IAPS: Student Links
Student Activity Links
Select any unit from contents
Unit A: Studying Materials Scientifically
Activity 1
Handling Hazardous Materials
Video: Hazardous Materials Investigations – The Barrel Mystery
This video segment, used in Activity 1, is also on the Issues & Physical Science DVD.
General Resources
International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs): International Programme on Chemical Safety
Lookup chemical safety information in several different languages on this website by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Cleaning Products Pilot Project
Read about a federal project to rank cleaning products on their environmental and health affects.
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Unit B: The Chemistry of Materials
Activity 13 Product Life Cycle
Activity 15 Families of Elements
Activity 16 Elements and the Periodic Table
Activity 26 Incinerating the Waste
Activity 13
Product Life Cycle
Ever wonder what a CD is made out of? What will happen to it when it is no longer used? Visit the sites below to see posters showing the life cycle of a CD and several other items constructed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Activity 15
Families of Elements
Visit the sites below to view the Periodic Table of Elements.
• Chemical Elements has an interactive Periodic Table of the Elements
• Los Alamos National Laboratory Periodic Table of the Elements
• IUPAC – International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry: Periodic Table of the Elements
Click on “Periodic Table of the Elements” to download the latest version of the table approved by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists (IUPAC).
Activity 16
Elements and the Periodic Table
History of the Periodic Table of Elements and the work of Dmitiri Mendeleev
Dmitiri Mendeleev Online maintained by Eugene V. Babaev at Moscow State University
Multilingual dictionary of the names of chemical elements
This website lists the names of elements in more than twenty languages.
Rediscovery of the Elements Papers
At this site, you can read articles about the history surrounding the discovery of various element.
Activity 26
Incinerating the Waste
Video: Waste Disposal – Computers and the Environment
This video segment, used in Activity 26, is also on the Issues & Physical Science DVD.
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Unit C: Water
Activity 31 Willow Grove’s Troubled Waters
Activity 32 Mapping Death
Activity 34 Water Pollution
Activity 39 Contaminants and the Water Cycle
Activity 43 Municipal Water Treatment
Activity 44 Willow Grove Water Quality Report
Activity 31
Willow Grove’s Troubled Waters
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Envirofacts Data Warehouse
This site provides information on environmental topics. Each topic links to a page where information about the topic in specific areas of the country can be obtained.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Local Drinking Water Information
This site contains information about local drinking water systems by state.
Activity 32
Mapping Death
The two sites that follow provide basic information about cholera.
World Health Organization: Water-related Diseases
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Cholera page
World Health Organization (WHO)
Additional information about cholera can be found by searching the complete World Health Organization (WHO) site.
Activity 34
Water Pollution
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Search this site for information about water pollution in your area.
Activity 39
Contaminants and the Water Cycle
Phases of Water
This site provides a simulation that demonstrates what happens at the molecular level as water changes phase from ice, to liquid, to gas. To investigate these changes, follow the two steps below.
1. Click on the start arrow and observe and record what happens to the water molecules as the temperature
a. changes from -20 to 0°C
b. reaches 0°C and maintains this temperature
c. changes from 0 to 100°C
d. reaches 100°C and maintains this temperature
e. increases in temperature from 100°C to 150°C
2. What observable changes are happening to the water at each stage (a through e) above? In other words, what phases or phases—solid, liquid, or gas—are present at each stage?
Activity 43
Municipal Water Treatment
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Local Drinking Water Information
Click on your area of the map provided to find information about your local area.
Water Treatment Process/US EPA
This site provides information about water treatment.
Surf Your Watershed/US EPA
Enter your zip code to find information about your local watershed and water system.
Ground Water and Drinking Water – US EPA
This site provides links to further information about drinking water.
Activity 44
Willow Grove Water Quality Report
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Local Drinking Water Information
Click on your area of the map provided to find your local water quality report if it is posted online.
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Unit D: Energy
Activity 55 Roller Coaster Energy
Activity 60 and Activity 62 Ice Preserving Contest and Quantifying Energy
Activity 64 Electricity Generation
Activity 71 Household Energy Efficiency
Activity 72 Improving Energy Efficiency
Activity 55
Roller Coaster Energy
Funderstanding Roller Coaster
Design a roller coaster online, changing the height of hills and a loop, the speed of the coaster, friction, gravity, and more.
Design a Roller Coaster
At this site you can participate in a short project to create your own roller coaster. Then you can have it evaluated for “safety” and “fun” scores.
Activity 60 and Activity 62
Ice Preserving Contest and Quantifying Energy
Phases of Water
This site provides a simulation that demonstrates what happens at the molecular level as water changes phase from ice, to liquid, to gas. To investigate these changes, follow the two steps below.
1. Click on the start arrow and observe and record what happens to the water molecules as the temperature:
a. changes from -20 to 0°C
b. reaches 0°C and maintains this temperature
c. changes from 0 to 100°C
d. reaches 100°C and maintains this temperature
e. increases in temperature from 100°C to 150°C
2. What observable changes are happening to the water at each stage (a through e) above? In other words, what phases or phases—solid, liquid, or gas—are present at each stage?
Activity 64
Electricity Generation
National Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions
Visit this site to see a list of the top 20 carbon dioxide producing countries and how their emissions compare.
Activity 71
Household Energy Efficiency
US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
This site developed by the United States Department of Energy’s explains more about making your home energy-efficient.
Home Energy Checklist for Action
Visit this site to see what you can do starting today to increase your home’s energy efficiency.
How you can save energy
Visit this site to read a list of things you can do at home to reduce your energy costs.
Activity 72
Improving Energy Efficiency
Home Energy Saver
Enter your zip code on this site to calculate how you and your family can save energy in the area in which you live.
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Unit E: Force and Motion
Activity 74 Measuring Speed
Activity 82 Braking Distance
Activity 85 Crash Testing
Activity 74
Measuring Speed
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Activity 82
Braking Distance
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Activity 85
Crash Testing
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Find out why is it important to wear seatbelts, put infant seats in the back seat, or never hold an infant on your lap in the car. See video clips of crash test dummies in these situations and many others.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Vehicle Research Center
Have you ever wondered how crash test dummies were constructed or how the vehicle safety rating were determined? Read about these topics and how the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests vehicles to determine safety ratings.
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Unit F: Waves
Activity 89 It’s a Noisy World
Activity 92 Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Activity 96 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Activity 98 Blocking Out Ultraviolet
Activity 99 Personal Protection Plan
Activity 89
It’s a Noisy World
Dangerous Decibels: Virtual Exhibit
This website, from the Oregon Health and Science University, features a number of interactive simulations on various aspects of sound.
Activity 92
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
This website, from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, explains the cause of noise-induced hearing loss.
Activity 96
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Antennas and Transmitters
This website, from British science writer Chris Woodford, explains how we transmit and receive information via radio waves.
Source: Woodford, Chris. (2008) Antennas and transmitters. Retrieved from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/antennas.html. [Accessed May 26, 2015]
Wireless Internet
This website, from British science writer Chris Woodford, explains how most of us access the Internet: Wi-fi.
Source: Woodford, Chris. (2007) Wireless Internet. Retrieved from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/wirelessinternet.html. [Accessed May 26, 2015]
Activity 98
Blocking Out Ultraviolet
EPA: UV Index
Want to know what the UV index is for your community? Find out from this website from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Activity 99
Personal Protection Plan
Current UV Index Forecast
Want to know the UV forecast for your region? This website from NOAA is here to help.
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