Holiday Demonstrations and Activities
As the holidays arrive, students tend to become distracted. Performing demonstrations and doing fun class activities can help keep their minds focused on important science concepts. You can create a memorable learning experience out of this festive holiday with a discussion of chemistry topics such as redox reactions, indicators, polymers, properties of matter, and phase […]
Colorful Dyes from the Natural World
The chemistry behind environmental dyes In the springtime, it’s common to see articles about how to dye eggs with natural dyes, but eggs aren’t the only things that can be dyed. Since ancient times, humans have used materials from their environments to color their world. Chemistry of cloth dyeing The cuticle of eggs, which is […]
How to Make Slime
An Introduction to Polymer Chemistry Whether you want to introduce students to polymers, engage them with a fun science demo, or simply have the most popular station at your school’s science night, making slime is always a great idea. This non-toxic slime is easy to make and keeps the mess to a minimum. Turn the […]
Four Engaging Lab Activities for Spectroscopy
Help your students understand spectroscopy with these hand-on lab activities. Here are 4 engaging hands-on lab activities from Thermo Fisher Scientific that use the Spectronic® 200 Spectrophotometer to help your students understand spectroscopy. Each activity has been fully tested to ensure reliable, accurate results. Extensive background material is provided for each experimental concept, including the […]
10 Tips for Creating Social Distance in Your Science Classroom
We’ve put together a list of recommendations to help you as you plan labs and science activities for the year. Creating and maintaining social distance in your classroom shouldn’t be a pain point. We’ve put together a list of recommendations to help you as you plan labs and science activities for the year. , Follow […]
Nomenclature and Bonding Basics of Ionic Compounds
How to spot ionic compounds Students often struggle to identify types of compounds and name them appropriately. The first step is to identify if a compound is primarily ionic or covalent. Ionic compounds are often solid with crystalline forms. Covalent compounds on the other hand, can be gases, liquids, or solids and the solid state […]
Kool-Aid® Chromatography
Chromatography is an important technique in the chemistry lab. This activity uses a popular beverage for a safe, engaging lab experience for students of all ages. Background What makes grape-flavored Kool-Aid® purple? Food dye, of course. Color additives are common in the foods on supermarket shelves. From foods and drinks to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and toiletries, […]
Labeling Chemicals and Chemical Containers
No unlabeled substances in the laboratory at any time! Labeling Basics Use labels with good adhesive. Use a permanent marker (waterproof and fade resistant) or laser (not inkjet) printer. Print clearly and visibly. Replace damaged, faded or semi-attached labels. Additional Reading: Lab Safety: Teacher Responsibilities Commercially Packaged Chemicals Verify that the label contains the following information: Chemical name […]
Explaining Patterns in the Periodic Table
Identifying family and period properties within the periodic table Too often, students remember for a short time certain trends and properties associated with groups and periods of elements yet come away from a study of the periodic table without really understanding or appreciating how much information the table provides. In the following activities, students discover […]
Greener Chemistry Labs for Good!
Safer, Engaging Chemistry Lessons Green chemistry. The term conjures different images for different people. Perhaps for the business minded, it’s chemistry dedicated to generating a lot of greenbacks (dollars). For others, maybe it’s a huge cauldron of bubbling green goo with a who-knows-what toxic vapor rising from the brew. In fact, it is neither of […]