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...
California Academy of Science
Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Ice is nice, and its condition on the planet has a significant effect. Junior geoscientists experiment with ice melting in both water and on land to discover how each affect the rising sea level. This detailed lesson outline even...
Curated OER
Liquids: Floating and Sinking
Third graders conduct an experiment. In this floating and sinking liquids instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss density and investigate it using syrup, vegetable oil and colored water. Students observe the results and complete a...
Curated OER
Properties of Matter
Young scholars investigate the properties of matter. In this properties of matter lesson, students observe containers of different metals and discuss their properties including density. Young scholars find the density of an unknown metal...
Curated OER
What is Matter?
Students investigate what matter is and how it changes states. In this physical properties lesson, students examine the vocabulary database and identify the characteristics of the three phases of matter. Students perform a liquid vs....
Curated OER
Hot Air Balloons
Middle schoolers examine how a hot air balloon works. In this hot air balloon lesson, students do an experiment to test the effects of heat on density. Middle schoolers make their own hot air balloon and act out how nitrogen moves when...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics Pre-Lab
Students observe fluid motion. In this Physics lesson, students explore the principles of Pascal, Archimedes, and Bernoulli. Students list their experiences with fluid movement.
Anglophone School District
Fluids: Force in Fluids
Discuss Archimedes' Principle and fluid forces with your young scientists as they describe the relationship between mass, volume, and density during a series of engaging activities. They use the Participle Theory of Matter to explore the...
American Chemical Society
Air, It's Really There
Love is in the air? Wrong — nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are in the air. The final lesson in the series of five covers the impact of temperature on gases. Scholars view a demonstration of gas as a type of matter before performing...
Curated OER
Heavy Ice: Day Five
Students explore physics by conducting a class experiment. In this density lesson, students examine a list of items and discuss whether they will sink or float and then determine their density. Students examine the objects over five days...
Curated OER
Motion in Fluids
Students explore physical science by participating in a science activity. In this liquids lesson, students discuss how fluids can be affected by motion unlike solids. Students define other scientific vocabulary terms and conduct a motion...
Curated OER
Day Six: Floater What Ifs
Students observe earth science by examining results from an experiment. In this buoyancy lesson plan, students practice floating different items in two different liquids and identify why certain objects will float and others sink....
Curated OER
Sink It
Introduce your class to the concept of sinking and floating. In groups, they classify objects after making predictions about which materials will sink or float. They record their results and create graphs and charts to share with the class.
Curated OER
Seashore Explorers
There are three separate lessons within this resource that can be used together, or that can each stand alone. In the first, five simple activities allow junior scientists to examine the amazing properties of water. In the second, they...
Curated OER
Electrolysis
Young scholars conduct a series of experiments on water electrolysis. In this chemistry lesson, students explain what happens to the molecules during the process. They cite real world applications of electrolysis.
Curated OER
Dry Ice: Simply Sublime
A fascinating instructional activity on states of matter is here for your young scientists. Dry ice is used to challenge learners preconceived notions about how solids work. They discover all sorts of interesting facts about states of...
Curated OER
Sea Water Freeze
Students observe how salinity affects the time it takes water to freeze. They participate in an experiment to determine that ice is essentially salt-free whether formed from fresh or salt water
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students investigate what happens to solids and liquids when they change from one form to another. The amount od space taken by frozen water begins the discussion and students are led to formulate their own hypothesis to research.
Curated OER
Viscosity and Density
In this viscosity and density pre-lab worksheet, students define these two terms and determine how to find relative viscosity and the volume of an irregular shaped solid. This worksheet has 13 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Behavior of Liquids and Gases
In this liquids and gases worksheet, students review 9 vocabulary terms associated with liquids and gases by completing a crossword puzzle.
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students explore the states of matter. For this physical science lesson, students observe what happens to water when it freezes and record observations. Students then observe ice when it melts and record observations.
Curated OER
Recycling of Plastics
Students separate plastics according to their densities, develop a method for separation and identify variables in an experiment and a fair test, changing only one variable at a time for a fair comparison. After testing, they develop a...
Curated OER
The Sun as the Driving Force of the Water Cycle
Students study the water cycle and how the sun is an important factor. In this water cycle lesson students investigate how to desalinate water and explore the different densities of fresh versus saltwater.
Curated OER
Magnetorheological Fluids
Students conduct a series of experiments on magnetorheological fluids. In this physics lesson, students explain how these fluids behave in varying magnetic field strength. They give practical applications of magnetorheological fluids.