In honor of the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tom Kuntzleman decided to write a song, sing it, and shoot an accompanying video to honor 150 years of the Periodic Table of Elements. Enjoy his song and video: Chemistry is Everywhere!
In our freshman Chemistry laboratory course at Nicholls State University, tutorials (with embedded quizzes) are used as pre-lab assignments. The text and graphical information provide a sufficient basis to answer all the questions, but YouTube videos are embedded for students who may need additional help. The tutorials could be easily adapted for flipped instruction in high school and college lecture courses.
Supporting the Growth and Impact of Chemical Education
The March 2019 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: nanochemistry; supporting the growth and impact of chemical education research; using technology to enhance student experience and understanding; promoting student engagement; teaching with models; exploring kinetics; experimenting with innovative labs.
Did you figure out how the experiment in Chemical Mystery #14 was performed? The solution is presented here!
You can figure out how this Valentine's Day experiment was done...if you know your chemistry, that is!
Collaboration among Chemical Educators
The February 2019 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: microplastics and environmental chemistry; examining outreach practices; investigating acid–base chemistry; using Arduino to experiment with carbon dioxide; innovative approaches to analytical chemistry; three-dimensional visualization and tactile learning; understanding Lewis structures; synthesis laboratories; exploring physical chemistry; from the archives: celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table.
National Periodic Table Day is February 7th. Check out some of my favorite periodic table resources.
If you are looking to go beyond using traditional, arguably misleading, definitions of entropy involving “disorder” and “messy bedroom” analogies, the Boltzmann Bucks game fits the bill. The game, pulled from a Journal of Chemical Education article, provides a wonderful opportunity for students to more accurately conceptualize entropy.
The June, 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education contains an article that describes a simple, yet fascinating experiment that you and your students are going to love! It involves the use of butterfly wings from the genus Morpho. I obtained some of these wings and enjoyed experimenting with them. You will too!
Trends related to placement of elements on the periodic table are often taught using diagrams in a textbook. Students often memorize trends, but to get a true grasp of their meaning and what causes certain patterns is best understood when students create their own models and discuss the patterns with others.
