A series of quick experiments to help students explore matter and materials. Note, only the tasks are provided here; teachers may need to provide worksheets for students to use as they complete each activity. Shared by the Exploratorium. 

Scope and Sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter.

These activities encourage students to explore the different states of matter. By the American Chemical Society.

Scope and Sequence connection: 6:2 Weather and the Atmosphere; 7:2 Energy and Matter.

Steve Spengler Science shares experiments to help understand the different states of matter. 

Scope and Sequence connection: 6:2 Weather and the Atmosphere and 7:2 Energy and Matter.

This lesson, from the American Chemical Society, explains how the weight of the object does not always correlate to its density.  This lesson includes a hands on experiment on a tea candle and a piece of clay.  

Scope and Sequence connection: 6:2 Weather and the Atmosphere and 7:2 Energy and Matter.

In this activity, students will see that the liquid water can change state again and freeze to become ice. Shared by the American Chemical Society.

Scope and Sequence connection: 6:2 Weather and the Atmosphere; 7:2 Energy and Matter.

The energy story provides digital chapters on various aspects of energy including: electricity, geothermal energy, fossil fuels, hydro power/ocean energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, wind energy and transportation energy.  

Scope and sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter.

Teach students about the carbon cycle and how human energy use impacts this cycle. Fossil fuels – petroleum, coal, natural gas – make up the largest share of energy production and consumption in the U.S. They’re also part of the carbon cycle. Use the carbon cycle game in this lesson to model the flow of carbon and explain how fossil fuels fit into the cycle. The video in the lesson will help teachers connect the concepts to everyday life. Advanced students will be primed to discuss the associated public policy issues. Shared by PBS Learning Media.

Scope and Sequence connection: 6:1 Energy and Simple Machines; 6:4 Interdependence; 7:2 Energy and Matter; and 8:4 Human Impact on the Environment and Health: Needs and Tradeoffs.

The heat conductivity of a solid material defines how fast heat will flow through it.  This model illustrates the effect of different conductivities by placing different materials between a hot and a cold object and graphing the changing temperatures. Shared by the Concord Consortium.

Scope and Sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter.

This middle school unit on sound starts off with students exploring a perplexing phenomenon where sounds and voices are heard coming from a paper cup and needle as a plastic disc (a record) is spun underneath it.  This phenomenon fuels a series of questions and ideas for investigations to pursue about how sound is produced, how it travels, and how it is detected and encoded.  Shared by Next Generation Science Storylines website.

Scope and Sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter. 

Discover the relationship between vibration and sound in this video from Design Squad Nation.

Students will build  a robot that can automatically follow a line around a homemade race course, while learning about the electromagnetic spectrum and electronic circuits. This can also be used for an investigation for an 8th grade exit project. Shared by Science Buddies.

Scope and Sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter.

The NASA Wavelength website hosts a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels. In this introductory activity, learners investigate and discuss infrared images of various everyday objects, such as toasters, hairdryers, and running water, to learn about infrared imaging. Student questions about the false-color images help guide a discussion about what they are, how they are different from visible light images, and the information that such images contain. This is an introductory activity for both the Infrared Zoo and Infrared Yellowstone lessons (which can also be found on this website.) Can be adapted for different grade levels.  

Scope and Sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter

This interactive shows students how the Periodic Table works, and how and why elements interact to make the world around us.

Scope and sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter

The purpose of this lesson is to explain what is a chemical reaction using a simple demonstration of a lit tea candle. Shared by the American Chemical Society.

Students can use this simulation to determine if a liquid is acidic, basic or neutral as well as test the pH of things like coffee, spit, and soap. The PhET Interactive Simulations project from the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

Bill Nye's website shares a simple experiment on how chemical erosion works. Materials required: chalk, lemon juice and vinegar. Teachers can extend this activity to include specific chemical reactions for middle school students. 

Scope and sequence connection: 7:2 Energy and Matter.

Students will do hands-on activities and read information online in order to answer the central question of this lesson: How does understanding the chemistry of hair care, including the role of pH, help in the development of better hair-care products?  

Science NetLinks is a project of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This lesson could be used for a science fair project. Scope and Sequence connection: 7:2 Matter and Energy and HS chemistry.