Matter & Chemical Reactions Bundle

About this resource

5 mystery-driven Science Unlocked lesson sets for middle school (grades 6-8), about 5 weeks of matter & chemical reactions instruction. Each set opens with a real, surprising phenomenon, builds the science one level at a time, and ends with students cracking the case in a claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) write-up.

Topics: atoms, atoms and molecules, atoms and elements, chemical reactions, chemical and physical changes, thermal energy, conservation of mass, law of conservation of mass, claim evidence reasoning (CER), science phenomenon, review games.

Bundle price: $12.50 for 5 sets ($2.50 a set). Bought one at a time, these sets cost $15.

Sets in this bundle

• Pencil or Diamond? (MS-PS1-1, Atoms, Molecules & Extended Structures). The gray “lead” in your pencil is mostly graphite, so soft it rubs off on paper. A diamond is the hardest natural material on Earth. Graphite and diamond are both made of nothing but carbon atoms. How can the same atoms make such different stuff?
• The Fatberg Files (MS-PS1-2, Chemical Reactions: Properties Before & After). In 2017, workers found a 130-tonne lump of fat, grease, and wet wipes clogging a London sewer. Parts were hard and gritty and stuck tight to the pipe. Is a fatberg just cold grease stuck together — or did the grease turn into a new substance?
• The Nylon Rush (MS-PS1-3, Synthetic Materials & Natural Resources). In 1938, the DuPont company said its brand-new thread, nylon, was made from coal, water, and air. In 1946, about 40,000 people lined up for over a mile in Pittsburgh to buy nylon stockings. How can coal, water, and air become a silky thread — and why did people want it so badly?
• The Vanishing Spoon (MS-PS1-4, States of Matter & Particle Motion). A shiny metal spoon is stirred into a cup of hot tea — and the end of it disappears, leaving a silver puddle at the bottom. How can a metal spoon vanish in a cup of tea?
• Not One Atom Lost (MS-PS1-5, Conservation of Mass in Chemical Reactions). Burn paper, and the ash left behind weighs much less. Burn a fluffy pad of steel wool, and it gets heavier! How can burning make one thing lighter and another heavier — and where does the extra mass come from?

Every set includes

• An editable Teacher Deck with answers highlighted and speaker notes (what to say, support and GT tips).
• An interactive Student Deck (PowerPoint + PDF) where students type, drag and rate their confidence.
• Google Slides versions of both decks, with make-a-copy links.
• A Teacher Guide with a run-of-show for every level, materials, misconceptions, answer keys and sources.
• A Student Printable in 12 pt type, plus a low-ink greyscale copy, for paper days and sub days.
• A self-grading digital activity: SCORM 2004, SCORM 1.2, a web package and a single HTML file.
• Two whole-class review games (Jeopardy-style and Trashketball), plus Kahoot! and Blooket import files with an answer key.
• Leveled lessons with "I can" targets, notes, practice, checkpoints, exit tickets, a Mini Quiz and a Stretch beyond grade level.

By the numbers

• 5 one-week units, each with 5-6 levels (about one 45-50 minute class per level).
• 5 of the 5 sets include a hands-on lab with a materials list and safety notes.
• 240 Kahoot!/Blooket review questions across the bundle.

Try the digital activity first

• Not sure the self-grading activity will work in your LMS? Download the FREE HTML & SCORM Sample and test it with your students before you buy.

Save more

• Middle School Physical Science + Engineering (23 sets, $46)
• Science Unlocked Mega Bundle (89 sets, $133.50)

More from Mystery Lab Learning

• See every Science Unlocked set, and follow to hear when new ones are added, at Mystery Lab Learning.

Good to know

• When a set in this bundle is updated, you get the update for free in My Purchases.
• The illustrations in these resources were created with AI image tools, and AI tools helped draft the lesson text. Every slide, answer key and lab step was then fact-checked against the sources listed in each Teacher Guide and proofread.
• Kahoot!, Blooket, Jeopardy!, Google Slides and PowerPoint are trademarks of their owners. These resources are not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
• License: one teacher, for use with their own students. Please buy an additional license for each colleague who uses it.