Massachusetts Department of Education
Similarity through Transformations
Create the ultimate miniature golf course. The 93-page model curriculum unit from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education contains nine lessons on understanding similarity in terms of both Euclidean geometry...
American Physiological Society
Feeling the Heat
How do the changing seasons affect the homes where we live? This question is at the forefront of engineering and design projects. Challenge your physical science class to step into the role of an architect to build a model home...
Curated OER
Concealed Handguns
Should adults be allowed to carry concealed handguns? Pupils use the website to research the topic thoroughly and weigh the pros and cons. They read background information on gun control and learn about the main arguments surrounding the...
Curated OER
Simple Tensile Testing of Polymeric Films and Sheeting
Chemistry classes pretend to be consultants to a grocery story trying to decide what polymer to use for therir new non-paper bags. They prepare tensile bars and use them to test plastic film samples for strength and stretchability. Both...
Curated OER
Investigation of Crystallinity in Polymeric Materials
A kaleidoscope is constructed using polarizing polymer paper and then low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene are all melted onto individual glass slides and examined through a microscope. The intent is to...
Curated OER
Condensation Polymerization
This organic chemistry lab activity is appropriate for teaching polymerization, percent yield, melting point, or the types and uses of polymer materials. Chemistry pupils imagine that they are working for a company to develop a special...
Curated OER
Chemical Resistance and Synthetic Polymers
Students participate in lab activities in which they examine immersion, stain resistance, and stress cracking of synthetic polymers. Students use their collected data to discuss service applications and possible performance of materials.
Curated OER
Condensation Polymerization: Preparation of Nylon 6/6
Students participate in a lab activity in which they synthesize nylon 6/6, calculate the percent yield by mass, identify the polymer as thermoplastic or thermoset, and determine the melting point, density and end-product use of the polymer.
Curated OER
#17 Determining the Accuracy of Selected Laboratory Glassware
Young scholars calculate the volume of a specific mass of water placed in selected pieces of common laboratory glassware, using the density formula. They then determine the accuracy of the volumetric measurement for selected pieces of...
Curated OER
Determination of Phosphorus Content in River Water
Divide your chemistry or environmental science class into two groups. Each group tests water samples from a river for the concentration of phosphorus using a different method. With chemists, you can use this activity as they learn to use...
Curated OER
# 18 Gas Chromatography: Introduction and Application
Students are introduced to a gas chromatography using a discovery-based approach. They are presented with a scenario/industrial application where their job is to verify that the company's mouthwash contains a specific percentage of...
Curated OER
Fingerprinting Lab
High schoolers recover latent prints by iodine fuming, cyanoacrylate fuming, and dusting with powder, after a lecture/discussion on fingerprinting techniques. They each provide a fingerprint for identification by another student. A...
Curated OER
Using Plant Pigments to Link a Suspect to a Crime
Students use chromatography to separate plant pigments collected from a fictitious crime scene and suspects. They compare the Rf values of the plant pigments to determine whether the plant pigments found on any of the suspects match the...
Curated OER
Roots: The Ancestry of Modern People
High schoolers investigate the models for the origin of modern humans and the conditions that facilitate speciation and evolution. The classification and nomenclature of hominid species is also examined.
Curated OER
Simplified Vertical Rebound Testing
Students participate in a lab activity in which they examine a simple energy transformation system. Students test the rebound of elastomers, produce rebound data, and determine the kinetic energy transformed by the impact of a free...
Curated OER
Research Techniques: Gathering Credible Sources
How can you spot a credible source? What even makes a resource reliable in the first place? Answer some of these questions with this presentation. Although intended for higher education, this PowerPoint could be modified for middle...
Curated OER
Properties and Perfectly Polymeric Sodas
Students examine physical and chemical properties of plastics, interfaces of plastics, and forms of plastics. In three lab activities, students discover the two characteristic responses of plastics to heating, thermoplastic or...
Curated OER
Using Blood-Typing to Determine Causes of Death in Surgery Patients
For this simulation activity, young biologists examine blood types to determine whether the death rate in a hospital was caused because of incorrect identification of patient blood types. You will need obtain and follow the procedures of...
Curated OER
"I Have a Dream" Presentation Speeches
Students write their own speech about their hopes and dreams and deliver it to the class. In this "I Have a Dream" lesson plan, students create a speech using the Martin Luther King, Jr. speech as a model and for inspiration. ...
Curated OER
Band Tour Across America
Learners plan the trip of a band across America. In this money planning lesson, students create a budget for the band using excel basic functions. They manage the band and its budget and relate the tour to future budgeting needs of the...
Curated OER
Bacteria: Friend or Foe?
Young scholars examine a variety of environmental and industrial roles of bacteria. explore where bacteria can be found and distinguish bacteria from other organisms.
Curated OER
Our Population and Its Impact on the Planet
Students explore environmental problems due to the growing worldwide human population and examine the growth rate. They also discuss possible ways to stabilize population growth and increase sustainable development.
Curated OER
Travel Magazines in the Classroom
You can use travel magazines as a means to address a variety of standards.
Curated OER
Whales
Students compare the differences between whales and fish. They examine the differences of toothed and baleen whales. They identify behavioral and physical characteristics of animals that help them survive in their habitat.