American Chemical Society
Designing an Absorbency Test
Time to soak up some learning! A hands-on lesson teaches learners about the absorbency properties of substances. They conduct tests by dipping different materials in water to determine which hold water and then complete a handout to...
Exploratorium
A Splash of Color - Is Pure Water Colorless?
What makes the ocean blue but a glass of ocean water nearly colorless? Investigators prepare tubes of water to examine the color of water. Scholars discover the relationship between light absorption, color variations, and water depth as...
American Chemical Society
Changes Caused by Heating and Cooling
It's heating up—and cooling down—in here! A hands-on lesson allows learners to experiment with melting and freezing butter to observe changes as a substance transitions between liquid and solid form. They also view an animation that...
American Chemical Society
Why Do Puddles Dry Up?
Bring evaporation right into the hands of young scientists with an entertaining, hands-on activity. Investigators view videos and images while participating in class dialogue focused on water evaporating from surfaces. A short experiment...
American Chemical Society
Heat Up and Cool Down
Don't be so dense! Using food coloring, pupils conduct two experiments with the difference in densities of hot and cold water. In the first experiment, learners add dyed hot and cold water into room temperature water and observe how the...
American Chemical Society
All Wet
Sometimes liquids just don't get along together. A fun experiment has scholars determine whether various liquids dissolve in water. They pour isopropyl alcohol, vegetable oil, and corn syrup into cups of water to see which ones mix well...
American Chemical Society
Condensation Station
Where does the water come from? Pupils conduct an experiment to learn more about condensation. Scholars fill two cups with ice water and isolate one from the surrounding air. They then use a coffee filter to compare the amount of water...
American Chemical Society
Evaporation Sensation
Where did the water go? Learners conduct an experiment to see how the difference in temperature affects evaporation rates. Scholars continue to investigate evaporation by comparing water and alcohol evaporation rates. Pupils experiment...
American Chemical Society
Colors on the Mooove!
It does a mind good! Learners experiment with a combination of food coloring, detergent, and milk. They observe how the food coloring reacts with the different liquid combinations and relate their observations to the charges on the fat,...
University of Waikato
Observing Water's Thin 'Skin'
Keep the tension up in the classroom. The class first observes as the teacher creates a dome of water above a glass by adding paperclips into an already full glass. Classmates then work in pairs to see how many drops of water can fit...
Nemours KidsHealth
Water Safety: Grades 9-12
Make a big splash with a lesson about water safety. After reading three articles related to water safety, high schoolers first choose one water safety rule to research and write a report summarizing their findings. They then use an...
American Museum of Natural History
What's the Big Deal About Water?
It may seem simple, but water is one of the most unique substances on Earth. An interactive online lesson describes its properties and importance in so many different situations. Learners interact with the lesson to learn the role water...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About Virtual Water?
Did you know you can conserve water by drinking tea instead of coffee? Learn about other products that use larger amounts of virtual water in an online lesson. Pupils complete a series of questions to test their understanding of the...
American Museum of Natural History
Be a Water Saver
Everyone must do their part to make a difference. The lesson link provides an 11-item questionnaire to reflect on conservation practices. Simple and straightforward, the lesson is perfect as a remote learning resource or as a tool for an...
American Museum of Natural History
Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
Properties of water make it essential for the life of marine species. Learners complete an online game to answer questions about the role water fulfills for organisms in ocean habitats. The game emphasizes the properties of water and how...
University of Waikato
Water Issues
Water may be everywhere but it is not always drinkable. Pupils research water issues, first in a local setting and then with Papua New Guinea and Australia to get a larger world perspective. Teams use the Internet and other resources to...
University of Waikato
Investigating Soil Moisture Content
Class members analyze the water content in soil samples by drying out the samples and taking measurements every minute until all the moisture is gone. Scholars compare the initial weight to the dried weight to calculate the percentage of...
University of Waikato
Make and Use a Hydrophone
Using a home-built hydrophone, pupils investigate how things sound in water. Learners listen to sounds created in air and then compare that to the same sound picked up by the hydrophone. Individuals compare the loudness and the pitch of...
University of Waikato
Melting Glacial Ice
There are many factors that affect how fast the glaciers are melting. A lab investigation has learners examine how the surrounding water affect the rate glaciers melt. They collect data from two samples of ice to determine how quickly...
University of Waikato
Testing Water for Nitrate
How much is too much nitrate in the water? Young scientists discuss the question after they run their own nitrate tests. They also consider sources of nitrates and offer explanations for the levels.
University of Waikato
Looking at Water - Solid, Liquid, or Gas
Here's a tip: only one substance is commonly found as a solid, liquid, and gas. Learners use that knowledge as they investigate the properties of water in each state. They interact with water in each of its three phases and record what...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Intermediate Ages
Water can travel from the highest mountain tops to the largest oceans. Using an interactive, young scientists trace the movement using an interactive online resource. They follow the water cycle by reading pop-up explanations on a...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Beginner Ages
Explore a day in the life of a water droplet. An interactive infographic helps scholars learn how water cycles work from precipitation all the way around to condensation. Learners hover over each step of the cycle to read more as they...
George Watts Montessori
Primary Lessons for Classroom and Garden
Gardens are packed with science concepts for young scientists to explore. A thorough unit with 16 lessons and multiple activities in each provides many learning opportunities by examining a garden space. Learners study weather, growth,...