5 Science Skills Your Students Are Missing (and Easy Ways to Teach Them in Class))

Science skills for students go far beyond following directions in a lab. High school science students need opportunities to design experiments, analyze data, solve problems, and communicate evidence clearly. These science skills help students think like real scientists while building confidence across biology, chemistry, and physical science.

If your students can complete a lab but struggle to explain their thinking, interpret messy results, or design their own investigations, they may need more practice with core science skills. The good news is that you do not need to overhaul your curriculum to build these skills. A few targeted activities can make a big difference.

What science skills should students learn?

Science students need more than content knowledge. They need skills that help them think, analyze, and communicate like real scientists. The most important science skills include:

• Designing experiments
• Interpreting data and graphs
• Writing evidence-based explanations
• Solving quantitative problems
• Communicating scientific ideas

These science skills, often referred to as science process skills, are the difference between students who memorize content and students who truly understand how science works. 

What Are Science Skills?

Science skills are the thinking, reasoning, problem solving, and communication skills students use to investigate questions and make sense of evidence. These include skills such as designing experiments, interpreting graphs, writing evidence based explanations, solving quantitative problems, and communicating scientific ideas clearly.

These are the same kinds of skills students use when they create a hypothesis, identify variables, analyze a data table, explain a trend on a graph, or defend a conclusion with evidence. If you want a broader look at essential science process skills, you may also like my post on 17 essential science skills all students need.

Here are five important science skills for students that will help keep learners engaged, challenged, and growing all year long. These strategies are designed specifically for high school science students but can be adapted for middle school classrooms as well.

1. Designing Original Experiments

Many science students perform traditional labs perfectly but freeze when asked to create their own investigations. They have mastered following directions, but not designing experiments. Learning how to plan an investigation is one of the most important science skills students can develop.

How to challenge them:

• Let students redesign one of your favorite labs by changing one variable.
• Have them identify independent, dependent, and controlled variables.
• Ask students to write their own hypothesis, procedure, and data table.
• If time allows, add a peer review round before anyone begins the lab.

Students quickly discover that experimental design requires both creativity and critical thinking. If you want more ideas for teaching this skill, you might also like Teach the Skills, Please and applying scientific methods in class.

💡 Ready made help: Try my Scientific Method and Experimental Design Lab, a scaffolded activity that walks students through the process of planning their own experiment from scratch. It is editable, printable, and includes a full teacher guide and answer key.

2. Interpreting Complex Data and Graphs

Science students often learn how to make neat graphs, but many still struggle to interpret what the data actually means. They may miss trends, overlook anomalies, or have trouble explaining possible sources of error. Interpreting data is one of the most valuable scientific skills for students because real science is rarely neat and tidy.

How to challenge them:

• Present messy data sets from real world studies or classroom experiments.
• Ask students to identify trends, outliers, and possible sources of error.
• Have them explain what might happen if one variable changed.
• Encourage students to support their observations with evidence from the graph or table.

This strengthens scientific reasoning and helps students move beyond simply making graphs. For more practice with comparing and interpreting observations, you may also like science skills for comparing and classifying.

💡 Ready made help: My Graphing and Data Analysis Worksheets and Quiz make a great bridge between basic graphing and higher level interpretation. They are fully editable and perfect for differentiating within one class period.

3. Writing Evidence Based Explanations

Even strong students sometimes write weak conclusions. They summarize what happened in the lab, but skip the reasoning behind the results. Writing evidence based explanations helps students connect observations to scientific ideas, which is a skill they will use in every science course.

How to challenge them:

• Use the CER model, which stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, to structure student thinking.
• Show examples of both strong and weak lab conclusions for students to critique.
• Have students revise a weak paragraph using evidence drawn directly from their data.
• Ask students to explain not just what happened, but why it happened.

These practices strengthen communication and clarity while helping students think more deeply about the science. Strong scientific writing also supports success in other content areas and on assessments.

💡 Ready made help: My Scientific Writing and Analysis Worksheets help students craft well supported explanations and practice scientific writing step by step.

4. Quantitative Problem Solving

Quantitative problem solving is another key science skill for students. When students use numbers to explain real phenomena, science becomes more meaningful. Whether students are calculating moles, density, percent composition, or changes in mass during osmosis, math helps them see the evidence behind the concept.

How to challenge them:

• Embed calculations within engaging, real life examples.
• Ask students to explain in words what each number means.
• Use examples such as density, percent composition, mole conversions, or membrane transport data.
• End with a what if question that changes one part of the problem.

If your students need more support with the math side of science, you may also want to read Unlock Success in Science by Mastering Math Skills.

💡 Ready made help: Chemistry teachers can check out my Mole Chat Lab Station Activity. Biology teachers may prefer my Cellular Membrane Transport Lab.

5. Communicating Like a Scientist

Science is not just about getting correct results. Students also need to communicate their ideas clearly and accurately. When students can explain vocabulary, defend a conclusion, present data, and summarize a process for others, they are demonstrating real mastery.

How to challenge them:

• Have students present lab findings and conclusions to classmates.
• Use peer review checklists to give structured feedback on clarity and accuracy.
• Ask students to create an infographic, slide, or visual summary of an investigation.
• Encourage students to explain scientific vocabulary in language non experts can understand.

Communicating science effectively builds confidence and helps students transfer their learning to other classes and real life situations.

If you want students to strengthen communication while applying science concepts, this is another area where skill based instruction really pays off.

💡 Ready made help: My Evolution Lab, Making Coacervates includes a student designed experiment and opportunities for students to communicate findings in a written lab report or by sharing their experiment orally with classmates.

Final Thoughts

Challenging students in science does not mean assigning more work. It means giving them better opportunities to think, reason, solve problems, and communicate like scientists. Focusing on core science skills helps students succeed not only in science class, but across disciplines.

What are science skills?

Science skills are the abilities students use to think, analyze, experiment, and communicate like scientists. These skills include experimental design, data analysis, scientific writing, and problem-solving.

Why are science skills important for students?

Science skills help students move beyond memorization and develop critical thinking, communication, and analytical abilities that can be used across many subjects.

What are science process skills?

Science process skills are the tools students use during scientific investigations, including observing, measuring, hypothesizing, interpreting data, and drawing conclusions.

How can teachers improve science skills in the classroom?

Teachers can improve science skills by using inquiry labs, graphing activities, CER writing, student-designed experiments, and collaborative scientific discussions.

Looking for more classroom ideas? Be sure to read my blog post, The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Science Process Skills, where you'll find dozens of teaching strategies, classroom activities, and science resources all in one place.

If you are looking for more ways to strengthen science skills in your classroom, you may also like these related posts:

• 17 Essential Science Skills All Students Need
• Teach the Skills, Please
• Science Skills: Comparing and Classifying
• Science Skills: Applying Scientific Methods
• Unlock Success in Science: Master Math Skills
• How to Teach Science Vocabulary Using Prefixes and Suffixes

💡 Ready made help: Explore my Science Skills Mega Bundle filled with labs, notes, quizzes, and digital activities to make skill building seamless and fun.

Planning your biology course? Download my free 189-page Biology Curriculum Teacher Guide to see exactly how I organize an entire school year.

Making the Mole Concept Click and Stick: Lab Stations That Bring Avogadro’s Number to Life

Looking for a mole lab activity for high school chemistry that helps students actually understand the mole concept, mass and mole conversions, and Avogadro's number? This hands on chemistry activity is designed to make one of the hardest chemistry topics more concrete, more interactive, and much easier for students to understand.

If you’ve ever taught high school chemistry, you know that the mole concept is one of the most important concepts we teach. The mole concept is likely a brand new idea to most students in your class. The idea of a mole and Avogadro’s number of atoms and molecules involves numbers so large that students can’t visualize them. The year of chemistry is going to involve endless conversions between mass, moles, and molecules. Students need to grasp this concept quickly because the truth is, the mole is the backbone of chemistry. Without a strong foundation in this concept, everything from stoichiometry to chemical reactions becomes a stumbling block.

That’s exactly why I created my Mole Chat Lab Stations. Instead of another worksheet packed with endless conversion problems, this activity gets students up, moving, and experimenting. It is obvious to us teachers that students retain significantly more information when they engage in hands on scientific activities, rather than solely performing calculations on paper.

👉 TL;DR? Check out the Mole Chat Lab Stations here.

What Is the Mole Concept in Chemistry?

The mole is a counting unit in chemistry. Just as a dozen means 12 items, a mole represents a very large number of particles. That number is Avogadro’s number, which is 6.02 x 10²³ particles. Students use the mole to connect tiny particles such as atoms and molecules to measurable amounts such as grams.

This is exactly why the mole concept can feel so difficult at first. Students are being asked to connect a microscopic world they cannot see with real quantities they can measure in the lab. A strong mole concept activity or mole lab can make that connection much more understandable.

If your students need more practice applying mole conversions to a full activity, you might also like this post on how big is a mole in chemistry.

Why Is the Mole Concept So Difficult for Students?

Many students struggle with the mole concept because it combines very large numbers, abstract particles they cannot see, and multiple types of conversions. Students must connect atoms and molecules to grams and measurable lab data, and that takes practice. A good mole lab activity helps students visualize the concept, talk through their thinking, and apply mole conversions in a way that feels more concrete.

That is why hands on activities are so helpful during a mole unit. Instead of only solving problems on paper, students can interact with real materials and begin to see how the mole connects chemistry calculations to the real world.

Why the Mole Concept Matters

The mole is the great connector in chemistry. It connects the microscopic world of trillions and trillions of atoms and molecules with the tangible grams and liters students actually measure in the lab. Mastering mole conversions means students can confidently answer questions like:

• How many water molecules are in a single drop?
• What mass of sucrose is found in a soft drink?
• How much CO₂ is released from an Alka Seltzer tablet?

When students understand the mole concept, chemistry becomes logical rather than mysterious and confusing. Take the time to make sure all students have mastered this concept. The time spent practicing and reviewing mole conversions will benefit our students all year long.

Many chemistry topics become easier once students understand the mole. If you are building a full chemistry sequence, related lessons like composition of a hydrate and percent composition also depend on students being comfortable with mole thinking and chemical calculations.

Lab Stations Are a Better Way to Practice

Traditional worksheets have their place in our chemistry classes. There are often times that a calculation needs to be practiced and there is not enough time to turn it into a game or lab. Honestly, relying on a practice problem worksheet is not a bad thing. But, if the opportunity arises where the problems can be practiced using a lab activity, great! This kind of mole lab gives students a more meaningful way to practice than a worksheet alone.

With the Mole Chat Lab Stations, students rotate through 8 different mini experiments, each designed to spark curiosity and connect calculations to real world objects and data. In the Mole Chat Lab Stations, students will

• Determine the number of molecules of chalk it takes to write their name.
• Determine the number of moles of carbon dioxide given off when they create a mini volcano in a beaker.
• Determine the number of moles and molecules of sucrose contained in a pack of M&M candies.

Each station reinforces the key skills students need, but in a way that keeps them engaged, interested, and collaborating. It transforms a tough topic into an active, hands on learning experience.

🧪 What This Looks Like in Your Classroom

This mole lab activity for high school chemistry works well when students need meaningful practice with mass, moles, molecules, and Avogadro’s number without sitting through another full period of paper and pencil problems. Students move from station to station, interact with materials, discuss ideas with partners, and apply chemistry calculations in a setting that feels much more concrete. Because this mole lab activity is built around movement, discussion, and short tasks, students stay engaged while practicing difficult chemistry concepts.

It can be used while teaching the mole concept for the first time, as review before an assessment, or later in the year when students need a refresher before moving into more advanced chemistry topics. Because students are doing short tasks and mini experiments, the activity keeps energy up while still reinforcing core chemistry skills.

Why Teachers Love Mole Chat

Low prep, high impact: No fancy materials or supplies are needed, all the lab station signs and worksheets are ready to be copied and passed out to students, and the setup time is minimal.

Versatile use: Perfect for review before an assessment, as a practice activity while teaching the mole unit, or as a fun refresher later in the year.

Confidence boost: Even your most reluctant students will walk away feeling like they finally understand Avogadro’s number.

For teachers looking for a hands on mole activity, mole concept lab, or Avogadro’s number activity that does more than a worksheet alone, this resource gives students a chance to practice, talk through their thinking, and make the chemistry feel more real.

Final Thoughts

The mole doesn’t have to be the hardest unit of the year. With the Mole Chat Lab Stations, you can swap worksheets for meaningful mini experiments that help the concept click and stick. Your students will be talking about these activities long after they leave class. You’ll love seeing those “aha” moments when everything clicks. If you have been searching for a mole lab for high school chemistry, this activity gives students the practice they need in a format they will actually remember.

👉 Grab the Mole Chat Lab Stations here and make mole conversions fun.

FAQ About Teaching the Mole Concept

What is a mole in chemistry?
A mole is a counting unit chemists use to represent 6.02 x 10²³ particles. It helps students connect atoms and molecules to measurable amounts such as grams.

Why is the mole concept difficult for students?
The mole concept is difficult because students must connect invisible particles, very large numbers, and multiple conversion steps. Hands on practice helps make the idea more understandable.

What is a good way to teach mole conversions?
A good way to teach mole conversions is to combine direct instruction with a hands on mole lab or station activity so students can apply calculations in a more concrete setting.

More Chemistry Lab Activities

If you are teaching mole calculations and related chemistry concepts, these blog posts may also be helpful:

• Chemistry Lab: How Big Is a Mole?
• Composition of a Hydrate Lab Activity for High School Chemistry
• Percent Composition Lab Activity for High School Chemistry

End of Year Biology Activity: Fun Science Project for Middle and High School

Looking for an end of year biology activity that is fun, creative, and still academically meaningful? This end of year science project gives middle school and high school students the chance to research unusual plants and animals, create a Planet Earth Award, and present their work to the class. If you need an engaging biology project for the last week of school, an Earth Day activity, or even a first week icebreaker, this resource is a flexible option that students genuinely enjoy.

My Mother Nature Planet Earth Awards combine science research, creativity, and presentation skills in a way that feels more like fun than just another assignment. Students choose a unique plant or animal, research its traits and habitat, decide what award it deserves, and then create their own award slide or poster to share with the class.

This activity works especially well at the end of the year when students need something fresh and engaging, but it also fits beautifully into a biology or life science classroom any time you want a creative organism research project.

What Is the Planet Earth Awards Biology Project?

This end of year biology project includes a set of colorful Mother Nature Award slides that highlight unusual living things on Earth, along with a student research activity that lets students create their own award-winning organism project. The organisms featured in the slides are strange, amazing, and memorable, which makes this an easy way to spark curiosity in a biology or life science class.

Students can research plants or animals and answer questions about classification, habitat, range, nutrition, interesting facts, and conservation status. They then use that research to design a Planet Earth Award for their organism. The finished product can be a PowerPoint slide or a poster, so it is easy to adapt for your class and your schedule.

This is one reason the activity works so well as both an end of year science activity and a fun high school biology project. It gives students structure, but it also gives them room to be creative.

Why This Works So Well at the End of the Year

By the last week of school, many students are ready for something different. Teachers still want meaningful work, but it helps if that work feels fresh, visual, and hands-on. This activity checks all of those boxes.

Because students are researching unusual organisms and creating their own awards, this activity feels fun and open-ended while still reinforcing science content. It's a great way to keep students engaged, especially at times of the year when traditional lessons are harder to keep going. It also works well when you need something that can fill a few class periods without a lot of prep.

If you teach both middle school and high school students, this project is flexible enough for either level. The topic is accessible, the directions are clear, and students can go deeper or keep things simpler depending on their age and ability level.

Middle school students often enjoy learning about unusual plants and animals and creating a colorful award presentation. High school biology students can take the project a step further by exploring classification, adaptations, ecology, and conservation. Because students choose the organism they want to research, they naturally work at different levels while staying engaged with the same assignment.

What Is Included in This End of Year Science Activity?

This resource includes everything needed to make the project easy to use in your classroom:

• 20 colorful Mother Nature Award slides featuring unusual plants and animals
• Two versions of the student worksheet
• A teacher guide
• An editable grading rubric

The two student worksheet versions are especially helpful because they give you flexibility. One version guides students through the research and presentation piece, while the second version works well if you want students to focus only on the research. That makes this a strong differentiated biology project for a variety of classroom needs.

The award slides can also stand alone as a quick biology brain break, an Earth Day science activity, or a bulletin board display. After using the slides in class, I love printing and displaying them because students keep going back to read them.

How You Can Use This Biology Activity in Your Classroom

One of my favorite things about this resource is how flexible it is. You can use it in several different ways depending on the time of year and what your students need.

• End of year biology activity: Use it as a creative research and presentation project during the last week of school.
• Earth Day science activity: Let students celebrate biodiversity by researching amazing organisms.
• Beginning of the year icebreaker: The slides are a fun way to hook students early. If you need another creative beginning-of-the-year idea, take a look at my Science Chat first day of school activity.
• Bulletin board display: Print the award slides and create a colorful life science display that students will keep reading.
• Extra credit or enrichment: Have students create their own award-winning organism project individually or with partners.

This project also pairs nicely with organism and classification units. If your students are studying how living things are grouped, you might also like this post about teaching classification and taxonomy in a fun way.

Why Students Enjoy This Organism Research Project

Students love this project because they get to choose something weird, surprising, or impressive from the natural world. They are not just filling out a worksheet. They are creating something to share, and that gives the assignment a completely different feel.

There is always a lot of curiosity as students try to find the organism with the strangest trait, the wildest adaptation, or the most unusual survival strategy. That mix of research, creativity, and presentation is what makes this activity feel so different from a typical assignment.

If your students are also preparing for end-of-course testing, you may want to pair this project with a more direct review activity. This biology review post is another strong option for that time of year: biology students love to review with this activity.

A Fun End of Year Biology Project for Middle and High School

If you are looking for an end of year biology activity that is creative, flexible, and easy to implement, the Mother Nature Planet Earth Awards is a great fit. It works as a middle school life science activity, a high school biology project, an Earth Day activity, or a fun research assignment any time of year.

You can see the full resource here: End of Year Science Biology Activity Project on TpT

Every year I'm reminded that students remember activities like this long after they forget a worksheet or lecture. Giving them the opportunity to choose an organism that interests them, research it, and share what they learned creates excitement in the classroom while reinforcing important biology concepts. It is one of my favorite ways to end the school year on a positive note.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good end of year biology activity?
If you need an engaging end of year biology activity, a student research project like the Mother Nature Awards is a fun way to keep students learning while giving them creative freedom.

What can students do during the last week of school in biology?
Students can research unusual plants and animals, create their own science award, and present their project to the class.

What is a fun biology project for middle school or high school?
A biology research project that lets students explore amazing organisms and create their own award presentation is a fun option for both middle school and high school.

Biology Review Activities Students Love: Hidden Picture Games

If you are looking for a biology review activity that is more engaging than a traditional worksheet, these Google Sheets hidden picture games are a fun and effective option for high school biology students. This digital biology review format gives students instant feedback while keeping them actively involved in the review process.

These biology review activities work well for digital review days, stations, bell ringers, early finishers, homework, and test review in high school biology classrooms.

These self-grading review activities are interactive and easy to assign. As students answer questions correctly, part of a hidden picture is revealed. That built in feedback keeps students motivated and helps them immediately recognize when they need to try again.

Try one for free here: Free Metric System Hidden Picture Activity

How do Google Sheets hidden picture activities work?

Students type answers into the sheet. Each correct answer reveals part of a hidden picture. Incorrect answers do not reveal anything, giving students immediate feedback.

Take a quick look at how these hidden picture review activities work in action:

Why these activities work so well

Instant feedback: Students immediately know if they are correct.

Engaging: Students stay motivated to reveal the image.

Easy to use: Works for bell ringers, review, homework, or stations.

Hidden picture activities by topic

Click any topic below to view the activity:

General Science

• Scientific Method
• Lab Safety
• Metric System
• Introduction to Biology
• Scientific Notation
• Lab Equipment

Genetics

• Monohybrid Crosses
• Dihybrid Crosses
• Sex-Linked Traits
• Pedigree Charts

Cell Biology

• Cell Structure and Function
• Cellular Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• Cell Division

Molecular Biology

• DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis
• Biochemistry

Science Skills

• Science Skills
• Microscope

Chemistry

• Matter and Change
• Dimensional Analysis
• Significant Figures

Frequently Asked Questions About Biology Review Activities

What is a hidden picture review activity?
A hidden picture review activity is a self-checking digital activity where students answer questions to reveal parts of an image. Each correct answer uncovers part of the picture, giving students immediate feedback.

Are these biology review activities self-grading?
Yes. These Google Sheets activities are designed to be self-grading, so students receive instant feedback as they work through the questions.

What topics are covered in these biology review activities?
These activities cover a wide range of topics including genetics, cell biology, DNA and protein synthesis, biochemistry, and general science skills.

How can I use hidden picture activities in my classroom?
They work well as bell ringers, review assignments, homework, stations, or independent practice activities in both digital and traditional classrooms.

Are these activities good for high school biology students?
Yes. These activities are designed specifically for high school biology but can also be used for advanced middle school students.

More biology review activities:

If you are looking for more traditional, hands-on biology review activities, these posts feature classic classroom review games that work well alongside digital hidden picture activities. These options are great for mixing up your review strategies and keeping students engaged in different ways.

Cell Organelles Review
Biology Vocabulary Review
Classification Review

Biology Bell Ringers and Warm Ups

Chemistry Math Skills: Why Students Struggle with Chemistry (It's Not the Chemistry)

You carefully explain a new chemistry concept. Your students seem to understand it. Then they begin working through the practice problems, and everything starts to fall apart.

One student cannot enter scientific notation correctly into a calculator. Another rounds an answer before the calculation is finished. Several students are unsure which unit to use, and dimensional analysis feels impossible because they do not understand how conversion factors work.

Before long, students decide that chemistry is simply too difficult.

But often, the chemistry is not the real problem. Students are struggling with the math and measurement skills that chemistry assumes they already know.

👉 Chemistry Math Unit: Scientific Measurements, Calculations, and Problem Solving

In This Article

• Why Students Struggle with Chemistry
• Why We Cannot Assume These Skills Are Mastered
• The Chemistry Math Skills Students Need
• Teaching the Skills in a Logical Sequence
• Why Students Need More Than Notes
• Practicing Measurement Skills in the Lab
• A Complete Chemistry Math and Measurement Unit
• Related Science Skills Blog Posts
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Students Struggle with Chemistry

Chemistry requires students to use several skills at the same time. They must understand the scientific concept, choose the correct equation, identify the information provided, keep track of units, complete the calculation, round the answer correctly, and decide whether the final result makes sense.

That is a great deal to manage if the students haven't mastered basic skills such as measurement, scientific notation, significant figures, graphing, and metric conversions.

Weak science process skills create a domino effect. Small mistakes in the beginning lead to much bigger problems as the chemistry becomes more complex.

Chemistry Teachers Cannot Assume These Skills Are Already Mastered

Students arrive in chemistry with very different backgrounds. Some have used the metric system repeatedly. Others still reach for a ruler and begin measuring at the end rather than at zero. Some are comfortable working with exponents, while others are intimidated as soon as they see a number written in scientific notation.

I learned very quickly that telling students, “You should already know this,” did not help them. Spending time reviewing and practicing these skills at the beginning of the course helped them and saved time later. It also allowed me to see where students needed more support before we moved into more difficult chemistry calculations.

This early review does not have to feel like repeating an entire middle school math course. The key is to focus on the specific skills students will use again and again throughout chemistry.

The Chemistry Math Skills Students Need First

These are the science process skills I want my students to practice early in the year.

1. Scientific Measurement

Students need to understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations and recognize that every measured value contains both a number and a unit. They also need practice reading laboratory equipment correctly and recording measurements with the proper degree of precision.

2. Scientific Notation

Chemistry is filled with extremely large and extremely small numbers. Students must be able to write numbers in scientific notation, convert them back to standard form, and use scientific notation in multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

This is also a good time to make sure students know how to use the exponent or scientific notation function on their calculators.

3. Accuracy, Precision, and Percentage Error

Students often use the words accuracy and precision as though they mean the same thing. They need examples that allow them to compare the two ideas and practice deciding whether a set of measurements is accurate, precise, both, or neither.

Percentage error gives students a practical way to evaluate experimental results and consider why a measured value may differ from an accepted value.

4. Significant Figures

Significant figures are difficult for many students because they must learn several rules and then apply different rules during calculations. Students need practice identifying significant figures, rounding measured values, and reporting answers correctly after addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

This is not a skill that most students master after seeing three examples on the board. They need repeated practice and quick checks for understanding.

5. The Metric System

Students should be familiar with the basic SI units for length, mass, time, temperature, amount of substance, electric current, and luminous intensity. In a beginning chemistry course, they will especially need to work comfortably with units used to measure length, mass, volume, and temperature.

They also need to understand common metric prefixes such as kilo, centi, milli, micro, and nano rather than relying only on a memorized staircase.

6. Density

Density is often one of the first chemistry formulas students use. It gives them practice identifying known and unknown quantities, substituting values into an equation, including units, and checking whether an answer is reasonable.

Density also gives teachers an excellent opportunity to connect calculations with real laboratory measurements.

7. Dimensional Analysis

Dimensional analysis becomes the backbone of chemistry problem-solving. Students will use it for metric conversions, mole calculations, stoichiometry, gas laws, solutions, and many other topics.

I begin with simple one-step conversions and move gradually toward multi-step problems and conversions involving complex units. Students are much more successful when they understand that units are part of the calculation rather than labels added at the end.

8. Graphing and Data Analysis

Chemistry students must be able to organize data, choose an appropriate graph, label axes, select a useful scale, plot data accurately, and interpret the pattern shown.

They also need to understand interpolation and extrapolation and recognize the difference between a line graph, bar graph, and circle graph.

Teach the Skills in a Logical Sequence

The order in which these skills are taught matters. Students need time to build confidence with one idea before they are asked to combine it with several others.

For example, students should understand units and metric measurements before they begin multi-step dimensional analysis. They should practice scientific notation before they are expected to use it during more complicated calculations. Significant figures make more sense after students understand that measurements always have limits.

Students Need More Than Notes

Explaining the rules is only the beginning. Students must work through enough examples to become comfortable using the skills on their own.

I like to use a combination of direct instruction, guided notes, worked examples, independent practice, short quizzes, and laboratory investigations. Each type of practice serves a different purpose.

• Guided notes help students organize new information and follow the examples.
• Practice problems give students the repetition they need to identify and correct mistakes.
• Short quizzes reveal which students are ready to move forward and which skills need to be reviewed.
• Laboratory work connects measurements and calculations to real equipment and actual data.

Practice the Skills in the Laboratory

Laboratory investigations give scientific measurement a purpose. Students begin to understand why the markings on a graduated cylinder matter, why the last digit in a measurement is estimated, and why careless measurements affect the final result.

Simple introductory labs can also help students learn how to use laboratory balances, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, and thermometers before they are expected to complete more complicated experiments.

This is time well spent. When students know how to read the equipment and record the data correctly, later labs run much more smoothly.

A Complete Chemistry Measurement and Math Skills Unit

I created my Chemistry Math Unit: Scientific Measurements, Calculations, and Problem Solving to teach, review, and reinforce these foundational skills in one organized unit.

The unit can be used at the beginning of a high school chemistry or physical science course. It is also helpful for reviewing individual skills later in the year when students need additional practice.

The unit includes:

• A 138-slide editable PowerPoint presentation
• Teacher notes
• Printable and digital guided student notes
• Scientific notation practice and quiz
• Accuracy, precision, and percentage error practice and quiz
• Significant figures practice and quiz
• Metric system practice and quiz
• Density practice and quiz
• Dimensional analysis practice and quiz
• Graphing and data analysis activities and quiz
• Six laboratory investigations
• A final unit test
• Teacher answer keys
• A bundle teacher guide with sequencing and implementation suggestions

Many of the resources are provided in both printable and digital formats for use with Google Drive, Google Classroom, Microsoft OneDrive, or similar learning platforms.

The six labs include:

• Density of Metals
• Significant Digits
• Mass and the Laboratory Balance
• Length and the Meter Stick
• Volume and Temperature
• Graphing, Interpolation, and Extrapolation

Together, the lessons, guided notes, practice problems, quizzes, and labs give students several opportunities to use each skill before moving on.

Build Confidence Before the Chemistry Becomes More Difficult

Students are more willing to attempt difficult chemistry problems when they are not also worried about using a calculator, converting units, or deciding how many digits belong in the answer.

Teaching these skills early does not eliminate every mistake, but it gives students a system they can return to throughout the year. When a student struggles with stoichiometry or gas law calculations, you can identify whether the problem is the chemistry concept or one of the underlying math skills.

That distinction matters. Students who believe they are “bad at chemistry” often need practice with a specific, teachable skill.

Teach the foundation first. Give students time to practice scientific measurement, calculations, graphing, and problem-solving before those skills are buried inside more advanced chemistry topics.

You can see the complete Chemistry Math Unit here .

Strong science skills help students succeed in every science course. These related articles include more classroom-tested ideas for teaching measurement, graphing, laboratory skills, critical thinking, and scientific problem-solving.

• The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Science Process Skills
• 17 Essential Science Skills All Students Need
• Science Process Skills Activites for the Beginning of the School Year
• 5 Skills Your Science Students Need and How to Teach Them
• Graphing in the Science Classroom

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I teach chemistry math skills?

I recommend teaching or reviewing these skills near the beginning of the course. Students who are comfortable with scientific measurement, scientific notation, significant figures, graphing, and dimensional analysis are better prepared for topics such as density, stoichiometry, gas laws, and solutions.

Is this chemistry math unit only for chemistry classes?

No. The unit also works well in physical science classes because students practice the same scientific measurement, graphing, metric conversion, density, and problem-solving skills.

What topics are included in the Chemistry Math Unit?

The unit covers scientific measurement, scientific notation, accuracy and precision, percentage error, significant figures, the metric system, density, dimensional analysis, graphing, data analysis, interpolation, extrapolation, and scientific problem-solving.

Are the chemistry math activities printable and digital?

Many of the resources are available in both printable and digital formats. The digital files can be used with Google Drive, Google Classroom, Microsoft OneDrive, or similar learning platforms.

Do students need a scientific calculator?

A scientific calculator is helpful, especially when students are working with scientific notation and multi-step calculations. This introductory unit is also a good time to teach students how to enter numbers in scientific notation correctly.

Are teacher answer keys included?

Yes. Teacher answer keys are included for the resources in the bundle. A teacher guide with implementation tips and sequencing suggestions is also included.

Give your students the measurement, calculation, graphing, and problem-solving foundation they need before the chemistry becomes more difficult. Learn more about the complete Chemistry Math Unit on Teachers Pay Teachers .

Tips for Teaching Cells

I get a lot of questions about teaching cell structure and cell organelles, so I thought I would take this opportunity to offer up some tips and suggestions for teaching a GREAT unit on cells.  In many of the questions I get, teachers admit to being bored when teaching their cell unit. I absolutely LOVE teaching about cells, and that brings me to my first tip.

 

Tip #1: Be Excited About Teaching Cells! 

We know that our students are hyper-clued in to what we teachers are feeling. If you feel bored teaching your cell unit, the students are guaranteed to be bored as well. This video (just 3 minutes!) is an exciting way to start your unit. Be sure to turn up the volume!

 

Tip #2: Cover the basics, but stress the relationship between structure and function.

Basic concepts (cell theory, prokaryotic vs eukaryotic, etc.) have to be covered, but when teaching the organelles, keep it simple and stress the relationship between structure and function. For example, show students how the two parts of the ribosome fit together around mRNA during translation. Show how the structure of the Golgi allows proteins to enter, be modified, then packaged for secretion. At this point, you can keep the function fairly simple, which leads me to Tip #3. 

(Check out Cell Organelle Card Sort Game.)

 

Tip #3: Re-introduce organelles all year long.

Students are not going to fully understand the functioning of the chloroplast until you get to your unit on photosynthesis. With each new unit you teach, circle back and teach a more in depth lesson on the organelle associated with the unit.

 

Tip #4: Get out your microscopes!

Kids love microscope work! You want to get students excited about your Cell unit? Give them plenty of microscope time. There is no substitute for seeing a variety of cell types under the microscope.

(Check out: Variation in Cell Structure Lab.)

 

Tip #5: Make use of engaging online resources.

There are all sorts of online sites that offer interactive experiences on cell organelles. One of my favorites is Cells Alive!  

(Check out: Cell Structure Google Hidden Picture Games.)

 

Tip #6: Make it a hands-on experience.

Like many topics we teach in our science classes, concepts about cell structure and function can be rather abstract to many of our students. Anything we teachers can do to create “hands-on” learning will ensure that students gain a greater mastery of the subject matter content. 

(Check out: Cell Chat Lab Stations.)

Tip #7: Make it fun!

Let's face it … kids love to play games, especially competitive games! As you near the end of your unit, look for ways to review the content that involve game play. I hate to say that we teachers have to trick our students into participating in a review, but it's true!  

(Check out: Biology Buzz Words: 17 Vocabulary Games for Cell Structure and Function.)

 

Tip #8: Review and reinforcement is essential.
A cell unit is dense in terms of new vocabulary and concepts. The old saying “Practice Makes Perfect!” should certainly be a part of your cell unit. Increase student interaction between terms and definitions as often as possible to ensure that the vocabulary has been committed to memory. 

(Check out: Cell Structure Acrostic Vocabulary Puzzle.)

The most important component of improving your Cell Structure and Function Unit is .... YOU! If you are having fun and engaging with your students, your unit will be a success!

👉  Looking for fun things to do with microscopes? Check this blog post for activities that are an easy way to get students engaged in lab and excited about biology.

👉 If you are teaching microscope skills, you can read more about why they are important here: 7 Reasons Why Microscope Skills are Important Science Skills.