Lesson Plan
STEM for Teachers

Temperature and Bounce

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of...
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...
Interactive
Curated OER

The Structure of Matter

For Students 9th - 11th
In this chemistry activity, students study the structure of matter and the kinetic molecular theory using an interactive online website.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elements In Chemistry: Solids, Liquids and Gases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the kinetic-molecular theory. In this state of matter lesson plan, students consider the differences of melting glaciers, melting icebergs and investigate on what happens when submerged water melts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

States of Matter

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Pupils categorize items into one of the three states of matter. They participate in a demonstration in which they represent particles of matter. Finally, they complete an experiment in which they "race" top see who can make acetone...
PPT
Curated OER

States of Matter

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This particle PowerPoint includes many pictures to illustrate solids, liquids and gasses and the behavior of their particles.
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Molar Volume of a Gas

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What is a chemist's favorite plant? Stoichiome Tree! Scholars produce hydrogen gas by reacting magnesium with hydrochloric acid. Then they calculate the molar volume of the gas produced before answering assessment questions. 
PPT
Urbana School District

Thermodynamics

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
Entropy, it isn't what it used to be. Presentation includes kinetic-molecular theory, heat and internal energy, thermal equilibrium, temperature scales, laws of thermodynamics, entropy, latent heat of fusion, specific heat, calorimetry,...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Heat Transfer and Heat Capacity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
It's time to increase the heat! Young chemists demonstrate heat transfer and heat capacity in an activity-packed lab, showing the transitions between solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of materials. Individuals plot data as the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Materials - Part B

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars describe the history of materials. They use the kinetic (particle) theory to explain changes of state in matter and trace the flow of heat during changes of state and chemical changes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changes of State

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine molecules and the changes in energy of a system.  For this energy systems lesson students complete a lab activity and describe changes of state.
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Thermochemistry: Heat and Chemical Changes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What makes particles attract? Here, learners engage in multiple activities that fully describe colligative properties and allow the ability to critically assess the importance of these properties in daily life. Young chemists...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Gases

For Students 10th - Higher Ed
In this gases worksheet, students review the 3 states of matter, the types of molecular motion, and the characteristics of gases. This worksheet has 30 problems to solve.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modern Physics, New Phenomena

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this physics worksheet, students examine some of the historical theories of physics through the completion of 11 questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Friction

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Partial Pressure

For Teachers 9th - 12th
At some point, everyone has been under pressure—even Dalton! Explore Dalton's law of partial pressures with young chemists as they measure the volume of air extracted from a sample compared to its original volume. Class...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Atoms, Kinetic Theory, Solids and Fluids

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students identify and describe the building blocks that make up an atom. They also compare the ages of atoms to the ages of the materials they compose,as well as, give examples that illustrate the small size of atoms.
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Soap, Slime, and Creative Chromatography

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Do you think chromatography paper suffers from separation anxiety? Young chemists make soap, slime, silly putty, and experiment with chromatography in this lesson plan. The material includes clear instructions for each experiment along...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Gases

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Learners are introduced to gases. In this science lesson plan, students demonstrate that gases are a state of matter, generate a number of gases, discover some properties of gases, compare some of the properties of different gases, and...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Catapult

For Students 4th - 12th
Studying levers couldn't be more exciting! Learners build their own catapults and test the results as they make adjustments to the fulcrum. They compete against other groups to create the most accurate apparatus.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Einstein's Big Idea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the concept of the Einstein's Theory of Relativity while conducting research using the internet and following the outline of the objectives to guide the information search. The lesson includes background information...
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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Solids

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
In this solids worksheet, students review terms associated with solid matter including, freezing and melting point, viscosity, and Brownian motion. This worksheet has 1 short answer and 14 matching questions.