Learning Assistants are used to facilitate student discussion in peer instruction during clicker questions (i.e., classroom response systems), by asking Socratic questions, emphasizing reasoning, and probing student thinking.

This is a guided inquiry investigation where students record and gather visual information of what the moon phases look like.

An inquiry activity for students to test physical properties of several compounds to analyze data and determine if the compound is ionic or covalent. This is ideal for an introduction to ionic and molecular compound nomenclature.

Students will fill in a blank periodic table for elements 1-20 using electron-dot models. As a visual tool students should see several periodic trends.

This lesson plan provides the teacher with an activity to help students calculate the Greatest Common Factor of two or more positive integers and develop a definition based on their exploration. Students find the prime factorization of two positive numbers using factor trees and Venn diagrams to sort the prime factors. The plan includes learning objectives, materials needed, questions to ask students, assessment options, extensions, teacher self-reflection questions, and further references.

This virtual textbook allows for visualization of 3D-molecular models while teaching principles of Organic Chemistry. Before his retirement in 1999, Professor William Reusch began working on a virtual organic chemistry textbook that could be used by anyone with an interest in the subject. On this site, visitors can take advantage of his labors, and the introduction to this important subject offered on the homepage is a great place to start. After entering the main area of the site, visitors will find two columns of links that serve as the main table of contents. There are over twenty five topics covered here, and they include aromaticity, alkyl halides, alcohols, and amines. Each area contains lucid text accompanied by well-organized diagrams. Additionally, the site contains practice problems, incorporated into the text, along with links to external institutions such as the University of Wisconsin that offer additional problems. One area that shouldn't be missed is the "Chemicals and Society" area. Here visitors will find a narrative essay that addresses how the incorporation of different chemicals into air, water, and soil may affect human society over time.

Students explore the motion of molecules and the ways in which they interact.

Ever wonder how a battery works? This segment highlights voltaic cells, their various components and how they operate.

This activity provides students with a first look at water tension and its role in the life of a water strider.

This activity provides students with a first look at water tension and its role in the life of a water strider.

This activity investigates water when it freezes and how other solid items sink or float in water.

Water clarity monitoring is a process in which the volunteer lowers an 8” diameter, black & white disc (“Secchi disc”) into the deepest part of the lake to determine how far down they can see the disc as it is lowered. Water clarity monitoring is done every 10-14 days throughout the open-water season. Water clarity is a quick way to estimate lake health, and it plays an important role in determining the types of plants and animals that a water body can support.

Can also add in collected data for Water Chemistry analysis along with Secchi disc collected data.

This site includes data collection forms for individuals or groups to add their data from their own lake to this dataset.

The National Water Information System (NWIS) Mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.

Watch a string vibrate in slow motion. Wiggle the end of the string and make waves, or adjust the frequency and amplitude of an oscillator. Adjust the damping and tension. The end can be fixed, loose, or open.

Watch a string vibrate in slow motion. Wiggle the end of the string and make waves, or adjust the frequency and amplitude of an oscillator. Adjust the damping and tension. The end can be fixed, loose, or open.

In this interactive, online module, students learn about satellite orbits (geostationary and polar), remote-sensing satellite instruments (radiometers and sounders), satellite images, and the math and physics behind satellite technology. The module is part of an online course for grades 7-12 in satellite meteorology, which includes 10 interactive modules. The site also includes lesson plans developed by teachers and links to related resources. Each module is designed to serve as a stand-alone lesson, however, a sequential approach is recommended. Designed to challenge students through the end of 12th grade, middle school teachers and students may choose to skim or skip a few sections.

The activities in this Illumination lesson plan deal with patterns and the importance of looking at an object/item from more than a single perspective and reaffirms to learners that numerous reasonable solutions are possible. Students investigate a series of items (a list of class names and a parade of animals) that appear to be ordered in some "obvious" ways and also explore ways of sorting items ( a deck of cards and numbered horses) into two disjoint groups on the basis of some definable characteristic. Activity sheets are included in pdf format.

The students will use investigation and data collection to investigate the three states of matter. They will draw conclusions about the physical properties by answering questions.

This lesson would be used to follow up with the “What’s in the Water? Lab Activity.”

You are employees of competing Water Testing companies. You recently received a request from the municipality of Cavour to test their water for an unknown/suspected parasite that they suspect has been causing nausea and intestinal distress in their community.

Your mission after developing the Method for testing for the parasite found in the City of Cavour’s water is to submit your report for approval by the City of Cavour.

Your report and presentation will be used to determine whether Cavour accepts your bid for the contract.

This is a short lesson (including hands on activities) on polymers and plastics to expand our study of physical/chemical properties and changes.