In this activity, students investigate the properties of a heterogeneous mixture, trail mix, as if it were a contaminated soil sample near a construction site. This activity shows students that heterogeneous mixtures can be separated by physical means, and that when separated, all the parts will equal the whole.

Learn about an important physics experiment that uses an invention that manipulates light in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

Students design systems that use microbes to break down a water pollutant (in this case, sugar). They explore how temperature affects the rate of pollutant decomposition.

This group learning activity involves students in an engaging review of concepts of microbiology. The review is set up as a power point presentation in the style of the "Jeopardy" gameshow where students groups compete against each other to answer review questions.

In this video from DragonflyTV, Tiana and Sammy measure, record, and analyze the results of a drop box test to find out how everyday items behave in microgravity.

The Middle School Chemistry Project from the American Chemical Society (ACS). What happens when solids, liquids, and gases are heated and cooled? Why is one substance more or less dense than another? What causes certain substances to dissolve in water? What happens when a chemical reaction takes place? These questions and many more are explored in Middle School Chemistry, a resource of guided, inquiry-based lesson plans that covers basic chemistry concepts along with the process of scientific investigation.

The Middle School Chemistry curriculum helps students: Ask scientific questions and investigate them; Design and conduct experiments; Understand their observations on the molecular level; Record and communicate results.

This free curriculum includes for teachers: Comprehensive 5-E lesson plans; Detailed procedures for activities; Science background for teachers; Molecular model illustrations and animations; Student activity sheets and student reading; Test bank of questions and answers for each chapter.

Students use one hand to gesture crystallographic axes and the other hand to represent planes designated by Miller Indices.

In this geology activity, students investigate the physical property of mineral cleavage by physically trying to break down a block of halite and describing the results. This lab addresses many misunderstandings non-majors have about the physical properties of minerals and includes a brief write up of their conclusions.

Again- this is activity that will set the stage for enriching the understanding of the nature of molecular motion and the affect of temperature on its rate as the students allow crystals to diffuse toward each other in a petri dish and form a precipitate.

This activity is a laboratory extension where students test and collect data on two kitchen materials in the categories of solubility, saturation, chemical reaction and weights. Thus, giving students opportunity to reinforce skills already learned.

Through three lessons and their four associated activities, students are introduced to concepts related to mixtures and solutions. Students consider how mixtures and solutions and atoms and molecules can influence new technologies developed by engineers. To begin, students explore the fundamentals of atoms and their structures. The building blocks of matter (protons, electrons, neutrons) are covered in detail. The next lesson examines the properties of elements and the periodic table one method of organization for the elements. The concepts of physical and chemical properties are also reviewed. Finally, the last lesson introduces the properties of mixtures and solutions. A comparison of different mixtures and solutions, their properties and their separation qualities are explored.

This activity is a guided practice and scaffolding activity in which the students learn how to configure electrons of elements and determine the number of valence electrons.

This activity investigates the molar conversions used in a single replacement reaction between copper and iron.

This lab video demonstrates how to make a one molar stock solution and serially dilute it.

Learn to identify different molecular shapes, to understand the interactions that create these shapes, and how to predict a molecule's shape given certain information about it. Explore these concepts using three-dimensional computer models and answer a series of questions to reinforce your understanding.

Students are challenged to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create “complete” 3D-printed molecule models that take into consideration bond angles and lone-pair positioning. To begin, they explore two interactive digital simulations: “build a molecule” and “molecule shapes.” This aids them in comparing and contrasting existing molecular modeling approaches—ball-and-stick, space-filling, and valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR)—so as to understand their benefits and limitations. In order to complete a worksheet that requires them to draw Lewis dot structures, they determine the characteristics and geometries (valence electrons, polar bonds, shape type, bond angles and overall polarity) of 12 molecules. They also use molecular model kits. These explorations and exercises prepare them to design and 3D print their own models to most accurately depict molecules. Pre/Post quizzes, a step-by-step Blender 3D software tutorial handout and a worksheet are provided.

In this activity, students interact with 12 models to observe emergent phenomena as molecules assemble themselves. Investigate the factors that are important to self-assembly, including shape and polarity. Try to assemble a monolayer by "pushing" the molecules to the substrate (it's not easy!). Rotate complex molecules to view their structure. Finally, create your own nanostructures by selecting molecules, adding charges to them, and observing the results of self-assembly.

In this interactive activity from ChemThink, learn about covalent molecules and how the VSEPR theory predicts the shapes of covalently-bonded molecules.

The spacial arrangement of atoms in a molecule has a massive role in the properties of that substance. This pathway provides resources to explain why molecules take the shapes that they do, and how to determine what shape the molecule will take.

Created by the Concord Consortium, the Molecular Workbench is "a modeling tool for designing and conducting computational experiments across science." First-time visitors can check out one of the Featured Simulations to get started. The homepage contains a number of curriculum modules which deal with chemical bonding, semiconductors, and diffusion. Visitors can learn how to create their own simulations via the online manual, which is available here as well. The Articles area is quite helpful, as it contains full-text pieces on nanoscience education, quantum chemistry, and a primer on how transistors work. A good way to look over all of the offerings here is to click on the Showcase area. Here visitors can view the Featured simulations, or look through one of five topical sections, which include Biotech and Nanotechnology. Visitors will need to install the free Molecular Workbench software, which is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.