Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students explore the physical properties of water. In this water instructional activity, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. There are 2 extensions for this instructional activity that one can access...
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere (Pond Animals)
Second graders examine the characteristics of animals who live in a pond environment. In groups, they describe the various stages in the life of a frog and identify the characteristics of other pond animals. Using this information,...
Curated OER
States of Matter and Chemical/Physical Changes Stations
Learners break into four groups, starting at different stations. Each station should take about 10 minutes depending on prior knowledge of the topic. They then rotate when everyone is finished to the next station and discuss answers of...
Curated OER
Water Wonders
Students explore hydrology concepts. In this environment and biology lesson, students identify and describe macroinvertebrates using a variety of pictures and resources. Students observe and write about a classroom aquarium in which...
Curated OER
Dust in the Wind; Chemicals in the Water
Students explore mechanical and chemical weathering at stations. They articulate some mechanisms of chemical and mechanical weathering through exploration in a lab. Students stations describe how chemical weathering differs from...
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
Organic Compounds and Physical Properties
In this chemistry worksheet, students identify which has the highest boiling point, as well as the lowest. Then they identify which compound is least soluble in water and why. Students also classify each of the compounds listed on the...
Curated OER
Properties of Liquids
Students describe properties of liquids and use descriptive language as a springboard to develop precise vocabulary for properties of liquids. They also use vocabulary as practiced with liquid-vocabulary card games. Finally, students...
Mr. E. Science
Chemical Reactions
Once I told a chemistry joke, but there was no reaction. Get young chemists involved in changes and reactions with a presentation that begins with physical and chemical changes and chemical reactions. It moves on to chemical...
Curated OER
Change It
Fourth graders expand their knowledge about how the physical properties of a substances can be changed. They are given multiple opportunities, using first-hand experiences and familiar objects in different contexts, to identify...
Curated OER
Fun With Chemical Changes
Fifth graders observe and identify the differences between chemical and physical changes. In small groups they mix different substances together in glass beakers, and identify which had a chemical change, supporting their statements...
Curated OER
Chemical Fun
Fifth graders observe and conduct a variety of experiments to differentiate between physical and chemical changes. They mix cabbage juice with different liquids and record their observations on a chart. Students write down their...
Curated OER
What's In Your Stream?
Students conduct hands-on fieldwork in order to investigate water quality of a nearby stream. They discuss watersheds and how it affects water quality as well as identify any causes of changes or pollution in the area water before...
Curated OER
Slippery, Slippery Ice
Students investigate how salt affects ice by experimenting in class. In this water properties instructional activity, students utilize a penny, salt and pans of ice to examine the sliding ability of a penny across a layer of ice....
Curated OER
Oil Floats, Right?
Students examine the properties in oil in water. In this mixture lesson, students read about the Lophelia II 2010: Cold Seeps and Deep Reef Expedition and look at images of deep sea ecosystems. They experiment or participate in...
Curated OER
Studying the Equilibrium of a Water System
In this equilibrium worksheet, learners perform a computer simulation on vapor pressure of water at different temperatures to answer 11 problem solving and short answer questions about the topic.
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics Lab
Students define reflection and refraction. In this Physics lesson, students compare a variety of items to find properties of reflection or refraction. Students record their findings.
Curated OER
Be a Watershed - Create a Living River
Students investigate water ways by conducting an experiment with classmates. In this natural resources lesson, students define a watershed and identify where large ones are located within the United States. Students utilize...
Curated OER
Wave Practice Problems
Physics scholars list the properties of waves and calculate the speed, wavelength, and frequency of waves. The worksheet is concise, but covers a variety of wave computational skills. The formatting is neat, but it does have small...
American Chemical Society
Mysterious M&M's
The first in a six-lesson mini unit, all using M&Ms® candies, this physical science activity gets kids to observe a single piece and discover what happens when it is placed in a plate of water. The activity can be used to...
American Chemical Society
Evaporation
This is one in several lessons that explore the relationship between temperature and phase changes of water. After some discussion, elementary physical scientists place wet paper toweling on a hot and a room-temperature water bag...
American Chemical Society
From Gas to Liquid to Solid
From gas to liquid condensation to solid frost, water undergoes phase changes before students' eyes! Using ice, salt, water, and a metal can, they set up an investigation that can be used in a physical science setting, or as part of a...
American Chemical Society
Solubility Test
Make sure to consult the teacher's handbook, Inquiry in Action - Investigating Matter Through Inquiry, for two demonstrations that can be done to introduce solubility and measuring crystal mass before having the class conduct this...
American Chemical Society
Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...