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Taking In The Heat: Amount of Heat Absorbed
Weather, Temperature, Heat Absorption
Students will learn through the scientific process that different textured materials can absorb more heat than others.
Grade Levels: K-3
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Fun with Ice: Really Cool Experiments
Physical Science
Observe an ice cube alone, with salt and with sugar. Predict change in the ice cube over time. Discuss changes of the ice cube alone, with salt and with sugar.
Grade Levels: K-5
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Mystery Paint
Physical Science
Upon completion of these activities the student will be able to:
- Use the scientific method to determine the properties of various kinds of paints.
- Identify the differences between water-based and solvent-based paints.
- Collect data in appropriate qualitative or quantitative forms.
- Use charts and graphs as a means of organizing data.
- Use collected data to identify paint samples that are not properly labeled.
- Work in scientific teams.
- Use proper science safety techniques while working with chemical substances.
Grade Levels: K - 5
Soap Making 101
General Science, Chemistry
Upon completion of these activities the student will be able to:
- Recognize and use chemical indicators in the lab.
- Recognize the need for safety while doing chemical experiments.
- Understand the need for following precise directions.
Grade Levels: K - 5
It's the Slime Time of Your Life
Chemistry
Students will be introduced to the concepts of polymerization
Grade Levels: 1-12
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"Orange" You Glad We Have Vitamin C
Testing for Vitamin C in different drinks and foods
Students will:
- Develop an understanding of the importance of Vitamin C in their diet.
- Learn sources of Vitamin C.
- Develop an awareness of the use of Vitamin C in helping our environment.
- Gain exposure to chemical procedures and techniques.
- Analyze and interpret data by keeping a data sheet and making a bar graph.
- Have many opportunities for hands-on science activities.
- Keep a science notebook throughout the unit.
- Learn that science can be fun!
Grade Levels: 2 - 6
Testing Water For Hardness Using Soap Bubbles
Physical Science
- To broaden a students' knowledge and understanding of water
- To determine what materials cause water to become hard.
- To understand the function and limitations of soap in mineralized water.
- To determine the hardness of a mystery sample of water
Grade Levels: 3-5
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Las Propiedades de Unos Juguetes
Plasticos
Los estudiantes usarn la habilidad de observar para determinar las semejanzas y las diferencias entre unos materiales.
Grade Levels: 3-5
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Glurch II
Plastics
Students will make Glurch II and conduct tests to compare its properties to those of the commercial materials.
Grade Levels: 3-5
Crank it up: Using "Student Power" to Generate Electricity to Run a Portable Compact Disc Player
Physical Science - Magnetism and Energy
Upon completion of this unit, the student will:
- Conclude that magnets and magnetic fields can produce electricity.
- Understand how a small motor works.
- Understand how gears work.
- Describe how energy can transform along a pathway.
Grade Levels: 3 - 6
Adventures with Super-Adsorbers and Substance Solubility: Disposable Diaper Comparison and Mystery-Powder Identification
Chemistry
Understand the concepts of absorption, swellability and solubility. Recognize that science is all around us in our everyday lives and is fun to explore.
Grade Levels: 3-12
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Go With the Flow -- Flowability Tests of Various Liquids
Physical Science
- To broaden students' knowledge and understanding of liquids
- To develop an awareness of the varying viscosities of liquids
- To introduce or further develop an understanding of the Scientific Method
- To develop an understanding of basic safety guidelines that will be followed
Grade Levels: 4
Separation of Unknowns in a Liquid
Physical Science
- To identify chromatography as a method of separating the components of a liquid.
- To develop an understanding that dyes are composed of more than one component in achieving a particular color.
- To become familiar with various Chromatography techniques for separating these components.
Grade Levels: 4-5
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What really matters when it comes to sound?
Physical Science
Upon completion of this unit, the student will be able to:
- explore sound wave vibrations in objects.
- test and analyze how sound travels differently through vibrations passing through three different states of matter.
- test and prove the theory that the size of an object vibrating affects the frequency of the sound waves, and therefore changes the pitch of the sound.
- test the theory that the stiffness of an object affects the frequency of the sound waves and, therefore, the pitch of the sound.
- test and analyze how varying the volume of water in a vessel changes the frequency and therefore the pitch due to the length of the vibrating matter.
- define the terms frequency and pitch.
Grade Levels: 4-6
Let There Be Light
Heat and Energy
Students will come to learn that different types of light affect matter differently. In particular we wish to show that in sunlight there are several components, some of which can be harmful even though they cannot be seen or felt.
Grade Levels: 4-6
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Changing Viscosity; Thixotropy and Dilatancy; Viscosity of Some Petroleum-based Materials
Physical Science, Chemistry
To have students investigate the properties of flow and viscosity.
Grade Levels: 5
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Get Down With Density!
Physical Science
- Students will be able to define density.
- Students will observe that things that are less dense than water will float.
- Students will be able to find the density of copper, iron and aluminum.
Grade Levels: 6-7
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Emulsion Compulsion
Chemistry, Physical Science
Upon completion of these activities the student will be able to:
- Understand what an emulsion is and how it fits into the classification of matter.
- Create an emulsion from common household products.
- Observe the behavior of the interaction of liquids of different densities.
- Compare and contrast chemical and physical changes.
- Understand the Tyndall Effect in emulsions.
- Apply the skills of observation, data collection, and scientific reasoning.
- Realize that emulsions are the basis of many common household products.
Grade Levels: 6 - 8
Come Shine with Us: Utilizing Floor Polish Testing and Industrial Science To Teach Critical Thinking
Household Chemistry, Scientific Method, Problem Solving
- To understand how science relates to everyday life
- To build in students a natural curiosity about products in the world around them
- To develop basic scientific problem solving skills through experimentation
Grade Levels: 6-8
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A Very Simple Conductivity Meter
Physical Science
- Introduce students to the ionic or non-ionic nature of water
- Review water quality and usefulness for various manufacturing purposes.
- Introduce students to the concept of open and closed circuits.
Grade Levels: 6-8
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Testing Density of Various Soap Products
Physical Science
Students will have the opportunity to observe, measure and analyze the density of aerosol shaving creams and foams generated from shampoo and dishwashing liquids or detergents.
Grade Levels: 6-8
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Using Soap Foam to Alter the Density of Plaster of Paris
Physical Science
To determine the density of Plaster of Paris that has been prepared with a foam generated from dishwashing liquids and shampoo.
Grade Levels: 6-8
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Is Your Blue Really Blue? [Metamerism]
Physical Science
To teach students some fundamentals about color perception, and to explain the phenomenon called "metamerism".
Students will learn the three basic components of color perception: light source, illuminated colored object, and the light detector.
Grade Levels: 6-9
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Surface Tension and 3D Soap Films
Physical Science
Students will be introduced to the concept of surface tension, its dependence on material composition, and how it can produce uniquely shaped surfaces.
Grade Levels: 7-8
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Through Thick or Thin!!!
Physical Science
Upon completion of this experiment, the students will:
- Incorporate the scientific method within the context of specific content material.
- Hypothesize, explore, analyze, and interpret data within a co-operative learning group.
- Understand that household products have a scientific basis.
Grade Levels: 7-8
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Glyptal Resin Plastic: Thermoset Polymer
Atomic Structure
- To enhance the basic understandings for making "observations".
- To gain a better understanding for collecting data.
Grade Levels: 7-8
Blowin' in the Wind Tunnel
Investigating the Physics of Flight
Students will develop an understanding of the scientific method, as well as the principles of flight.
Grade Levels: 7-9
Bouncing Balls
Chemical Technology
Students will make a polymer to demonstrate its properties and develop an awareness of the wide variety and uses of polymers.
Grade Levels: 7-9
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Sink or Swim
Physical Science, Chemistry
Students will identify density as a characteristic property of matter.
Grade Levels: 7-9
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A Comparison of Polymeric Liquids with Newtonian Liquids
Chemistry, Physics, Environmental
- Students will be able to concretely illustrate and define a macromolecule.
- Students will observe the unique behavior of polymers and relate to their knowledge of molecules.
- Students will use the scientific process to determine the difference between Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids.
Grade Levels: 6-12
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Paper Chromatography: An Experiment
Physical Science
To separate a mixture of dyes in water soluble ink
Grade Levels: 8-12
Fiber Optics
Physics
Upon competion of this activity, the student will:
- Know what an optical fiber is and how it is used in many different applications.
- understand how the principles of refraction and total internal reflection explain the transmission of light energy through an optical fiber.
- be able to solve problems concerning the design of fiber-optic cables.
- understand why optical fibers are far superior to common copper transmission lines for carrying information.
Grade Levels: 9-12
Hemp Fiber
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, and Physical Science
Upon completion of these activities the student will be able to:
- Conduct a controlled scientific experiment.
- Test the tensile strength of the fibers of biomass in comparison to the tensile strengths of polypropylene and tuffal.
- Test the degradability of the fibers of biomass.
- Find a best method for preparing paper using biomass.
- Make a Nitrocellulose using the chosen biomass.
Grade Levels: 9 - 12
Stick To It!: Properties of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes
Chemistry and Physics
By using the experimental process (the way scientists go about solving problems) and working as research teams:
- Compare different types of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes.
- Develop and carry out tests for variables affecting the force needed to peel tape off a surface.
- Quantitatively compare the time needed for a force to peel various tapes from different surfaces.
- By taking a specific tape on a specific surface, statistically analyze the time needed to peel the tape with different peel forces.
Grade Levels: 9-12
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Rusting: A Form of Oxidation
Modern Chemistry
Students will be able to observe and record the corrosive nature of oxidation-reduction reactions and to determine the electro-chemical series of selected metals (relative strengths of oxidizing and reducing agents).
Grade Levels: 9-12
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Soda Chemistry and Packaging
Chemistry, Physical Science
- To relate basic chemical concepts to a common food item, soda.
- To examine the influence of CO2 on the chemistry of soda.
Grade Levels: 9-12
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Straw Chromatography
Chemistry
- To acquaint students with the principles of liquid chromatography.
- To construct a liquid chromatography column.
- To investigate the effects of different solvents and solvent concentrations in the separation process.
Grade Levels: 9-12
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To Smell or Not To Smell, That is the Ester
Chemistry, Biology
Students will be introduced to the concepts of polymerization. They will additionally explore the progressive steps followed in the determination of an approach to a scientific problem.
Grade Levels: 9-12
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Quantitative Determination of the Composition of Water-based Paints and the Correlation of Paint Properties to Paint Composition
Chemistry
- Determination of density of the four paints
- Determination of the water fraction from dried paint samples
- Determination of the polymer content using combustion analysis of dried paint samples
- Calculations of volume fraction concentrations of the water, polymer, and the mineral components
- Test of scrubability and stain removal for each paint
Grade Levels: 9-12
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Separation Before Plastic Recycling
Chemistry, Physics
To give students the opportunity to see that plastics can be separated and identified by their different physical properties.
Grade Levels: 10-12
Latex Helium Balloon Any Alternatives?
Chemistry, Physics
To use scientific method to search for an alternative to helium balloon releases.
Grade Levels: 10-12
6-Pack Loop Rings Photodegradable?
Chemistry
To have students take a closer look at the current status of an environmental problem: the 6-pack loop ring.
Grade Levels: 10-12
Applying Scientific Method to Analyzing
Chemistry
The student will:
- Work in cooperative groups in activities related to chemical product development and testing.
- Learn about various job requirements and responsibilities in the chemical industry.
- Perform a literature search to determine properties of chemicals.
- Review concepts and laboratory procedures for percent solid, viscosity, pH, and conductivity.
- Evaluate competing cosmetic products.
Grade Levels: 10-12
Determination of Tensile Stress-Strain Common Properties in Materials
Physics
The students, upon completion of this lab, will be able to:
- Demonstrate the relationship between stress and strain
- Graph stress-strain curves for various common materials
- Interpret graphed results and discuss differences in mechanical properties of materials
- Develop procedures for testing tensile strength in other common materials
- Calculate the modulus for the materials
Grade Levels: 11-12
Adhesion of Caulks to Surface: Testing Product Quality
Chemistry, Physics
- To test the adhesive quality of 3 commercially available caulks
- To observe that vast differences do exist in materials that appear similar
- To analyze, statistically, one or two of the samples tested by the students.
Grade Levels: 11-12
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