For this coming school year, I would like to kick off every unit with a discrepant event, and then bring it back at the end of the unit for students to explain with their new model.
In this post, I share my thoughts about positive relationships as well as some of the activities that I do on the first day of school to make connections with my students.
A variety of activities performed at a science camp that relate to the chemistry of the solar system are reported. These activities could prove useful in the chemistry curriculum or in planning for National Chemistry Week in 2018, the theme of which is Chemistry is Out of This World!
I have been interested in the adsorption properties of shells and other common materials. I decided to test the adsorption properties of almond shells towards methylene blue and I am sharing how it went here.
How do you demonstrate how a buffer system works? I did some brainstorming, devised a plan and it went well. This post is a description of what I did.
Simple methods to prepare liquid air are described. In addition, ways to test the properties of liquid air and other liquefied gases are explored.
I was drawn to an article by Eilks, Gulacar, and Sandoval about Acid-Base Chemistry and Chemical Equilibrium in the April 2018 issue of JCE. The title of the article is "Exploring the Mysterious Substances, X and Y: Challenging Students' Thinking on Acid-Base Chemistry and Chemical Equilibrium." The premise of the article is to demonstrate how an instructor may use a group of compounds (zeolites) to "elaborate on the behavior of solid state acids and bases" while revisiting LeChatelier's principle.
The solution to Chemical Mystery #11, which involves the Leidenfrost Effect, is presented.
What happens if you place metal that is glowing orange-hot into some water? Watch this video and find out!
What happens if you cool a Scrub Daddy sponge in liquid nitrogen (or dry ice) and subsequently strike it with a hammer? Let's find out!
