Curated OER
History of Chemistry: The Alchemists
Young scholars research alchemy and the history of chemistry. In this chemistry history lesson, students examine laboratory apparatus and compare it to those used by the Alchemists. Young scholars complete a research paper on an...
American Chemical Society
Man and Materials Through History
From the start of the Industrial Revolution, it only took 147 years for someone to invent plastic. This may seem like a long time, but in the history of inventing or discovering new materials, this is incredibly fast. An informative and...
Curated OER
Elements of Chemistry: Atoms: The Building Blocks of Matter
Students explore scientific theories and the works of scientists. In this chemistry lesson plan students develop a timeline that shows how scientists work was built on the ones before them.
Curated OER
It's a Gas! Or is it?
Examine the effects of temperature and pressure on solubility and the states of matter of ocean water. Learners make inferences about the unique chemistry of ocean water at different depths. They engage in an activity related to...
Royal Society of Chemistry
The 400m Event—Chemistry and Sport
How do Olympic runners succeed in physically demanding events like the 400-meter dash? Physiology scholars explore the relationship between acids, bases, and the muscular system through a scenario-driven activity. The lesson focuses on...
University of Pennsylvania
Decoding Propaganda: J’Accuse…! vs. J’Accuse…!
Reading snail mail is a great way to go back into history and to understand others' points of view. The resource, the second in a five-part unit, covers the Dreyfus Affair. Scholars, working in two different groups, read one letter and...
Curated OER
Ancient Peoples of the Middle East
This is an excellent multidisciplinary lesson designed by Scientific American. It provides three creative activities--designing a garden, studying hieroglyphics, and writing poetry--relevant to the ancient peoples of the Middle East....
Curated OER
Periodic Webquest
Sixth graders explore the periodic table of elements. Using given websites, 6th graders explore the history of the periodic table and its design. Students role play, writing a journal entry, as if they were the author of the periodic table.
NOAA
History's Thermometers
How is sea coral like a thermometer? Part three of a six-part series from NOAA describes how oceanographers can use coral growth to estimate water temperature over time. Life science pupils manipulate data to determine the age of corals...
Curated OER
Nuclear Chemistry: How Does It Affect Me?
Eleventh graders study the different areas of nuclear chemistry. In this energy and critical thinking instructional activity students study radiation, nuclear energy and weapons then divide into groups and create a poster.
Curated OER
Ancient Atomic Theories
Studdnts research ancient texts and compare ancient Greek atomic theories, as used in the production of silver, to modern theories.
Curated OER
Striking it Rich with Chemistry
Young scholars identify the composition of different pennies. In this chemistry lesson plan, students use a post 1982 penny to observe chemical change. They explain how to turn a penny from copper to gold.
Curated OER
Chemistry - Atoms and Elements
Learners perform varied activities as part of a layered curriculum unit: They write and perform a skit that outlines the evolution of the model of the atom. The script is submitted to the teacher for review before performance.
Curated OER
History of the Battery
Students study the development of batteries. In this electrochemistry lesson, students compare the different types of batteries. They explore its applications especially in the medical field.
Curated OER
Chemistry and Commercial Fertilizers
Students listen as the teacher lectures about the history of commercial fertilizers. The lesson includes extensive information for the teacher. Following the lecture, students complete a worksheet titled "Nitrogen Cycle Problems." The...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Got Lactase? The Co-Evolution of Genes and Culture
Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...
Curated OER
Exothermic Rehydration of Gypsum
Learners observe exothermic reactions in the lab using plaster. In this chemistry lesson, students collect data from their experimental set up every five minutes. They explain the different stages in the hardening of plaster.
eGFI
Lesson: Guilt-Free Chocolate
Experiment with chocolate coating on cookies! What a delightful way to learn about food processing and chemical engineering. Throughout this activity, groups collect measurements and make calculations. They conclude by writing...
Curated OER
Putting Back the Pieces
Seventh graders become museum conservators and undertake the hypothetical restoration of an ancient American work of art. Groups design a plan for reconstructing the work of art, outlining the steps they need to take and the materials...
Curated OER
An Experiment in Alchemy: Copper to Silver to Gold
How exciting would it be for your chemistry class to produce their own "gold"? This experiment allows pupils to witness the chemical reaction of copper pennies as they react with zinc and sodium hydroxide to produce "gold" tokens. It is...
American Chemical Society
Isolation of Phytochrome
Why do soybean plants that are planted weeks apart in the spring mature simultaneously in the fall? Four independent activities cover the history of phytochrome research, scientist collaboration, the electromagnetic spectrum, and...
Chymist
An Experiment in Alchemy: Copper to Silver to Gold
Use chemistry to change pennies into gold coins! The experimental procedure leads learners through the process of changing copper pennies to silver and then to gold. They record the mass of each coin through every step of the experiment.
NASA
Exploration of a Problem: Making Sense of the Elements
When given too much data to simply memorize, it helps to sort it into manageable groups. The second lesson in the six-part series of Cosmic Chemistry challenges groups of pupils to take a large amount of data and figure out how to best...
Curated OER
Build Your Own Atom
Students build a model of an atom using an online program. In this chemistry lesson, students discuss the different parts of the atom. They complete an independent research about their chosen element.