American Chemical Society
Investigating the Line
Note that this lesson is best paired with the preceding lesson in the unit. In that lesson, elementary physical scientists observed that the color coating of M&Ms® candies do not mix when dissolved off of the chocolate surface. Now...
Virginia Department of Education
Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids
How can one easily classify metals, nonmetals, and metalloids? Pupils answer this question as they experiment with unknown substances and perform tests on conductivity, brittleness, and malleability to determine...
Curated OER
Properties of Matter
In this matter worksheet, students compare metals and non-metals, elements, and chemical and physical properties. This worksheet has 22 short answer questions.
Curated OER
The Wonderful World of Polymers
Seventh graders investigate the concept of polymers. They discover unique properties and how polymers are natural. The lesson plan contains sufficient background information for the teacher. Students examine different types of materials...
Curated OER
Temperature and Enzymes
Young scholars compare the times it takes the milk in each of two cups to curdle. They are told that an enzyme that is added to the milk, rennin, is involved in the natural curdling process of milk. Students are asked to consider what...
Curated OER
Investigating Viscosity
Viewers define viscosity as resistance to flowing and they compare the viscosity of different liquids. Instructions are not provided, but junior scientists design an experiment to test different liquids and order them from low to...
Curated OER
Natural Resources
In this natural resources worksheet, students compare examples of chemical and physical properties, balance equations, and calculate molar mass and moles. This worksheet has 12 problems to solve and 12 short answer questions.
Curated OER
What's the Matter with that Cup?
Fourth graders measure volume, circumference, and height of fast food cups, find which one has the greatest volume, and compare/contrast those measurements to discover any correlations between them.
Curated OER
Characteristics of Materials
Young scholars describe and compare common properties of various classroom materials. In this science/matter lesson plan, students observe common classroom items and the materials they are made of to complete a list of common properties.
Curated OER
Crystals: What Are They and What Holds Them Together
Young scholars are introduced to the characteristics of crystals and what keeps them together. Using the Periodic Table, they examine the various elements and develop a model of an atom. In groups, they place sugar and salt in petri...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students study the liquid and solid states of water. In this water states lesson, students complete three experiments to study water as it cycles from a liquid state to a solid state and back. Students finish with a Venn Diagram...
Columbus City Schools
To Measure its Mass or Volume?
Atoms, elements, and molecules, oh my! Teaching the fundamentals of chemistry to curious sixth graders has never been easier to accomplish. Here is a resource that pulls together everything needed to get them off to a good start,...
Earth Day Network
Staying Green While Being Clean
Clean up the environment with a lesson that focuses on replacing hazardous cleaning supplies with green, environmentally-friendly products. Using a dirty patch of surface as a control area, kids clean other parts of various surfaces...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Permafrost Gas Leak
Pair earth scientists up to use an amazing online arctic portal mapping tool and Google Earth to analyze permafrost changes. They compare changes to data on atmospheric concentrations of methane to see if there is a correlation. Then...
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Introduction to Density
Seventh grade scientists weigh in on the concept of density. In a nutshell, they participate in the following activities:
Measurement of the mass and volume of fruit in order to compare densities
Measurement of the mass of oil and water...
Curated OER
Properties of Color
Second graders explore the properties of primary color and investigate what happens when primary colors are mixed. They listen to the story The Crayon Box That Talked and list the colors. They experiment mixing primary colors and...
Curated OER
Temperature
Several slides compare different temperature scales. Thermal expansion, heat transfer, and Maxwell speed distribution are also explored. The last two slides seem unrelated to the topic of heat, but are easily left out of this otherwise...
Curated OER
Constancy and Change
Second graders identify three forms of matter- solids, liquids, and gases with 100% accuracy. They observe what happens when they try to put two kinds of matter into the same space and conclude that solids, liquids, and gases occupy space.
Curated OER
Identifying Text Structure #!
In this identifying graphic organizers and their texts worksheet, learners observe chronological, compare & contrast, sequence, cause & effect, and problem & solution graphic organizers, read short passages, and match them....
Curated OER
Mystery Minerals
Students minerals and how they form. They investigate the classification of minerals according to physical properties. Students watch a video about mineral characteristics. In groups, students participate in hands-on activities and...
Teach Engineering
Magnetic Fields Matter
Help your young scientists learn which materials are affected by magnetic fields with an activity that presents the information about different types of materials — diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic — and their interaction...
Curated OER
Determining the Density of a Liquid
Students find the density of diet soda and regular soda. In this density lesson plan, students measure the mass of a graduated cylinder with 10 different volumes of each soda. They find the mass of the liquid alone and use the volume to...
University of Colorado
The Moons of Jupiter
Middle schoolers analyze given data on density and diameter of objects in space by graphing the data and then discussing their findings. This ninth installment of a 22-part series emphasizes the Galilean moons as compared to other...
NASA
Analyzing Tiny Samples Using a Search for the Beginning Mass Spectrometry
Teach the basics of mass spectrometry with a hands-on lesson. The fourth in a series of six lessons explores how mass spectrometry measures the ionic composition of an element. Learners then compare and contrast relative abundance and...