General chemistry class members engage in a mini-unit on mole conversions. Through nine lab activites with varying degrees of difficulty, they practice measuring mass and volume, molar calculations, and stoichiometry. Terrific...

What will your class learn in a curious tale of a fungus, a virus, and a chestnut tree? Biology scholars discover the world of viral biocontrols through a DNA restriction lab. Groups research the decline of the American chestnut tree at...

Can science put an end to the poaching of endangered species? Show your young forensic experts how biotechnology can help save wildlife through an exciting electrophoresis lab. Grouped pupils analyze shark DNA to determine if it came...

Transform your class' understanding of genes and antibiotic resistance with the Transformation Lab. Junior geneticists create and observe their own resistant strains of E. coli through research, discussion, and experimentation. The...

Here is a thorough lesson on safety in the chemistry lab. Chemists review a detailed list of safety rules, draw the layout of the laboratory area to include emergency equipment, identify hazard warnings, and consult the MSDS in order to...

Looking for authentic hands-on nutritional experiments? High schoolers will perform experiments to test for the presence of vitamin C in several solutions as well as the effect of caffeine on Daphnia. They will also consider the...

This very thorough lesson plan has students collect all ingredients necessary and work in pairs to make ice cream using plastic bags. They take temperature readings and record them on the chart as well as record findings on the...

Students are able to list at 3 rules for operating in a laboratory and to explain why each is important. They are able to identify problems with laboratory scenarios presented by the teachers. Students execute a lab protocol using...

How did scientists determine the cause of illness before technology? Science scholars play the role of medical researcher in an engaging guided inquiry activity. Using observations, technical reading, and Punnett squares, learners...

Milk does a body good ... unless, of course, someone is lactose intolerant. Pupils play the role of pharmaceutical scientists in a guided inquiry lab about lactase. Lab groups collaborate to learn more about lactose intolerance, how...

Is DNA still present after picking fruit or cooking vegetables? Biology scholars extract and collect DNA strands in an impactful lab. Working groups prepare their samples and compare their results to negative and positive standard...

Students develop a video lab book. For this web-based activity, students use flip cameras and the Web to create a video lab book of the labs they conducted through out the year. This will enable them to be better prepared for the AP exam...

Students study diffusion and how it applies to the human body.  In this diffusion lesson students complete a lab activity and discuss what they learned. 

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...

Chemistry aces use an electrochemical cell to anodize a strip of aluminum. They apply an organic dye to it. In a practical application, they design a piece of jewelry out of the anodized metal and describe the process. Thorough notes...

College-level or AP chemists use phthalic anhydride to synthesize two different polyesters, one linear and one cross-linked in structure. A detailed materials list and well-written procedures are provided on a lab sheet. Learners write...

This in-depth organic chemistry lab walks learners through an investigation of the effect of initiator concentration on the resulting molecular weight of polystyrene. It is important that you use this instructional activity with...

In a simulated crime science investigation, chemistry or physics sleuths use spectroscopy to analyze solutions. The lesson gives learners practice making salicylate solutions, using spectrophotometers, calculating dilution amounts,...

Experienced chemistry technicians use then layer chromatography to discover how much of a free compound is left after each rinse cycle. Where this could obviously be used as a practice with chromatography technique, it can also be used...

The arctic seas contain currents that are both warm (with high salinity) and cold (relatively fresh water) that circulate throughout the year. Through discussion, a lab, and a web quest, participants explore the impacts of melting and...

Sometimes science lab can be ... delicious! Middle school science scholars extract DNA from strawberries and other fruits in an engaging lab activity. The teacher's guide includes pacing, materials list, and worksheets with answer keys.

Students perform simple and fun experiments to use the scientific method, take careful notes, and write a lab report. They first make and test a hypothesis about how many drops of water they can fit on the face of a penny and then test...

How do sugar and salt affect celery's mass, width, and flexibility? Using simple household ingredients, young scientists will perform a controlled experiment to find out. The lab is scaffolded through a activity, but there are no other...