Using Research Journals in High School Chemistry
I attended professional development provided by the VanAndel Education Institute (VAEI) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that provided an opportunity to observe scientists at the VanAndel Institute engage in a journal club.
Cross-Discipline Discussions on Energy
Have you ever thought about the ways we, as chemistry teachers, talk about the concept of energy? Think about all the different terms we use when we talk about the role of energy in our curriculum: endothermic, exothermic, heat, specific heat, heat capacity, enthalpy, tempera
It's all about the apps: EMD PTE
Having completed a unit on stoichiometry, I was looking to review with my HS students some key topics before Spring Break. I had received from FLINN scientific their "It's Elementary--March Madness" activity:
Chemistry in Past and New Science Frameworks and Standards: Gains, Losses, and Missed Opportunities
I've read this recent JCE article a couple times and have been thinking about its potential impact on our K12 community as we begin to consider the challenges and the opportunities associated with the
Using Twitter for a Backchannel Chat During a Fish Bowl Discussion
In a previous post, I discussed the work of my grade 10 class as we read the non-fiction story, The Case of the Frozen Addicts. We've continued working our way through the book, taking one class every two weeks to delve into the issues presented. Just this week, we engaged in a fish-bowl discussion. To help steer the discussion, I started the class with a quick warm-up activity asking students to suggest topics or questions that they would want to talk through in the fish bowl.
By the Numbers
How many likes does your page have? How many followers do you have? How many reads for that particular blog post? Page views? Downloads? Number of times cited? Impact factor? In the online world, much of life is lived by the numbers.
Coordination Compounds: Independent Study
Suitable for Online Instruction: An independent study on the chemistry topic of coordination compounds and complex ions suitable for AP Chemistry and first-year college chemistry students is presented. Originally published 3/20/2014.
Complex Ions Lab
This laboratory exercise accompanies the article "A guided group inquiry lesson on coordination compounds and complex ions". The laboratory serves as part of an extended exercise on the chemistry topic of coordination compounds and complex ions. The entire lesson as described in the article also exposes students to how chemical research is conducted and the conflicts and uncertainties that lead to new theories and discoveries.
Compound Interest
Have you ever been curious about the chemistry of a lemon? What about the chemical structures of adrenaline, dopamine, or serotonin? Would you like to share with your students the elements that make up their smartphone? Or what how about a beautiful “infographic” representing each of the families of the periodic table? Then Compound Interest at www.compoundchem.com has you covered and then some.
Reading Non-Fiction Within a Grade 10 Chemistry Class
As chemistry teachers, there are many ways we can relate our subject to the world around us. Linking with an effort to increase literacy at my school, I've started reading a non-fiction book with one of my chemistry classes titled, “The Case of the Frozen Addicts: Working at the Edge of the Mysteries of the Human Brain."