About Us

The Middle School Chemistry Project

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.

Student

Middle School Chemistry helps students:

  • Ask scientific questions and investigate them
  • Design and conduct experiments
  • Understand their observations on the molecular level
  • Record and communicate results
Teacher

For teachers, Middle School Chemistry includes:

  • 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

Credits

Lesson development

  • Patti Galvan
  • Jim Kessler
  • Adam Boyd

Online Assignment Development and Video Narration

  • Laura Celik, Middle School Science Teacher

Science content review

  • Jerry Bell, PhD

Safety review

  • ACS Committee on Chemical Safety

Simulations, Molecular model videos, Chemical reaction videos 

  • J.S. Enterprises
  • Joanna Ho
  • Roy Tasker, PhD
  • Chemical Education Exchange (ChemEd X)

Molecular illustrations and Activity illustrations

  • Dwaine Eubanks, PhD
  • Jim Wisniewski

Safety

The activities described in middleschoolchemistry.com are intended for students under the direct supervision of teachers. The American Chemical Society (ACS) cannot be held responsible for any accidents or injuries that might result from conducting the activities without proper supervision, from not specifically following directions, or from ignoring the cautions contained in the lessons.

The term “goggles” used in the safety section of each lesson refers to chemical splash goggles as shown in the picture on the right and in the icon accompanying every activity in the lessons.

chemical splash goggles
Chemical splash goggles

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