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Chemistry Kits

Experiment Objective Grade Levels Subjects
Chemical Reactions

 

What is a chemical reaction? How can you tell one has occurred? Have your students perform a simple chemical reaction using chalk (calcium carbonate) and vinegar. They will also attempt to quantitatively prove the Law of Conservation of Mass. 3-10 Chemistry
Discovering Enzymes What is the role of an enzyme? Students will learn the principles of how enzymes work by creating their own tests to observe the breakdown of proteins with household enzymes, like hydrogen peroxide. 6-8
9-12
Chemistry
Electrochemistry: Salt Bridges How does a battery store charge? Where do the charges go? Have your students learn how a battery separates two favorable half reactions to store energy and to learn the variables that affect a batteries performance. 9-12 Chemistry
Electroplating How can we coat one metal onto another? Have your Students make a silvery penny, and a copper nickel. In the process, they will learn about electrochemistry and electroplating. 6-8
9-12
Chemistry
Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions How does a chemical reaction affect temperature? Students will experiment with salts to look at Exothermic and Endothermic reactions. They will also learn about the difference between temperature and thermal energy.  6-8  Chemistry
Extracting DNA Can you see your DNA? Students will learn about the importance of this molecule and extract it from an organism. They will then model how the code is used to copy itself and make proteins. 7-12 Chemistry
Forensics: Case of Missing Diamond Maker Students learn about techniques of forensic science including: fingerprint identification, chromatography, and chemistry. 6-8 Chemistry
Fuel Cell Connect to and build upon students’ knowledge of oxidation-reduction reactions in order to introduce the chemistry involved in fuel cell technology. 9-12 Chemistry
Gel Electrophoresis What is DNA fingerprinting? Students will learn how gel electrophoresis works and how  it is used in fields like forensics to study DNA of various individuals.They will conduct an experiment to find out if different food dyes use the same colors. 7-12 Chemistry
Glued into Science How can we test the mechanical properties of polymers? Students will design and conduct an experiment in order to classify the different forms of matter that they create through the cross-linking of polymers. 6-12 Chemistry
Hydrogels What is a hydrogel and what are they used for? Students will make their own hydrogel and test them for its mechanical properties. They will then conduct an experiment to find out whether a variable can change the properties of the hydrogel. Looking at current research on hydrogels as a substitute for cartilage, students will attempt to design a hydrogel that has properties similar to cartilage.   7-12 Chemistry
Isotope Rummy What is an isotope? Students will play an interactive game to learn the answer to this question and also find out how isotopes real-world applications make them useful to scientists. 9-12 Chemistry
Liquid Crystals Have students explore liquid crystals by creating and observing handprints. They will then use liquid crystal thermometers to learn about the 3 states of matter and find out how temperature affects each state.
Upper elementary students can also use the liquid crystal papers to explore how heat is transferred through conduction. They will make a connection with specific changes of state during the water cycle (evaporation, condensation).
K-2
3-5
Chemistry
Making a Battery How does a battery work? Students will figure this out as well as see how energy is transformed by building a wet cell battery. They will also test a variable to find out how it affects the strength of a battery. 6-8
9-12
Chemistry
Nano Interactions (How can we hide a particle?) What is nano? Students will explore the nanoscale world and see how materials look and behave quite differently. Several exploratory activities encourage student to make observations and formulate scientific hypotheses. Next, students will learn about the chemistry of water hardness, and techniques to test for it. Finally, they will test different materials (including nanoparticles) to see which is best at softening water. This kit enables students to experience and take advantage of the unique properties of nano-scale materials. 6-8 Chemistry
Nano What? What is nano? Students will explore the nanoscale world and see how materials look and behave quite differently. Several exploratory activities encourage student to make observations and formulate scientific hypotheses. Next, students use a gold nanoparticle solution to test different sports drinks for electrolytes.This kit enables students to experience and take advantage of the unique properties of nano-scale materials. 9-12 Chemistry
Polymers: Instant Snow Students will be introduced to polymers and their role in our everyday lives. They will look at Sodium Polyacyrlate and how it is used to absorb liquids. Students learn about two forms of this polymer and how a change in their structure can affect their physical properties. This activity can be lengthened to include the students designing their own experiement looking at the affect of a variable. This activity can be followed with the polymer activity “Silly Putty.” 6-8
3-5
Chemistry
Polymers: Making Silly Putty Students will understand how scientists can change polymers to give them different physical properties. They will take a polymer (glue) and cross-link it to create silly putty. This activity is a good follow up to the “Instant Snow” activity. 6-8
3-5
Solar Cells Can a blueberry make electricity? Have your students find out by building their own solar cells using berry juice. This activity can be geared towards middle or high school students and meets NGSS standards. Topics that can be covered include photosynthesis, chemical reactions, and changes in energy. The activity can also be extended by having the students look at how a variable affects the power produced by the solar cell. 6-8
9-12
Chemistry
Spectrophotometer Can we use light to measure the amount of a known chemical substance (concentrations)? Students will learn about absorption spectrophotometry by building a LEGO spectrophotometer. They will use it to analyze the amount of cranberry juice contained in a juice mix. 9-12 Chemistry
Surface Area and Reaction Rates What is surface area? How do chemicals bond? What affects properties of materials on the macro- and nano-scale, and why this is important to scientists? Students will do some hands-on activities to find these out. 6-8

9-12

Chemistry
Unknown Powders How do powders react when you add a chemical indicator to them? Students will use their observation skills to find out how different powders react with vinegar, baking soda solution, iodine, and universal pH indicator. Using their observations, they will then need to try to figure out what two powders are mixed together. 3-5

6-8

Chemistry
Vitamin C What is Vitamin C? Where do you find it and why do we need it? Students will learn about the process of titration and how chemical reactions can be used to measure or indicate concentration. 6-8
9-12
Chemistry
What is Rust? What is rust? Students will explore what factors cause metals to rust by experimenting with different metals and solutions. They will then learn about this chemical reaction by looking at redox reactions. 6-8
9-12
Chemistry
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