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high school chemistry

Flipped Classroom: Overcoming Challenges

Josh Kenney | Sun, 12/15/2019 - 09:10

Flipped classrooms are a popular pedagogical technique, delivering lectures before class so that students can engage in active learning and problem-solving activities during class. Although the response from students and teachers is mostly positive, the approach is not without its challenges. This post outlines some common challenges and how teachers might work through them.

The Chemical Laser Show

Tom Kuntzleman | Sat, 12/07/2019 - 20:06

Chemistry and lasers can be used to create a demonstration that includes several colors and flashing lights. This demonstration connects to topics in quantum chemistry and phase changes.

Metabolic Marvels of Bear Hibernation- Part 2

Scott Donnelly | Mon, 12/02/2019 - 15:52

The post-Thanksgiving excessive calorie-consumption 'blues' have arrived. How is it possible to eat so much? For a bear, it's easy. Easy as pie. Bears are champion eaters, spending about half the year eating non-stop in preparation for winter's foodless landscape. How can this calorie consumption observation about the bear world be used to teach certain chemistry concepts routinely covered? This post includes discussion and two classroom activities about the following common general chemistry topics/concepts- thermochemistry, unit conversions, and interpretation of numerical data. Enjoy...

Chemical Kinetics with a Smartphone

Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 11/25/2019 - 12:03

This experiment in chemical kinetics can be conducted using materials as simple as a smartphone, hydrogen peroxide, sodium carbonate solution, and blue food dye! The experiment is useful when discussing the order of rate laws with respect to reactants.

Flipped Classroom: Advantages and Challenges

Josh Kenney | Fri, 11/15/2019 - 14:19

The flipped classroom of today looks vastly different from its initial form. Originally, class time was primarily used to complete homework assignments; however, more effective active learning practices tend to dominate class time in modern applications of the model. Although the flipped classroom has improved over the years, several challenges persist.

Measurement, Uncertainty, and Significant Figures 

Ariel Serkin | Mon, 11/11/2019 - 18:47

As high school teachers, we know that understanding how measurement works is crucial for lab skills and for understanding significant figures. We think measurement should be an easy topic for students to learn; especially because we know that teachers begin working with students in elementary school to teach these skills. However, I, and many other teachers, have spent countless hours teaching and reteaching a seemingly simple skill.