Some say cooking is an art—and a science! Scholars scope out the savory subject of molecular gastronomy with a series of related activities. The teacher's guide contains printable worksheets and helpful tips for implementing the lesson.

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...

Individuals explore solubility by modeling how water dissolves salts. They then view a video and compare how well water and alcohol dissolve salts, relating their comparisons to the structure of each molecule. 

Accomplished chemistry learners set up a calorimeter and measure the energy released by various alcohols: methanol, ethanol, and either propanol or butanol. Lab masters will first need to design their own tables for recording data....

Assume the role of Canadian border control! The percent of alcohol and density of a solution are related. Young scholars use this fact to classify solutions by their alcohol content to determine if they meet Canadian import laws.

What's a solute without a solvent? Investigate the interaction between solutes and solvents in a lab activity that explores the solubility of different solutes. Scholars consider the conductivity of solutions and also the solubility of...

Propanol is a common alcohol used in hand sanitizers. The many forms and uses of alcohols fill an intriguing lesson. Scholars apply logic to match alcohols, chemical structural formulas, oxidation products, and more in a series of puzzles.

In search of an organic lab that employs real-life techniques and analysis methods? Groups carry out the nitration of methyl benzoate, then attempt to determine the number and location of the nitro groups added to the benzene ring....

Worried that your lesson plan about functional groups is dysfunctional? Liven things up with interactive puzzles! Curious chemists arrange functional groups based on name, formula, suffix, and an example. The challenge begins when the...

Fats and oils often contain esters, which sometimes find their way into perfumes due to their pleasant smells. Scholars match the name of esters made from four different types of alcohol and four different types of carboxylic acids....

Ethanol, a grain alcohol, reduces emissions and conserves petroleum when mixed into gasoline. Four puzzles challenge pupils to match alcohols to their structural formulas, types of alcohol, and full oxidation products. Each puzzle...

Why do sweaty humans smell like onions and cumin? Explore antiperspirant and deodorant chemistry with a fact-filled video from the American Chemical Society's Reactions playlist. Topics include odor-causing agents, components of underarm...

Ready to put the fun in functional groups? Introduce your class to this fundamental part of organic chemistry with a short video. The narrator explains the structure and naming system of hydrocarbons, as well as the elements and bonding...

How do you turn hydrocarbons into alcohols? Show your chemistry class the basics of ethanol production in a short, narrated video. It compares and contrasts the industrial process of ethene cracking with the ages-old fermentation...

OH my, it's time to learn about alcohols! Introduce this important group of organic molecules to the class with a short, informative video. Students work alongside the narrator to correctly write the structures and names of primary,...

Solve alcohol systems to find the right solution. The interactive allows pupils to manipulate the amount of a solution and displays the total amount in a mixture. Individuals determine the amount of each solution needed to make 15 liters...

Investigate experimental design through a hands-on exploration. A creative lesson allows learners to design an experiment to monitor the effects of alcohol on the C. elegans worm. After conducting the experiment, individuals analyze...

Classes continue their study of organic compounds in a detailed lesson covering alcohols, phenols, and ethers. Naming these compounds, classifying them, and describing their preparation and use are some of the topics covered. Through...

Groups use alcohol and chromatography paper to separate the color components of black ink. The purpose of the activity is to allow the class to become aware that mixtures exist in hidden places. 

Test differences in writing instruments with this hands-on activity to demonstrate paper chromatography in action. The class performs an experiment on multiple writing instruments and determines the area of separation to discover an...

High school chemistry class members become "detectives for a day" and use the concept of paper chromatography to analyze a note left at the scene of a crime. Pupils test the ink on the note with a solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol, to...

Your chemistry class is sure to love this experiment on column chromatography, as demonstrated with chalk sticks and felt tip markers. Pupils use sidewalk chalk (another inexpensive form of chalk stick) to demonstrate adsorption and the...

Have you ever seen an egg bounce? Three interesting and simple hands-on experiments with eggs teach basic concepts about chemical reactions. First, participants cook an egg in alcohol to learn about denaturing proteins. Then, they watch...

Introduce life science high schoolers to their new "best buds" yeast! Using a wide variety of materials, lab groups design an experiment that illustrates how yeast acquires the resources it needs to undergo cellular respiration. The...