Beyond Benign
Shampoozled—Part 1: Formula Calculation
Time for your classes to show off what they've learned! The 11th installment in the series of 24 uses concepts learned in the previous 10 lessons to create the perfect shampoo formula. Their formulas consider both sustainability and...
Beyond Benign
The Heat Is On
Explore an exothermic reaction with a quick lab investigation. The activity builds on the previous lessons by examining an ingredient in many shampoos. Scholars record temperature data as sodium hydroxide and water interact.
Beyond Benign
Cookie Equations
Cookies and chemical equations have a lot in common! Using cookies as a reference, scholars learn to balance chemical equations. Pieces of the cookies represent different parts of the compounds and elements. This is the sixth installment...
Beyond Benign
Writing the Principles
What is the difference between chemistry and green chemistry? The first lesson of the 24-part green chemistry series introduces scholars to its 12 principles. The tendency is toward nontoxic materials and sustainability.
Beyond Benign
12 Principle Match Up
Can you find a match? Scholars review the 12 principles of green chemistry by playing a matching game. The second lesson of the series reinforces the principles from the first lesson. Individuals play the matching game and also complete...
Beyond Benign
Sustainability Bingo
Play a little Bingo and learn a little chemistry. The third installment in a 24-part series gives scholars the opportunity to play a game of Bingo while they review the 12 principles of green chemistry. The principles make up the Bingo...
American Chemical Society
The Fate of Calcium Carbonate
Soften up an egg. Learners use vinegar to test for calcium carbonate in an egg shell and an antacid tablet and compare the reaction with vinegar to the reaction with water. In a second experiment, class members break down an egg shell...
American Chemical Society
Different Substances React Differently
Looks don't tell the whole story. Young experimenters explore reactions with substances that look similar. They observe the reactions that take place when combined with baking soda and use indicators to conclude they react differently...
American Chemical Society
Gas Sudsation
Bring out some bubbly! Individuals perform the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment with a twist. Learners add a drop of dish detergent to make the bubbles last longer. They vary the amount of baking soda and vinegar in an effort...
American Chemical Society
Flame Out
Add a little heat to your science lesson. Young experimenters work to understand the chemical reaction taking place when a candle burns. They experiment with both oxygen and carbon dioxide to make conclusions about the reaction.
American Chemical Society
Engineering a Floatation Device
Classes will definitely not be sinking after a buoyant lesson! A project-based assessment helps highlight the importance of prior knowledge as individuals design a floatation device for a cell phone. They use their knowledge of chemical...
American Chemical Society
Conservation of Mass
It may take up less space, but the mass stays the same. Tackle a common misconception about conservation of mass using a hands-on lesson. Learners measure the mass of substances before and after melting, dissolving, and undergoing a...
American Chemical Society
Chemical Reactions and Color Change
Colors are more than just a pretty effect. Learners explore what color change means in terms of chemical properties and reactions. They create a pH solution using cabbage leaves and observe the changes when acids and bases are added.
American Chemical Society
Forming a Precipitate
Things are getting a little slippery in an inquiry-based instructional activity studying precipitates. Learners use soap and Alka-Seltzer tablets to create different mixtures with water. They then study the properties of the mixtures...
American Chemical Society
Exploring Baking Powder
Birthday cake wouldn't be light and fluffy without the chemical reactions between ingredients. Young scientists explore some chemical reactions in the 11th installment of a 16 lesson Inquiry in Action series. They determine the...
American Chemical Society
What’s the Difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?
Introduce pupils to chemical reactions. Using the hands-on lesson, learners experiment with substances that combine to form a gas. Different substances react to form different amounts of gas, leading to a discussion about the particles...
Museum of Science
Elephant Toothpaste
Get a surprised reaction from trying out the chemical reaction. Scholars conduct a chemical experiment by adding yeast to hydrogen peroxide and dish soap in a plastic bottle. They learn that yeast contains a catalase enzyme that releases...
Museum of Science
Create Gas
Let's have a gas. Individuals mix baking soda and vinegar in a bottle. Learners view the interaction between the solid and the liquid and notice that a gas is formed. Scholars notice the gas inflates a balloon stretched across the mouth...
NASA
Christa's Lost Lesson: Effervescence
How are chemical reactions affected by gravity? Learners explore the phenomenon of effervescence as part of the Christa's Lost Lessons series. They compare findings in an experiment on effervescence to a video of a similar experiment in...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Utah Open Textbook: 8th Grade Science
The cycle of energy is important to many different systems on Earth. Scholars use questioning and observation to investigate the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources and how they relate to global changes. They...
Purdue University
Can You Design a Hot or Cold Pack?
You're getting warmer. Groups conduct an experiment to determine which of four chemicals are in hot/cold packs. They learn about exothermic and endothermic reactions and use this knowledge to design a hot/cold pack that is small enough...
Purdue University
Designing a Device Utilizing a Balloon Filled with Carbon Dioxide
Don't waste all that carbon dioxide. Scholars first produce carbon dioxide by mixing baking soda and vinegar. They measure the masses of the reactants and products to verify the law of conservation of mass. As a culminating activity,...
College Board
2014 AP® Chemistry Free-Response Questions
More than half of AP Chemistry test takers earn a high enough score to get college credit. Improve that statistic by using past test questions including precipitate, molarity, and chemical equations to prepare for a future exam. The...
College Board
2015 AP® Chemistry Free-Response Questions
More than 80,000 scholars earned college credit for Chemistry with the AP exam in 2015. The College Board released the free-response questions covering topics, including moles, that often confuse scholars. They also released example...