1. Home
  2. high school chemistry

high school chemistry

What do you want to know about your students' chemical thinking? Categorizing chemistry formative assessments

Scott Balicki | Mon, 05/03/2021 - 07:57

In order to teach chemistry effectively, we must ascertain what our students are thinking about chemistry and make a decision regarding what to do with what we learn. Formative assessment questions provide a useful lens into students' minds regarding what they are thinking about chemistry. Let us consider then, how categorizing formative assessment questions could help us plan out our classes more deliberately, in order to better design purposeful written formative assessments that align with our curricular goals. 

Context-based Chemistry: Benefits and Challenges

Josh Kenney | Tue, 04/20/2021 - 08:31

Context-based chemistry aims to make chemistry learning more meaningful for students. With an emphasis on inquiry-based activities, context-based chemistry improves student interest and motivation in chemistry by linking content to real-world situations. Though the idea has been around for over 20 years, researchers are still learning the best strategies for teaching context-based chemistry. Here, we will explore some of the benefits and challenges unearthed up until this point.

Skype with a Scientist Live

Stephanie O'Brien | Thu, 04/08/2021 - 09:31

This year so many in-person events at school have not been able to happen due to COVID restrictions. One activity that the author's science honor society students have enjoyed greatly is the Skype with a Scientist Live sessions. Students register in advance and then have the opportunity to be face to face with a scientist.

Effect of Temperature on Chemical Equilibrium using Copper Complexes

Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 04/07/2021 - 11:00

This post describes a simple way to generate blue, green, orange, and yellow copper complexes, and to use these complexes to introduce students to the effect of temperature on chemical equilibria. The protcol avoids the use of caustic agents, allowing the experiments to be conducted by students as a laboratory-based investigation.