Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Don't Mess with Mercury (Lesson B)
At one point, people thought mercury was therapeutic for humans, but now we know it is highly toxic. The second of three activities covering mercury focuses on its health hazards if humans are exposed. Pairs research and answer questions...
Cornell University
Bacteria Take Over and Down
Bacteria outnumber all other forms of life on Earth. Scholars observe the growth of bacteria in petri dishes to understand their role in maintaining good health. Then, they observe the growth of bacteria after they introduce...
Curated OER
Gases and Plasmas
Students determine what plasma is and why the sun is made up of plasma. They recognize situations where plasmas are found in nature and made by man. They discuss why the sun is a huge ball of plasma and if there are different levels of...
Polar Trec
What Is My Footprint?
How do one's habits and lifestyle choices affect the environment? Through a short online survey, learners will calculate their own carbon footprints then determine how to reduce their impact on the environment through simple steps, such...
Beyond Benign
Catalysts and Oxygen
Here is an engaging and hands-on lesson plan that allows high school chemists to demonstrate the effects of a catalyst on various chemicals. They garner knowledge of how reactants and products differ from one another, while analyzing the...
Beyond Benign
Green"er" Precipitation Reaction
All sodium carbonate may not have the same amount of carbonate, but it should have the same percent. Learners write and balance an equation to predict the chemical reaction between sodium carbonate and zinc acetate. Through the lab...
NASA
Development of a Model: Analyzing Elemental Abundance
How do scientists identify which elements originate from meteorites? Scholars learn about a sample of material found in a remote location, analyzing the sample to determine if it might be from Earth or not. They study elements, isotopes,...
Curated OER
Do You Have Change?
Students analyze data and complete a worksheet about land use change in a coastal region. In this land use lesson, students discuss events that cause land use changes in coastal areas. They construct a change table to summarize data on...
Curated OER
Naming Elements and The Periodic Chart
Students will enter the classroom and be handed a card with the name of an element on it. They will then have to find the desk with the corresponding element number and name and sit at this desk. Each student fills out a Student...
Curated OER
"Charlotte's Web" - Transfer of Learning Across the Curriculum: From Literature to Science
Students research and write about the parts of a spider's body using educational software. They draw spiders using computer software.
Curated OER
Combating Corrosion
Study corrosion on bronze statues with a hands-on instructional activity. As pupils place a penny in water with salt, they observe the changes in the penny throughout a period of a week. They then analyze the pre-conservation and the...
Curated OER
Properties of Metals
Fifth graders study the properties of metals and use them to identify different properties. In this metal properties instructional activity students complete a demonstration .
Curated OER
The Elements
Fifth graders explore the differences between elements. In this elements and atoms lesson students complete an activity that shows how chemicals react to a flame test.
Curated OER
Ionic bonding
Students explore ionic bonding. They draw examples of ionic bonding and explain the activities of the electrons of the elements. Students use paper plates and candy to draw electron configurations of given atoms.
Curated OER
Introduction to the Mole
Learners are introduced to the mole concept using a discovery-based method. Lesson includes activities with candy that allow students to discover the rules for mole-item, item-mole, mole-mass, and mass-mole conversions.
Curated OER
Properties of Matter
Ninth graders explore the molecular structure of matter and how it can affect the physical characteristics of a specific material. They demonstrate that isotopes of an element have different masses. Students demonstrate that the rates of...
Curated OER
How to Think Like a Scientist
Fifth graders study the scientific method and understand how to apply it. In this "thinking like a scientist" lesson students complete several activities.
Curated OER
Arranging the Elements
Students describe how elements are arranged in the periodic table. They compare metals, nonmetals, and metalloids based on their properties and on their location in the periodic table. Finally, students identify and describe the...
Curated OER
Alkali Metals
Middle schoolers explore the unique properties of alkali metals. For this chemistry lesson, students create a mural of fireworks display after researching its different element components. They write a brief description about an alkali...
Curated OER
Ionic Chemical Formulas Days 1 & 2
Students study polyatomic ions and write binary and ternary ionic chemical formulas. They explore putting together different monatomic ions and coming up with as many chemical formulas as possible. They play a game similar to memory...
Curated OER
Atomic Structure - Part A
Students describe the structure of atoms, including the particles that make them up. They recognize that key scientists and experiments have contributed to the changes
in the Atomic Theory.
Curated OER
Speeding up the Fizz
Students investigate temperature and chemical reactions. They explore the effect of temperature and particle size has on the rate of a simple chemical reaction. In addition, they graph their results and answer assessment questions.
Curated OER
The Noble Gases
Students identify the different elements that belong to the Noble Gas family. In this chemistry activity, students design a neon sign. They research how they are made and share their work with the class.
Curated OER
Other Metals
Middle schoolers identify the properties of transition metals. In this chemistry lesson, students research facts and uses of one aluminum product they choose. They create an advertisement highlighting aluminum's useful properties.