CCEW Lesson Plan Contest

Chemists Celebrate Earth Week

Lesson Plan Contest

Glaciers: Hot Topic, Cool Chemistry!

AACT is excited to offer a content writing opportunity for K–12 teachers of chemistry. The contest is open to current AACT members. Participants will submit their idea for one exciting and unique Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) themed lesson plan. The 2025 theme is Glaciers: Hot Topic, Cool Chemistry! Chemists care about glaciers because they are an indicator of the Earth's health and provide a record of the Earth's environmental history over millenia, but they are decreasing due to warming of its oceans and atmosphere.

Submission ideas will be reviewed on a rolling basis. AACT will select winning lesson plan ideas that are appropriate for elementary science, middle school science or high school chemistry. Winning lessons will be published in the AACT Classroom Resource Library, and featured on social media. All winners will earn $200 gift card and a CCEW goody bag for their participation!

Guidelines

Be an AACT member. Not a member? Join now!
Be a current K–12 teacher of chemistry! (Including K–5 science teachers, 6–8 physical science teachers, and 9–12 chemistry teachers)
Submit your lesson plan idea through the application form below, by Monday, March 24, 2025. AACT will contact you within 1 week of your submission.
Be willing and able to put your idea into the AACT template.

Details

To participate in this content writing opportuntiy, please complete the application form below. You will be required to summarize your idea for an exciting, original CCEW themed lesson plan. It should be appropriate for use in a K–12 classroom. We are looking for unique and exciting lesson ideas. You may submit more than one entry. If selected, you will use the AACT template for the specific idea described in your application.

Important notes:

Please be sure to check the AACT Classroom Resource Library to make sure your lesson plan idea hasn't been previously published!
Lesson plans cannot be created based on the use of a pre-made chemistry kit sold by a Scientific Education supply company.

Key Concepts

Below are a few key concepts relating to the chemistry of glaciers that might help you get started:

Glaciers reflect light to keep the world cooler.
Glaciers are an indicator of Earth's health.
Glaciers provide a historical record of the Earth's environmental history – in particular, how CO₂ varied from year to year over hundreds of millennia.
Glaciers carved the Great Lakes and sculpted other geographical features.
Glaciers store more than 2/3 of the world's freshwater according to the USGS.

Additionally, check out these ChemMatters magazine articles related to the theme for more ideas:

Any questions can be directed to aact@acs.org. Feel free to check out the AACT website at teachchemistry.org!

Entry Form

Name *

Email Address *

Confirm that you are a current AACT member. *

Yes, I am a current AACT member.

Background information

School Name *

City *

State *

What grade level do you currently teach? *

High School

Middle School

Elementary School

Lesson Plan Idea

What is the primary grade level that this lesson plan is intended? *

High School

Middle School

Elementary School

Please briefly summarize your teaching resource idea. This should include a description of what the students will do as well as the projected learning outcome(s) for the students.

Must check to proceed. *Copyright Guidelines Document* *

I certify that the ideas described in this lesson are my own and are currently not published elsewhere.

I certify that the ideas described in this lesson will not be submitted for publishing elsewhere.

By checking this box, I confirm that I have not used AI to generate this content.

I grant permission to AACT, and by extension, the American Chemical Society, to publish this resource for use by teachers in the Classroom Resource Library.

If selected for participation, I understand that my work will be subject to the ACS Terms of Use.

*You will be emailed a copy of your responses for your reference.