STEM Source

This lab is an introduction to half-lives. I use it with my students before defining the concept of half-life. Students should already be familiar with radioactivity. Materials required include M & Ms and cups with lids (a local coffee shop gave me a bunch and they worked perfectly).

Simulation showing what happens during nuclear fission/ nuclear chain reactions. I use this to introduce fission and fusion before formally defining them.

This stations activity introduces the concept of "organic molecules" and serves as an introduction to naming hydrocarbons. I do this "lab" after a period of discrepant event demonstrations and before formally introducing/ defining organic molecules and their naming rules. In stations 1-3, students make observations about hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes). In station 5, students make observations about isomers of pentane. In station 4, students use polymer tape to test the direction that p

Structural isomers of hydrocarbons. Students (in groups) are tasked with drawing 16 hydrocarbons on separate cards (given the names). They then group the structural isomers together and name the "parent molecule" before checking their work with an answer key (included).

Lab in which students use spectral lines (produced from Geissler Tubes) to identify an element. Materials required include Geissler Tubes filled with argon, mercury, neon, hydrogen, and helium, power supply boxes for the tubes, and spectroscopes.

This lab explores isotopes of fictional element "pennium." I use this lab activity immediately before teaching students about isotopes/ calculating average atomic mass. Students will see that isotopes of an element have similar properties to each other but differ in their atomic masses due to differences in atomic structures. Materials needed include pennies (pre 1982 and post 1982), copper wire, magnets, batteries, small lightbulbs, and electronic balances.

Students will identify nuclear decay products to complete a maze using a reference table (included). Reference table lists decay type for selected radioisotopes.

This is a self-guided, exploratory simulation activity paired with the build an atom PHET simulation and a universe scale simulation (links provided in the document). Answer key included.

Nuclear half-life practice problems. Five short answer, 6 multiple choice. Answer key included.