Students practice writing research proposals to test the color fastness of a dye once it has been exposed to a t-shirt. Each proposal needs details of experimental design, length of treatment, and means of cleaning the shirt. All...

Ninth graders conduct research on the subject of sea water. They use a variety of resources to obtain information. There are helpful resource links listed in the lesson plan. In conjunction with the research students make inquiry of the...

Here is a straightforward practice test for first year chemistry learners. Responders balance equations, identify types of reactions, represent electron configurations, and solve stoichiometry problems. Keep this handy to use as...

I can get more water to stay on a penny than you can! Collaborative pairs determine the volume of liquids that can be contained on the surface of copper pennies and plastic coins. The pairs analyze their results using graphs and go on to...

How do people determine if something is acidic or basic? Learners make their own acid-base indicators using red cabbage and then determine the acidity and alkalinity of different substances. First, they test substances of known pH and...

Students apply their comprehension of colligative properties to real-world situations. They review the concepts of physical and chemical changes. Students are reminded that science is used extensively in food-production. They are...

Eleventh graders study the use of the periodic table to develop a better understanding of the chemical elements.

Students explain how the elements are arranged in the periodic table. In this chemistry lesson, students determine the subatomic particles for certain elements. They research the physical and chemical properties of an element they chose.

This lab activity is geared toward experienced chemistry learners, in particular, those who are familiar with organic chemistry. They will create a synthetic elastomer  and then make observations and measurements of its different...

Biotechnology pros produce their own biofuel using waste oil and fresh vegetable oil. They test the quality of their product using titration techniques and pH analysis. They write their observations and report their findings. Be aware...

Young scholars illustrate the changes in the properties of a material at its glass transition point. They gather data which they use to construct graphs regarding elastic modules versus absorption modulus, tangent delta, and the effect...

Students investigate polymers and their uses in everyday life. In this polymers lesson, students are assigned one of the 10 areas of polymer science and they do research on their assigned area using the internet. Students gather their...

During a unit on density, pupils ponder whether or not temperature affects this property. By carefully inserting blue cold water and yellow hot water into a room-temperature sample, they will see the answer. Make sure to have done the...

In this chemistry worksheet, students learn about matter, including atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, compounds and chemical properties. They use this information to answer the 10 questions on the worksheet. The answers are on the...

Here is a complete activity in which young biologists or ecologists test the pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature of stream water. The class visits an actual stream and makes observations of the site. They use scientific...

Students investigate various substances to determine the perpetrator of a crime. In this biology lesson, students test for the presence of organic compounds in various samples. They identify an unknown substance based on its physical and...

Students explore the strength of intermolecular attractions. They make slime and compare the difference in the physical properties of sheet and powdered polyvinyl alcohol with polyvinyl acetate.

Students investigate quality of water in a stream, lake, or pond by examining chemical, physical, and biological characteristics.

Use demonstrations to enlighten learners on oxygen's role in combustion. Use potatoes and hydrogen peroxide to increase oxygen concentration in a jar, then stick a glowing splint and a burning wad of steel wool into the newly formed...

Chemistry classes pretend to be consultants to a grocery story trying to decide what polymer to use for therir new non-paper bags. They prepare tensile bars and use them to test plastic film samples for strength and stretchability. Both...

A kaleidoscope is constructed using polarizing polymer paper and then low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene are all melted onto individual glass slides and examined through a microscope. The intent is to...

Light a fire in your pupils! Scholars conduct a flame test and observe the emission spectra of several different salts in an enlightening hands-on investigation. They use their observations to make comparisons and conclusions about the...

Students prepare an ad for an element, including properties and uses, in an attention getting format such as that used in the advertising business.

Students identify the different properties of matter. In this chemistry instructional activity, students design an experiment on a property of matter they would like to investigate. They report their findings in class.