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Experimenting with Physical Changes
Fourth graders explore physical changes. They discuss that physical change is a change in size, shape, or state of matter of a substance. Students explore what change takes place when two substances can dissolve each other. They observe...
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Ice Cream Blizzards
Fourth graders explore whether the making of homemade ice cream is a physical change or a chemical change in a lab experiment. Students identify states of matter, describe the physical properties of states, and collect temperature data...
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Physical Changes of Matter
Students solve a mystery using evidence gathered during a science investigation. In this physical changes instructional activity, students analyze a note written in marker to determine the physical changes the ink from the pen...
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It's a Gas!
Students investigate gases and their properties by completing 4 activities. For this gases lesson plan, students perform activities to show that gases take up space, they diffuse, and that odors and vibrations pass through gases. They...
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Sweet Twinkies, Density and Sugar Chomping Yeast: A Look at Physical and Chemical Reactions in the Kitchen
Learners investigate matter. In this physical science lesson plan, students will learn about matter, physical states, and reactions. There are a series of four lab activities that will be conducted.
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Understanding And Measuring Matter
First graders observe ice melting and water evaporating. They experiment with sugar and water and read the poem "Matter Really Matters." They define vocabulary words and sing a matter song.
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Introduction to the Periodic Table of Elements
Students explain how the elements are arranged in the periodic table. In this chemistry lesson, students determine the subatomic particles for certain elements. They research the physical and chemical properties of an element they chose.
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Oils and Plastic
Peruse the properties of polymers with your materials engineers, chemistry aces, or emerging ecologists. The inquiries in this resource include puncturing polyethylene plastic bags, dissolving polystyrene cups, creating a polymer...
American Chemical Society
Identifying an Unknown Liquid
Liquids are what's the matter with the lesson! Learners investigate properties of different liquids as they interact with various types of paper. They then use their observations to identify a mystery liquid to finish the sixth lesson in...
National Science Teacher Association
Middle School Sampler: Science
Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis...
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Sun, Spectra, and Stars
Get ready to spark interest in electromagnetic radiation! This resource shares nine indelible inquiries that you can choose from to ignite understanding of spectra and the relationship between light and heat. The assessments that follow...
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States of Matter
First graders break into groups of five students and are given 15 different objects and 3 posters. They group the objects into 3 different families with all the objects in each category placed on one of the posters. They choose whatever...
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It's a Matter of Change
Learners watch a video on matter and identify examples of solids, liquids and gases in the classroom. They discuss the attributes for each kind of matter and conduct an experiment to explore how matter can change form.
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As a Matter of Fact
Young scholars rotate through various hands-on experiment stations to explore the concept and properties of different types of matter. They compare some properties of solids, liquids and gases and describe how matter changes from one...
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A Matter of Fact
Third graders define matter as anything that takes up space and has mass, recognize, through experimentation and observation, that matter exists in three forms, including solid, liquid, and gas, and discuss characteristics of each form...
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What's the Matter? Where Did it Go?
Eighth graders analyze questions posted on a large poster in the room and work in groups to record their response to the question on paper, rotating to the next question after two minutes have passed. They review the characteristics of...
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Water and Ice
Students explore water as it changes states of matter. In this physical property activity, students use observation, measurement, and communication skills to describe changes in water as it goes from a solid to a liquid and back again.
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Water and Ice
Students examine water. In this chemistry lesson, student examine the physical properties of water and how it changes from a liquid to a solid or a gas. This lesson contains links to a second and third complimentary lesson on...
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Rate of Solution
Eighth graders determine the amount of agitation necessary to dissolve various sized sugar particles. This task assess students' abilities to collect, organize, and interpret data, create appropriate graphs, predict future events based...
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Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Students explore solids, liquids, and gasses and categorize and describe the three states of matter. In this chemistry lesson, students categorize items as solid, liquid, or gas based on the definitions given by the teacher. Students...
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What is Matter?
Sixth graders are read Goodnight Moon. They discuss the different kinds of
matter mentioned in the story. Students describe each item
they remember, they are encouraged to observe that some things are
made of smaller pieces, different...
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Water and Ice
Learners explore the physical properties of water. In this water lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. There are 2 extensions for this lesson that one can access via the Internet links provided.
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A Model of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Ninth graders explain how a scanning tunneling microscope works. In this chemistry lesson plan, 9th graders construct atomic models and simulate how their images appear under the STM. They discuss the limitations of their atomic model.
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Evidence of Chemical Change
In this chemical change worksheet, young scholars conduct 4 experiments set up around the room. They follow the instructions at each station for each experiment and list the physical properties and observe any changes at each station....