The WEIRDEST Chemical Reaction I've Ever Seen!
Tom Kuntzleman | Sat, 09/07/2024 - 11:17
This chemical reaction is just plain weird...but also beautiful!
middle school science
The Fun Side of Gas Laws: Brain Breaks with Boyle's Law
Melissa Hemling | Tue, 08/06/2024 - 22:33
Looking for a fun way to teach gas laws? Try using brain breaks! Activities like the Longest Straw Challenge and Suck it Up Skittles Challenge not only get students up and moving but also make learning Boyle's Law engaging and memorable.
Ion Chip Challenge: A Brain Break for Chemistry Classrooms
Melissa Hemling | Thu, 07/25/2024 - 21:37
The Ion Chip Challenge is an interactive brain break game where students play rock-paper-scissors to exchange electron chips, helping them understand ion formation by addressing common misconceptions about positive and negative charges. This engaging activity combines movement and social interaction, making chemistry concepts more accessible and reinforcing that ions are formed through the transfer of electrons, not protons.
The Chemistry of Water Reveal Coloring Books
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 07/16/2024 - 07:01
How do Melissa & Doug’s “Water WOW!” Water Reveal coloring books work? Let's do some experiments to find out!
Exploring Color Separation in Salting-Out Experiments
Tom Kuntzleman | Sat, 05/04/2024 - 07:44
Adding dyes to salting out experiments can create a variety of interesting color effects as the dyes differentially dissolve in the aqueous and organic layers. Can this differential solubility of dyes be explained using intermolecular forces as a guide?
Demonstrating the Glass Transition of Polylactic Acid with a Rattle
Dean Campbell | Wed, 03/27/2024 - 20:42
Polylactic acid (PLA) exhibits a glass transition from hard and brittle to soft and rubbery when immersed in boiling water. PLA-based structures containing a small metal object can be used as rattles when they are shaken. The sound of the rattles change when they are heated above or cooled below their glass transition, enabling them to be used as demonstrations.
Ice Clouds 2.0
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 01/16/2024 - 15:12
What is some of the chemistry involved in the formation of ice clouds when boiling water is thrown into icy air?
Water You Thinking? Bringing the Chemistry and Biology of Water to Middle-Schoolers
Dean Campbell | Sun, 09/24/2023 - 10:18
Description of a Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) course for middle-school students about the chemistry and biology of water.
Refresh and Reinforce: Water Maze Challenge Brain Break Activity
Melissa Hemling | Mon, 09/18/2023 - 08:42
Brain Breaks are powerful tools in education, supported by research showing improved focus, retention, community building, and reduced stress among students. When structured using chemistry principles, like in the Water Maze Race, brain breaks can also introduce or reinforce fundamental chemistry concepts.
The Floating Soap Bubble
Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 08/21/2023 - 09:03
The floating soap bubble is an impressive experiment that is surprisingly easy to carry out.