Lenny.com

Lessons

Alchemist Flame Mystery

A chemistry-focused lesson framing flame tests as an ancient alchemical decoding challenge, focusing on atomic spectroscopy and logical inference.

DB

Danielle Burham

4

Earths Natural Clock

A comprehensive introduction to radiometric dating, explaining how scientists use radioactive isotopes to determine the absolute age of rocks and fossils, and comparing it to relative dating methods.

LN

Leah Nickols

4

Electron Maps

A foundational lesson on electron configurations, covering subshell filling orders, orbital notation, and specific examples to visualize how electrons occupy atomic space.

D

david.marques

7

Atomic Blueprint Review

A comprehensive review sequence focusing on atomic structure, Bohr models, isotopes, and electron configurations designed for high school chemistry students.

D

david.marques

2

Deep Time Detectives

A data-driven investigation where students use radiometric dating techniques to determine the absolute age of an Archaeopteryx fossil. Students analyze isotope ratios, calculate half-lives, and interpret decay curves to solve a geologic mystery.

LN

Leah Nickols

6

Filling the Atomic House

Students learn the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle to map out electron distributions across energy levels.

C

cbrown

7

Atomic Glow

A high school chemistry lab investigating the emission spectra of metal ions through flame tests. Students explore the Bohr model of the atom and identify unknown metal salts based on their characteristic flame colors.

3

Mantle Motion

A 40-minute exploration into how radioactive decay in Earth's core provides the thermal energy necessary to change mantle density, creating the buoyancy shifts that drive convection currents.

4

Spectral Scale Exploration

A collaborative 8th-grade science lesson exploring the electromagnetic spectrum through wavelength analogies, video analysis, and a 'Spectrum Walk' project. students map the scale of non-visible light from radio waves to gamma rays.

4

Quantum Blur

An introductory physics lesson exploring the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and quantization through real-world analogies, peer-teaching, and visual modeling.

5

Quantum Leap Discovery

This lesson explores how quantum mechanics revolutionized our understanding of reality, focusing on the shift from 'impossible to know' to 'scientific truth' through technology. Students engage with the history of spectroscopy, the principles of the quantum world, and brainstorm future technological breakthroughs.

5

Atomic Fingerprints

A high school chemistry lesson exploring how quantized energy levels in atoms lead to unique emission spectra. Students compare continuous and discrete light sources, watch a video on quantum principles, and perform a spectroscopy lab using gas discharge tubes.

4

Sequences

Science Lab Mysteries

A series of high-stakes science laboratory mysteries designed for middle school students. Each mystery focuses on a specific branch of science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Ecology) and uses 8 forensic clues to solve a case.

SH

Sarah Hurdle

26

Magnetic Forces Investigation

A 5-day intensive exploration of magnetic forces and fields, focusing on atomic-level causes, field interactions, and mathematical modeling of forces on charged particles. Students progress from anchoring phenomena to complex mathematical applications and a comprehensive unit review.

OM

Olutoyin Makinde

68

Physics Frontiers Research Project

A partner-based research project for 9th-grade conceptual physics students focusing on diverse topics from celestial mechanics to the physics of dance. Students move through a structured research process with mandatory teacher checkpoints for source reliability.

C

ckroeker

13

Pressure Power

A comprehensive 5-day chemistry unit investigating the relationships between gas pressure, volume, temperature, and moles using lab inquiries, mathematical modeling, and real-world applications.

OM

Olutoyin Makinde

69

Molecular Mayhem Gas Unit

A 10-day exploration of the Behavior of Gases using Kinetic Molecular Theory, various gas laws, and real-world phenomena to understand gas behavior at both molecular and macroscopic scales. Students will investigate compressibility, gas variables, ideal behavior, and mixtures.

OM

Olutoyin Makinde

26

Light Frontiers

A comprehensive physics sequence exploring the dual nature of light, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the interactions of radiation with matter, including the photoelectric effect and polarization.

OM

Olutoyin Makinde

18

Atomic Architecture

A comprehensive study sequence covering atomic structure, periodic trends, chemical bonding, and nomenclature to prepare students for chemistry assessments.

MB

Marsha Bolden

4

Atomic Origins

A comprehensive set of materials exploring the historical development of atomic theory from ancient Greece to the modern quantum model, provided in a bilingual format to support English and Spanish speaking learners.

MB

Marsha Bolden

5

Le Pouvoir Solaire

Une séquence approfondie sur les phases claires de la photosynthèse, destinée aux étudiants de première année de licence. Elle couvre la capture de l'énergie lumineuse, les pigments photosynthétiques et la chaîne de transfert d'électrons.

D

dimitri0681

7

Elemental Families Field Guide

A comprehensive 11th-grade chemistry sequence exploring the periodic table through element families. Students investigate reactivity, physical states, and electron configurations across five key groups, from the violent alkali metals to the critical rare earth elements.

10

Spectroscopy and the Quantized Atom

This sequence connects atomic structure to observable light phenomena. Students explore wave-particle duality, energy quantization, and spectral fingerprints to understand how spectroscopy reveals the internal architecture of elements and the composition of the universe.

14

Quantum Architect Sequence

A comprehensive 11th-grade physics sequence exploring the quantum mechanical model of the atom, electron configurations, and the structural logic of the periodic table. Students progress from historical models to mastery of orbital filling rules and periodic blocks.

15

Videos

Understanding the Strange World of Quantum Mechanics

This engaging video introduces students to the fundamental and often counterintuitive principles of quantum mechanics. Through clear narration and helpful analogies, it breaks down complex topics such as wave-particle duality, the observer effect, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and energy quantization. The video uses visual demonstrations, like the double-slit experiment and car speedometer analogies, to make these abstract concepts accessible to high school students. Key themes include the strange behavior of subatomic particles, the difference between continuous and quantized energy, and how observation fundamentally alters quantum systems. The video also explores practical applications of these theories, explaining how quantum mechanics allows us to determine the composition of stars through spectroscopy, improves television displays with Quantum Dots (QLED), and powers the future of quantum computing. Ideally suited for high school physics and chemistry classrooms, this video bridges the gap between theoretical science and real-world technology. It provides a solid conceptual foundation for understanding atomic structure and modern technology, making it an excellent resource for introducing a unit on modern physics or electron configurations.

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

10mins 18s

How Fossils Form and How Scientists Date Them

This educational video provides a comprehensive overview of paleontology, focusing on the formation, discovery, and dating of fossils. It begins by defining fossils as the remains or traces of once-living organisms and explains the specific, rare environmental conditions necessary for fossilization to occur, such as rapid burial in sediment, ice, or amber. The video differentiates between body fossils (bones, soft tissue) and trace fossils (footprints, nests), giving students a clear understanding of the diversity of the fossil record. The content then delves into the two primary methods scientists use to date these discoveries: relative dating and absolute dating. It explains relative dating through the Law of Superposition and the use of index fossils like trilobites to establish chronological order in rock layers. It then introduces the more complex concept of absolute dating, using animations to demonstrate radioactive decay, isotopes, and half-lives. Specific examples using Carbon-14 and Potassium-40 are provided to show how scientists calculate specific ages for fossils ranging from thousands to billions of years old. For educators, this video is a valuable tool for bridging biology and earth science concepts. It effectively simplifies the abstract mathematics of radioactive half-lives into visual models that are easier for students to grasp. The video includes built-in learning goals, practice problems, and real-world examples (such as cyanobacteria and woolly mammoths), making it a self-contained lesson on geological time and the evidence for evolution.

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

13mins 37s

The Building Blocks of Matter: Exploring Particle Physics

This educational video provides a comprehensive introduction to particle physics, delving deeper than the standard model of protons, neutrons, and electrons to explore the fundamental building blocks of the universe. The narrator guides viewers through the "particle zoo," explaining how protons and neutrons are actually composite particles made of quarks, while electrons belong to a different family called leptons. The video clarifies the distinction between fermions (matter builders) and bosons (force carriers), offering clear analogies to explain how forces operate at the subatomic level. Key themes include the structure of the atom, the Standard Model of elementary particles, and the four fundamental forces of nature: electromagnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear, and gravitational. The video breaks down complex concepts like fractional charges in quarks, the pairing of leptons with neutrinos, and the role of particle accelerators in discovering new particles like the Higgs boson. It also addresses current gaps in scientific knowledge, such as the hypothetical nature of the graviton. For educators, this video serves as an excellent bridge between basic chemistry/physics concepts and advanced modern physics. It uses clear graphics and simple math (adding fractions for quark charges) to demystify abstract concepts. The content is valuable for high school physics and chemistry classrooms to deepen students' understanding of matter, introduce the concept of fundamental forces, and spark interest in contemporary scientific research.

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

12mins 40s