Seventh Grade, Green Chemistry Projects, Lessons, Activities (15 results)

Do you ever use plastic wrap to cover a container? Did you know that it is made of plastic, which significantly contributes to the amount of waste in our landfills? There are many alternatives to plastic, and one popular product is beeswax wraps. Are beeswax wraps a suitable replacement for plastic wrap? Find out in this experiment! Read more

These lessons use open-ended exploration to introduce students to biopolymers and the chemistry behind cross-linking. Students will draw inspiration from biology and use authentic scientific practices to design and create colorful string creations from a natural polymer, alginate. Learning Objectives Students will: Engage in authentic science practices through open-ended exploration. Create a string using polymers harvested from living algae. Manipulate the properties of a… Read more

In this lesson, students will do a simple exercise with M&Ms to understand what environmental impact factor (E-factor) is, how it applies to chemical processes, and how waste from chemical reactions can be reduced by applying the principles of green chemistry. Learning Objectives Students will: Understand strategies for reducing waste Perform an exercise which has them practice E-factor Relate the exercise to chemical processes NGSS Alignment MS-PS1-3. Gather and make… Read more

Where does CO₂ come from and how does excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect the ocean and aquatic life? In this lesson students are introduced to the carbon cycle and explore pH and acidification with hands-on experiments. They then connect their experimental data with real-world data to evaluate claims about carbon dioxide and ocean acidification. Finally, students are introduced to how different companies and research groups are using green chemistry to build carbon capture… Read more

Look around and you will see fabrics everywhere, from clothes to upholstery, in a wide range of colors. In this chemistry lab students will dye strips of fabrics to explore how variables like pH and fiber type influence fabric colors. Students will also look at the life cycles of natural and synthetic fibers and apply green chemistry principles to understand how science can help make advances towards a "greener" textile industry. Learning Objectives Students will: Understand that synthetic… Read more