Classroom Resources: Chemistry Basics
Filter by:
1 – 25 of 60 Classroom Resources
-
Chemical Change, Physical Change, Observations, Molecular Structure, Lewis Structures, Polarity, Chemical Change | High School
Lab: DIY Triiodide
In this lab, students will investigate how iodine interacts with various substances. They will use color changes to justify whether a chemical or physical change is taking place. This activity is referenced in the October 2019 ChemMatters article called “Cash, Chemistry, and Counterfeiting.”
-
Density, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Graphing, Alloys | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: The Captivating Chemistry of Coins
In this lesson, students will develop a better understanding of physical and chemical properties of matter by comparing the composition of different pennies. This is done by determining the density of different pennies which will be compared to the density of different metals.
-
Physical Change, Chemical Change, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Activity: A Physical vs. Chemical Challenge
In this activity, students will first complete a card sort to best categorize examples of change as physical or chemical change. Then they will compete in teams to identify whether given situations represent a physical change or a chemical change, or a physical or a chemical property.
-
Chemical Change, Activity Series, Redox Reaction, Chemical Change, Physical Change | High School
Demonstration: Understanding the Discrepant Reactivity of Copper in the Presence of Strong Acids
In this demonstration, students practice their observation skills during the additions of different acids to two test tubes containing copper. The activity is structured to allow students to make thoughtful remarks about what they observe, using rich indicators of both chemical and physical properties and changes. In subsequent lessons on new concepts, students can reflect back on their observations to rationalize the discrepant results of the reactions in the demonstration.
-
Measurements, Dimensional Analysis, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Mixture, Matter, Observations | Middle School, High School
Activity: Cupcake Conversions, Bench to Bakery
This activity will help to reinforce the importance of scientific measurement and apply it to the introduction of chemical reactions. Using an example of baking a single batch of cupcakes, students will plan for a larger production scale in a commercial bakery. This will help to introduce the idea of producing a reaction at the lab bench and converting it to mass production. In addition this activity investigates how chemistry is used in everyday life and challenges students to consider potentials errors that may occur when completing chemical reactions in the kitchen.
-
Solubility, Solute & Solvent, Physical Change | Elementary School
Demonstration: Crystallization of Sugar
In this demonstration, students will observe how to make rock candy in order to understand how sugar crystals form. They will be able to explain what a supersaturated solution is and how it is relevant to sugar crystallization.
-
Measurements, Dimensional Analysis, Physical Change, Matter, Mixture | Middle School, High School
Activity: Cooking with Conversions
In this activity, students will be given a common homemade recipe for German chocolate cake with measurements in English units. They will be asked to convert the English ingredients list to metric units through scientific calculations. Students will also be asked to identify the ingredients as solid, liquid or gas. While reviewing the cooking procedures, students will classify certain steps as containing compounds or mixtures as well as identify whether chemical or physical changes are taking place. The culinary chemistry involved in this lesson should be introduced throughout the activity.
-
Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Molecular Geometry, Molecular Structure, Molecular Structure , Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Physical Change | High School
Lesson Plan: An Exploration of Intermolecular Forces
In this lesson students will explore intermolecular forces, and their associated effect on physical and chemical properties. Students will experiment with volatile liquids to investigate their predictions about intermolecular strength.
-
Review, Matter, Mixture, Density, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Periodic Table, Elements | Elementary School, Middle School
Activity: Chemistry Basics: Crossword Puzzle
In this activity, students will complete a crossword puzzle by solving each clue that is related to a basic, yet fundamental chemistry topic.
-
Introduction, Lab Safety, Chemical Properties, Physical Properties, Chemical Change, Physical Change, History, Separating Mixtures, Measurements, SI Units, Significant Figures | High School
Lesson Plan: Chemistry Basics Unit Plan
The AACT High School Classroom Resource library and multimedia collection has everything you need to put together a unit plan for your classroom: lessons, activities, labs, projects, videos, simulations, and animations. We searched through our resource library and constructed a unit plan for introducing the basic chemistry concepts to students: Laboratory Safety, Equipment, and Reports, Periodic Table Basics, Physical and Chemical Properties and Changes, Endothermic and Exothermic Changes, and Classification of Matter. These topics are very important for your students to master before they dig into other chemistry concepts. This unit is designed to be used at beginning of the school year.
-
Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Observations, Indicators | Elementary School
Lesson Plan: Explorations of Baking Soda and Vinegar
In this lesson, students complete a series of simple lab experiments to better understand chemical reactions as well as differentiate between chemical change and physical change. Students will also be introduced to the pH scale, and have the opportunity to understand how chemical reactions can be used in real-world scenarios.
-
Distillation, Physical Change, Separating Mixtures, Phase Changes | Middle School
Activity: Distillation in Survival Mode
In this activity, students will investigate methods for purifying water as they consider a survival based situation that requires clean drinking water. Students will investigate processes such as boiling and distillation, as well as review the phase changes within the water cycle.
-
Physical Change, Chemical Change, Matter, Mixture, Mixtures | Elementary School
Activity: Chemistry in the Kitchen!
In this activity, students will describe the steps required to complete a recipe of their choosing. They will identify any physical and chemical changes that occur throughout the process.
-
Physical Properties, Physical Change, Observations, Polymers | Elementary School, Middle School
Lab: Paper or Plastic?
In this lab students will research and compare the physical properties of various types of plastic bags. The recorded data will be analyzed by students, and they will use the results to design a plastic bag to meet a given set of criteria.
-
Physical Change, Physical Properties, Observations | Elementary School
Lab: Changing Shape
In this lab students will analyze the physical properties of different materials in order to investigate their elasticity. They will learn how to differentiate between objects that can easily change shape and those that cannot. Also they will see that some objects can change shape, but can also return to their original shape. As the students learn about material properties, they will also determine what materials can be recycled.
-
Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Physical Change | High School
Demonstration: Intermolecular Forces & Physical Properties
In this demonstration, students observe and compare the properties of surface tension, beading, evaporation, and miscibility for water and acetone.
-
Mixture, Polymers, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Observations, Scientific Method | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Exploring the Chemistry of Oil and Acrylic Paints
In this lesson students learn about the chemistry of oil and acrylic paints. They make their own paint, and complete an experiment to collect qualitative and quantitative data through a series of tests. Students will also apply the concepts of physical and chemical change to the results of this controlled experiment.
-
Physical Change | High School
Activity: Magic Bubble (High School)
In this lesson, students will create and interpret particle diagrams that represent elements and compounds at the molecular level. They will also describe the process of dissolving and create particle diagrams that represent mixtures at the molecular level.
-
Phase Changes, Physical Change | Middle School
Lab: I Can’t Believe It’s Butter!
In this lab students will learn about the phases of matter and phase changes while making a small sample of butter.
-
Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Observations | Elementary School
Demonstration: Make a Cake!
In this demonstration, students will learn about chemical reactions by observing the differences when 4 small cakes are baked. Each recipe will differ slightly in that one important ingredient will be left out in 3 of the 4 mixtures. Students will observe and discuss what happens when things are missing or left out of a mixture and how that effects the chemical reaction.
-
Physical Properties, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Matter, Phase Changes | Elementary School
Activity: Analyzing Root Beer Floats
In this activity students will observe the states of matter while making a root beer float. They will also discover the differences between a solid, a liquid and a gas.
-
Physical Properties, Mixture, Matter, Physical Change, Interdisciplinary, Separating Mixtures | Elementary School
Activity: Creating Finger-Paint from Rocks
In this activity, the students will explore the physical properties of different rocks. Students will have the opportunity to physically change the rocks, and make them part of a mixture in order to create finger paint.
-
Chemical Change, Chemical Change, Physical Change, Physical Properties | Middle School
Lab: Little Miss Muffet Investigation
In this lab, students will work in cooperative groups to conduct a chemical reaction by mixing vinegar with milk. This reaction will cause the curds to precipitate and separate from the liquid whey. The lesson can be extended by experimenting with different types of milk or by using different acids.
-
Chemical Change, Conservation of Mass, Chemical Change, Physical Change | Middle School, High School
Lab: Chemistry in a Bag
In this lab, students will observe and identify chemical and physical changes contained inside a plastic bag. Students will also use this lab to understand the Law of Conservation of Mass.
-
Chemical Change, Physical Change, Chemical Change, Scientific Method, Melting Point, Phase Changes | Middle School
Lab: S'more Change Please
In this lab, students will be able to demonstrate the difference between a physical and chemical change by making ooey, gooey, yet yummy S’mores!