American Chemical Society
Exothermic, Endothermic, and Chemical Change
Scientists can't observe bonds breaking or forming, so how do they distinguish between exothermic and endothermic reactions? Young scholars complete two experiments to do just that. They monitor temperature change and calculate the...
Teach Engineering
Package Those Foods!
Designing the right package — it's more than a pretty picture. Challenge small groups to design a food package. They must consider the type of food they are packaging and the package's ability to control the physical and...
American Chemical Society
Combustion and Burning
On Earth, a candle flame points up, but on the International Space Station, it forms a sphere. Young scientists practice their skills by recording observations before, during, and after a candle burns. Chemical and physical...
Serendip
Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis
Is your class in the dark about photosynthesis? Shed some sunlight on an important biological process with a thoughtful activity. After answering questions to help determine their level of knowledge, learners work with chemical equations...
American Chemical Society
The Energy of Evaporation
Do all liquids evaporate at the same rate? Young scientists observe the evaporation rate of three different liquids. They measure the time, the temperature, and the change in energy. After comparing the chemical formulas, scholars...
Baylor College
Fuel for Living Things
During a three-part lesson, learners make a cabbage juice pH indicator and use it to analyze the waste products of yeast after feeding them with sugar. The intent is to demonstrate how living organisms produce carbon dioxide, which is...
Discovery Education
School of Rock
Why do rocks break down over time? Learners explore this concept by simulating physical and chemical weathering of different types of rocks. They use an abrasive to demonstrate physical weathering and acid to demonstrate chemical...
Curated OER
Weathering Lab
Assist your middle school class with one of the most inclusive weathering and erosion labs available. Individuals use sugar cubes and alka-seltzer to demonstrate the process of physical and chemical weathering. They sketch results...
NOAA
Please Pass the Salt
Salinity is the focus of two experimenters that work to answer the question, How does salt change the physical properties of water? Super scientists compare the freezing rate of salt and fresh water, combine the two waters to...
Teach Engineering
Concentrate This! Sugar or Salt...
Heat up your lessons on boiling points. The resource provides a three-part activity: first, groups find the boiling point of solutions; second, they create boiling point curves for salt and sugar solutions; and third, they mix a solution...
Teach Engineering
Gumdrop Atoms
There's nothing sticky about the resource, unless you count the gumdrops! Scholars create a model of a lithium atom, complete with protons, neutrons, and electrons. It's just that these models are made with gumdrops and toothpicks.
Curated OER
The Bio-fuel Project: Creating Bio-diesel
Students investigate bio-fuel. In this investigative lesson, students create bio-fuel from vegetable oil waste. Students will analyze, predict, collect and synthesize data from their experiments with bio-fuel.
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Using Chemical Change to Identify an Unknown
This activity explores how students could use chemical changes to identify unknown substances. Lab activity includes student and teacher worksheets.
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Change in Temperature: Endothermic Reaction
In this activity, students will observe another aspect of a chemical change which is a change in temperature. In this reaction, students will experiment with an endothermic reaction.
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Production of a Gas: Controlling a Chemical Reaction
Observe reactions that produce gases in this lab activity! Students observe chemical changes as they evaluate the amount of gas produced. This lab activity includes both student and teacher instruction sheets.
Other
English Montreal School: Chemical vs. Physical Changes: Elements vs. Compounds
A laboratory experiment where students classify matter into a homogenous mixture, heterogeneous mixture, solution, or pure substance. Also students will test for physical and chemical changes.
American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society: Science for Kids: Chemical and Physical Change
Engaging hands-on science lessons for grades 2-6 on chemical and physical changes.
Other
Elmhurst College: Virtual Chembook: What Are Physical Properties and Changes?
Brief descriptions of physical properties, physical changes, and the process of sublimation. The three states of matter, melting point, and boiling point are described. There is one link on the page, which leads to an explanation of...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Changes in Matter Chemical Reactions They're Everywhere
Can you distinguish physical changes from chemical reactions? You'll be presented with a number of pictures and asked to identify those which are examples of chemical reactions.
Other
Study Stack: Changes in Matter
An online flashcard deck that reviews properties of matter. Test your knowledge of matter, chemical changes, and physical changes. Site allows you to put flashcards into two sections, those you know and those you don't. After separating...
American Chemical Society
Inquiry in Action: Exploring Baking Powder
An activity that allows students to discover the active ingredients in baking powder by studying chemical change. Lab activity includes both teacher and student instructions.
Other
The Science House: Ziptop Bag Chemistry
In this experiment, three reactions are performed in a sealed Ziploc bag so that they can be observed. Students identify whether physical or chemical change has taken place.
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center: Create a Kitchen Chemistry Kit [Pdf]
Instructions for how to safely create a chemistry set using basic ingredients found around the home. Provides two experiments to try, one involving a physical change and the other a chemical change.
Other
The Science House: Dancing Spaghetti
The chemical change of matter is illustrated in this lab experiment when spaghetti is placed in a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Watch the spaghetti rise to the surface and sink again once the gas is released.