Blogs

ChemEd X contributors offer their ideas and opinions on a broad spectrum of topics pertaining to chemical education.

Blogs at ChemEd X reflect the opinions of the contributors and are open to comments. Only selected contributors blog at ChemEd X. If you would like to blog regularly at ChemEd X, please use our Contribution form to request an invitation to do so from one of our editors.

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Building Atoms, Ions, and Isotopes
// Sunday, August 18, 2013 • Doug Ragan
A few weeks ago, I presented at ChemEd 2013 "Flipping with Chemistry Apps" http://bit.ly/17cLPYY.
plastic plate with sodium polyacrylate solution and electrolytic set up
Electrolytic Dissolution of Copper Metal
// Thursday, August 15, 2013 • Tom Kuntzleman
Looking for an easy, hands-on experiment to use in your classroom at the beginning of the school year? In the June, 2013 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education, Isao Ikemoto and Kouichi Saitou describe a simple experiment to demonstrate the electrolytic dissolution of copper ions from a copper electrode.
Photoelectron Spectroscopy PES
// Wednesday, August 14, 2013 • Deanna Cullen
Photoelectron Spectroscopy or PES is a topic included in the redesigned AP Chemistry curriculum. I have heard quite a bit of discussion surrounding this addition.  It has caused panic in some teachers because they never learned it themselves, have never taught it before and/or they have no materials to teach the topic.  I have been spending some time
Back to School
High School Chemistry Day at ACS!
// Tuesday, August 13, 2013 • Sarah Kong
As we head back to school it is exciting to think about putting some new ideas into practice this year.  As a high school chemistry teacher, my first days back are full of getting to know my students and building a safe, fun (at least sometimes!), positive learning environment.
Holding Fire in the Palm of Your Hand
// Saturday, July 27, 2013 • Tom Kuntzleman
Some students of mine and I have published two papers1,2 in the Journal of Chemical Education that describe how stunt people use chemistry to safely set themselves ablaze while filming action movie scenes. The secret behind this stunt lies in the use of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) gels.
CHEMED 2013
CHEMED 2013 in Waterloo
// Thursday, July 25, 2013 • Deanna Cullen
Greg Rushton and I attended and presented at CHEMED in Waterloo July 28th through August 1st.  We enjoyed the ice cream and frozen snacks at the JCE sponsored Ice Cream Social Monday evening.  We presented JCE resources for AP Chemistry on Tuesday and JCE resources for General Chemistry on Wednesday.  The resources and links from t
Vegas 2013 AP
Inquiry For AP Chemistry
// Tuesday, July 16, 2013 • Deanna Cullen
I attended and presented at the National AP Conference in Las Vegas on July 18th and 19th! Adding Inquiry to the course is one of the major changes to how we will teach AP Chemistry.  I shared some resources and gave tips during my presentation. I am sharing those resource in this post.  I am also sharing items that I found especially helpful from presentations that I attended and conversations I had with other teachers. 
Summer Inquiry Fun!
// Wednesday, June 12, 2013 • Sarah Kong
Summer is one of my favorite times as a teacher!  Like most teachers I like to take a little time away from school, but, once I've rested a bit, its my favorite time to do research as well.
My Favorite Small Research Project this Year
// Sunday, May 19, 2013 • Tom Kuntzleman
I’d like to report on one of the end-of-year research projects that two of my general chemistry students completed during class this year. If you’d like read more about these end-of year research projects in general, click here.
Hydrophobic vs. Hydrophilic, Polar vs. Non-polar
// Monday, May 13, 2013 • Tom Kuntzleman
Wow! Talk about an interesting idea! A very neat experiment, called “Hydroglyphics”, has been published by Philseok Kim, Jack Alvarenga, Joanna Aizenberg and Raymond Sleeper in the Journal of Chemical Education.