Curated OER
Octopus Legs
Students have oceans of fun transforming a wienie into an octopus they can eat! After counting, cutting halves and fourths, observing steam and the effects of heat, they mix colors as they create a yummy dipping sauce from mustard and...
Curated OER
Catch a Dream
Students apply the concepts of air pressure, the Bernoulli Effect, and angle of attack to build their own model planes out of paper, plastic, wooden rods, and drinking straws.
Curated OER
Identifying Elements
Students use diffraction glasses to find similarities and differences between observed spectrum of fluorescent light and an incandescent light They work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise.
Curated OER
History Repeats Itself
Pupils read about an event that occurred 140 years ago to ascertain
information (who? what? when? where? why?) and to compare this event to Rosa Parks arrest almost 50 years ago. They retell the story from your point of view.
Curated OER
Dam-it? I Just Don't Know!?!
Eighth graders analyze two different large dams: The Hoover Dam and the Three Gorges Dam. They compare and contrast the two dams.
Curated OER
Acid Precipitation
Young scholars test the acidity of unknown solutions. They use this information to make inferences from data given from recorded rainfall records to identify areas that receive the most acid rain.
Curated OER
Ride 'Em Cowboy (Buffalo Bill Cody and the Wild West Show)
Students research the impact of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show on the world's view of American western culture. They create a poster advertising the Wild West Show.
Curated OER
Can You Make A Penny Float?
Learners explore the concept of density by trying to make a penny and other materials float.
Curated OER
Synthesizing Pigment and Dyeing Cloth
Students create a synthetic dye and oxidize the dye and record the effects.
Curated OER
Paper Structures
Young scholars demonstrate that material strength varies with shape and arrangement.
Curated OER
Menu Mania
Students explore the concept of estimating by watching a video, and discussing the strategies for estimation. They estimate the costs for various menu items, then calculate the exact amount spent.
Curated OER
Girls Speak Out
Students discuss "education" and gender equity. They examine primary sources (video clips) of women/girls who do not have the privilege of an education. They create a pamphlet that will be used to publicize the issue of girls' education...
Curated OER
What is the (No) Establishment Clause?
Young scholars research and discuss the Establishment Clause.
Curated OER
Oxidation And Corrosion
Students sort tarnished metals by type and experiment with different cleaning solutions and techniques to restore them to their natural color and shine.
Curated OER
Acid and Base Testing
Students study descriptions of indicators and the way they are used to identify acids and bases. They use this information to determine if unknown solutions are acids or bases.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Mystery Mud: Exploring Changes in States of Matter
Join a group of middle-school students on a visit to a laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where they experiment with "mystery mud" and learn about the relationships between magnetism, particle motion, and changes in...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: States of Matter
Using simulations observe what solids, liquids, and gases look like at the atomic scale. After observing the different states of matter at their atomic level, students will be able to conclude about the forces and attractions that exist...
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Changing State: Melting
Discover the concept that energy transfer and molecular motion cause the change in state from a solid to a liquid. Also compare state changes of water to the state changes of other substances.
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Aaas: Project 2061: Topic: Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter
[Free Registration/Login Required] Create a science test that checks for student understanding in science, for common misconceptions, as well as for correct ideas. This is a list of key ideas related to Atoms, Molecules, and States of...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Changing the State of Matter Using Heating and Cooling
In this lesson, students will investigate how different materials changed when heated or cooled. The process in developing the investigation will be inquiry based. Students will have the liberty in choosing the materials and devising how...
eSchool Today
E School Today: What Is Matter
Learn about matter, its three states, changes of state, how matter behaves, and physical and chemical changes in matter.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: States of Matter
Watch different types of molecules form a solid, liquid, or gas. Add or remove heat and watch the phase change. Change the temperature or volume of a container and see a pressure-temperature diagram respond in real time. Relate the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Observing the Effect of Temperature on Change of State and Gas Pressure
This lab serves as a short introduction to both changes in state and air pressure/the gas laws. The students will heat a small amount of water in an aluminum can. They will then invert it in a bucket of cold water and crush the can using...
PBS
Pbs: Nova: Absolute Zero: States of Matter
This interactive allows you to explore the effect that temperature and pressure have on the changes in the states of matter. You can test these variables on carbon dioxide, hydrogen and water.