This is a lesson about determining planetary composition. Learners will use a reflectometer to determine which minerals are present (from a set of knowns) in a sample of Mars soil simulant. Requires the use of ALTA II spectrometers (which may be borrowed from the Lunar and Planetary Institute or purchased online) and Mars soil simulant. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.

In this lab activity, students will use a microscale titration apparatus to determine the equilibrium constant for the reaction between silver and iron ions.

In this activity, students pose several hypotheses for what will happen if you continue heating or supplying energy to the hot and cold planet models (Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Earth) and then test their hypotheses using a spreadsheet based radiation balance model. The activity supports investigation of a real world challenge, experimenting with life support conditions for Mars at an Arctic outpost. The interactive model runs are conducted using a Java applet. This resource includes student worksheets, assessment questions and a teacher's guide. This is Activity B in module 2, Modeling hot and cold planets, of the resource, Earth Climate Course: What Determines a Planet's Climate? The course aims to help students to develop an understanding of our environment as a system of human and natural processes that result in changes that occur over various space and time scales.

Students will model the atomic structure of common elements found in soils, determine an atom's valence electrons, draw Lewis electron dot diagrams, and discuss the basic principles of element bonding.

A study of the geology of Mars should reveal answers to such questions as how Mars developed into the planet we see today and what accounts for the differences and similarities between Earth and Mars. Visitors to this site can learn about ancient magnetism recently discovered by the Mars Global Surveyor that suggests the planet was once more dynamic and Earth-like with a magnetic field shielding the surface from cosmic radiation. They can read about the importance of studying the age and composition of Martian rocks, particularly those rocks and minerals which might have been formed in the presence of water. This is part of NASA's presentation of four science goals for its Mars Exploration Program, a science-driven effort to discover whether Mars was, is, or can be, a habitable world.

This article provides background information related to natural resources of the poles, and renewable and non-renewable energy.

This is a hands-on lab activity about the composition of salt. Learners will explain the general relationship between an element's Periodic Table Group Number and its tendency to gain or lose electron(s), and explain the difference between molecular compounds and ionic compounds. They will then use household materials to build a model to demonstrate sodium chloride's cubic form and describe the nature of the electrostatic attraction that holds the structure of salt together. Background information, common preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities.

The ocean and atmosphere continually exchange particles and gases in a kind of ongoing "dialogue" that influences regional and global climate. This site explains the chemical link between the ocean and atmosphere. Emphasis is on the ocean's ability to store and release water vapor and carbon dioxide, both of which contribute to the greenhouse effect. Features include text, a scientific illustration, and links to other relevant topics, data sets, and satellite missions.

This ChemMatters article provides a history of the study of ozone, a description of an experimental simulation called "The World Avoided," a brief introduction to the chemistry of ozone, an explanation of how ozone is measured, and the difference between "good" ozone in the stratosphere vs "bad" ozone in the troposhere. ChemMatters is an educational magazine published by the American Chemical Society.

This is an activity about detecting elements by using light. Learners will develop and apply methods to identify and interpret patterns to the identification of fingerprints. They look at fingerprints of their classmates, snowflakes, and finally “spectral fingerprints” of elements. They learn to identify each image as unique, yet part of a group containing recognizable similarities. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.

An interactive periodic table that provides not just the basic information, but also information about where the element can be found and how it is used.

In this lesson students will investigate the physical properties of matter, learn 4 important physical properties of soil commonly tested in agriculture production and rediscover the 3 components of soil used for the USDA soil classification system.

After a brief history of plastics, students look more closely as some examples from the abundant types of plastics found in our day-to-day lives. They are introduced to the mechanical properties of plastics, including their stress-strain relationships, which determine their suitability for different industrial and product applications. These physical properties enable plastics to be fabricated into a wide range of products. Students learn about the different roles that plastics play in our lives, Young's modulus, and the effects that plastics have on our environment. Then students act as industrial engineers, conducting tests to compare different plastics and performing a cost-benefit analysis to determine which are the most cost-effective for a given application, based on their costs and measured physical properties.

This article explains how the ice and snow of the polar regions fit in the global water cycle and includes links to professional development resources.

Re-mixed hands-on lab to help students understand the physical properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.

This unit includes 10 lessons that culminate in a student created final product presentation on the factors that influence climate change through the lens of chemistry and oceanography using literacy strategies to conduct inquiry level research. Using inquiry-based reading, student will examine an anchor text to formulate a question to guide their research and development of student driven projects. Throughout the unit, students will use a variety of texts, websites, and other resources to develop a product and presentation that exhibits their literacy and inquiry skills. Using inquiry-based reading, students will explore an anchor text and then develop their own essential and supporting questions to guide their research. Over the course of the unit, students will explore a variety of texts and grow in their knowledge of cellular organelles and in their ability to use informational text to support their inquiry and research.

In this activity students learn that elements are the basic building blocks of all things found on Earth and in space including water, the human body, and the Earth, the Sun, and the planets. By counting elements extracted from sample of beads designed to simulate a Genesis sampling grid, they will learn how the extraction of atoms from the Genesis samples help scientists have a better understanding of the abundances of elements in the solar wind. The hands-on experience helps students to discover that the elemental abundances from the sun can be used as a baseline to compare with the diverse bodies of our solar system. A student worksheet and data spreadsheet are provided.

This article, written for students in grades 4-5, introduces the concept of albedo and describes the shrinking of Arctic sea ice. Modified versions are available for students in younger grades.

The purpose of this resource is to investigate the center pixel of a homogeneous land Cover Site in order to understand that individual land areas are part of a larger land system.

The purpose of this resource is to investigate the idea that every dynamic system has energy and matter in different forms.