Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transfer of Thermal Energy

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students define temperature and heat, distinguish between temperature and heat flow, calculate amount of heat energy released or absorbed in chemical process, and design procedure, through experimentation, to gather and evaluate data to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Matter with My Snow?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students collect snow samples around their school. They explore the concepts of density and phase change as well as the math skills of measurement and statistics. Students explore the water cycle through an interactive, down loadable...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Chemistry Wk 2

For Students 10th - 11th
In this chemistry activity, students calculate the freezing point of a given solution. Students calculate the final temperature and state of the water in a given problem. Students solve several problems provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Matter with My Jell-o?

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students work in teams of four as they conduct four controlled Jell-O experiments over a two-day period. The Family Page extends this learning to the community by providing families with challenges to explore at home.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Melting Ice is Hot Stuff!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders determine the amount of energy required to melt ice using a calorimeter. They calculate the Molar Heat of Fusion of Ice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat And Heat Transfer

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students role play molecules in a container as the container is heated to develop a definition of heat and temperature. They also observe demonstrations of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase transfer. Using these observations...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter and Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a small group read aloud of the short story, "Cerium" by Primo Levi. They answer several questions about the story and then relate the reading to a lecture on Kinetic theory. After the lecture they apply the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kinetic Molecular Theory

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze and evaluate evidence that matter is made of tiny particles. They observe a series of phenomena involving solids, liquids, and gases to make inferences about the spacing, interactions and relative kinetic energies of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Melt Away

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore objects before and after heating using their senses.  In this matter and energy lesson, students experiment with a variety of objects and use their senses (except taste) to make predictions and record observations...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Matter

For Teachers 1st
First graders investigate the changing states of water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Light Up My Life: Developing a Scientific Theory for What Fuels a Candle's Flame!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine how candles work and how scientific theories are developed and tested. Students propose hypotheses about what is burning in a candle then perform tests in order to develop their scientific theory. After a teacher...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History Theory of Evolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify fossils. They identify evidence of change over time when given pictures of fossils to determine the proper sequencing. In addition, they determine evolutionary relationships by comparing embryonic structures.
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Vapor Pressure and Colligative Properties

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Hate to vacuum, but enjoy using a vacuum pump? Explore a lesson that starts with a demonstration of boiling water at various temperatures by using a vacuum pump. Then scholars design their own experiments to measure vapor pressure and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Once in a Blue Moon

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify the phases of the moon. They use technology to access websites on the Internet dealing with the moon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Warming by Freezing

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders discover the reasoning behind spraying water on fruit and seedlings in preparation for hard freezes. In this conceptual physics lesson, 9th graders conduct an experiment to measure the heat released when water goes from a...
Worksheet
Curated OER

It's A Gas!

For Students 5th
Fifth graders complete a worksheet which has them place a list of gases in order from the least to the most dense. The density in grams is given for each. There's a good paragraph which provides background knowledge about the volatility...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat and Thermodynamics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This is actually a 10-day mini unit on thermal energy for your high school chemists. Every avenue is taken to get learners absorbed in heat: a pretest, a PowerPoint presentation, Internet exploration, demonstrations, lab activities, and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Name That Gas!

For Students 5th
Young scientists discover that air is a mixture of different gases - mainly nitrogen and oxygen. The properties of some of the other gases found in oxygen are listed in a table, then learners must decide which one of those gases is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sometimes, solid + liquid = gas

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders experiment with common household liquids and solids. For this chemical reaction lesson, 3rd graders discuss phase changes and experiment to find other ways to create gases. They use water, vinegar, lemon juice, flour,...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Heat 1

For Students 7th - 12th
In this heat worksheet, students determine the heat gained or lost when matter changes phases. Students review the energy flow through ecosystems by comparing trophic levels and food webs. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank, 5 short...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Molar Mass

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students apply the ideal gas law and Dalton's Law of Partial Pressure to develop an experiment which determine the molar mass of butane from disposable lighters. In small groups, they develop a procedure and have it approved before...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the different types of metals.  In this investigative activity students watch a demonstration on the effects of temperature on atoms and take a tour through baone matter.
Lesson Plan
Messenger Education

Cooling with Sunshades

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Messenger's sun shade measures 8 ft x 6 ft and will have temperatures reaching 700 degree Fahrenheit on the outside while maintaining a cool 70 degrees underneath. In the third activity of four, groups discuss the basic properties of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Effects of Temperature on Solids

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students explore the effects that extreme temperatures have on the material properties of solids. They investigate the properties of a material whose state depends on extreme temperatures and witness how it interacts with room...