Scientific Notation, Error Analysis | Middle School

  Lab: A Chemistry Calculation Challenge

  Students will apply their knowledge to solve four challenging chemistry-based calculation problems involving mass, volume, density, and number of molecules.

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  Density, Elements, Periodic Table, Atomic Mass, Atomic Radius, Electronegativity | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Organizing the Periodic Table

  In this activity, students are challenged to organize elements into the shape of the periodic table based on trends in data. Students are given a set of cards, each card representing an element, and containing five data points for consideration. The data that students will analyze includes atomic mass, atomic radius, melting point, density and electronegativity.

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  Density, Elements, Interdisciplinary | High School

  Activity: Applying Density to Earth

  In this activity, students will analyze data related to elevation and rock composition, in order to better understand the impact that density has on earth chemistry.

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  Observations, Density | Middle School

  Lesson Plan: Understanding Density

  In this lesson, students will explain phenomena using their knowledge of how changes in mass and volume can affect the density of an object.

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  Density, Physical Properties, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Chemical Properties, 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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  Observations, Density, Physical Properties | Elementary School

  Lab: Under the Sea: A Density Aquarium!

  In this lab, students will create a density aquarium. They will develop a written response comparing and contrasting the densities of the various objects within the aquarium. This lab is designed for students to work in groups after they have an understanding of density and other physical properties.

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  Density, Concentration, Solute & Solvent | High School

  Lab: Test Tube Challenge

  In this lab, students will be challenged to create a density column, consisting of three distinct layers of sugar-water solution. This is an inquiry lab, where the students must apply their understanding of density and concentration in order to devise a successful plan for creating the column correctly.

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  Density, Measurements | Elementary School

  Demonstration: Sinking Soda

  In this teacher led demonstration, students will compare their observations when unopened cans of diet and regular soda are placed in a large container of water. They will use their observations to help differentiate between several fundamental chemistry concepts: mass, volume, and density.

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  Density, Identifying an Unknown, Measurements | Elementary School, Middle School

  Demonstration: Household Densities

  In this demonstration, students will make predictions about various household materials and whether or not each will sink or float when placed in water. Data will be collected and then used to calculate the density value of each item. Finally students will analyze the relationship between the density value and the observed outcome, and use their knowledge to identify unknown materials.

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  Density, Chemical Change, Elements, Physical Change, Periodic Table, Review, Matter, Mixtures | Elementary School, Middle School

  Activity: Chemistry Basics: Crossword Puzzle

  In this activity, students will complete a crossword puzzle by solving each clue that is related to a basic, yet fundamental chemistry topic.

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  Density, Physical Properties, Periodic Table, Review, Mixtures | Middle School, High School

  Activity: Chemistry Basics: Advanced Crossword Puzzle

  In this activity, students will complete a crossword puzzle by solving each clue that is related to a fundamental chemistry topic.

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  Density, Phase Changes, Specific Heat, Exothermic & Endothermic | High School

  Lab: Chemistry is Cooler Stress Test Challenge

  In this lab, students will design and build a device capable of insulating an ice cube submerged in boiling water for two minutes. In this open-ended inquiry based activity, students will be required to critically think about structure and function of the materials they wish to use to build a device to solve a complex real-world problem. Students must consider the thermal properties of the materials, density, and the need to form a non-permeable barrier between the ice cube and the boiling water.

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  Observations, Density, Measurements | Middle School, High School

  Lab: Penny Boats

  In this lab, students will explore Archimedes’ Principle and how it relates to density. Each student will be given a piece of aluminum foil and asked to design and build a boat that will hold as many pennies as possible without sinking when placed in water.

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  Density, Mixtures, Solubility | Middle School

  Lab: Investigating Density within Lava Lamps

  In this lab students will make a simple yet spectacular lava lamp while focusing on the density of the components.

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  Density, Identifying an Unknown, Mole Concept, Dimensional Analysis, Measurements, Molar Mass | High School

  Lab: Chemistry Composition Challenge

  In this inquiry based lab, students will design a method to solve three chemistry problems involving moles, molecules, and density.

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  Density, Temperature, Density, Molecular Motion | Elementary School

  Lab: Observing Density of Gases and Liquids

  Students will learn about and discuss the behavior of a gas using examples of convection and an optional teacher-led demonstration. Students will then participation in a lab where they will investigate water currents by observing the results of mixing colored warm water with room temperature water. The lab will be followed by a discussion about the molecular activity of the water mixture.

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  Density, Phase Changes | Elementary School

  Lab: Making Clouds

  In this lab students will investigate liquid density by creating model “clouds” with shaving cream in a glass of water. They will add food coloring in order to make the clouds heavy and cause them to rain.

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  Density, Measurements | High School

  Lab: Can it Float?

  In this lab, students will investigate the relationships between mass, volume, density and buoyancy in common objects. Students will be tasked with determining the volume of a variety of objects as well as interpreting the meaning of their buoyancy in water.

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  Density, Measurements | Elementary School, Middle School

  Lab: Weight Just a Minute!

  In this lab, students will learn how volume and mass affect density as they make comparisons and calculations.