high school

Simple Activities to Integrate Particle-Level Diagrams

Erica Posthuma | Mon, 10/20/2014 - 08:34

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There have been many conversations within the Chemistry Education community surrounding the revisions to the AP curriculum. Twitter has been buzzing with instructors debating how to implement the changes, conferences and workshops have participants deconstructing the data from last year’s exam, and classroom teachers are working diligently to prepare their students for this year’s test. One way the College Board has tried to shift the AP curriculum away from algorithmic problem solving and toward more meaningful conceptual understanding is through the use of particle diagrams.

Solution to Chemical Mystery #3: The Sour Side of Chemistry!

Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 09/22/2014 - 15:17

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Congratulations to Grazyna Zreda who solved the Chemical Mystery of the Mentos candies! To conduct this trick, two white Mentos candies are placed in separate beakers that both contain universal indicator.

The Sweet Side of Chemistry: Chemical Mystery #3

Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 09/15/2014 - 15:44

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National Chemistry week 2014 will be upon us in a little over a month. As you may have heard in Erica Jacobsen’s posts, this year’s theme is “The Sweet Side of Chemistry – Candy.”

Scientific Practices Post #1: Model Building

Shelly Belleau | Thu, 08/28/2014 - 18:06

Through a series of three blog posts, I’d like to share my thoughts about these scientific practices and how we might communicate about these practices to middle and high school students. I’d love to hear your thoughts along the way! Let’s start with model building…

Melting Pennies

Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 08/26/2014 - 13:34

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I am fascinated by the chemistry of pennies. I have tried several experiments found in the Journal of Chemical Education.

The Particle at the End of the Universe by Sean Carroll

Melanie Anastasio | Thu, 08/07/2014 - 10:49

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The Higgs boson is one of our era’s most fascinating scientific frontiers and the key to understanding why mass exists. The most recent book on the subject, The God Particle, was a bestseller.

Build a Boat (and a classroom culture)

Erica Posthuma | Fri, 07/25/2014 - 12:40

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This back to school activity can be a valuable way to create a classroom culture of teamwork and growth mindset. Links to a virtual version are included.

AACT at BCCE

Emily Bones | Mon, 07/21/2014 - 16:53

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Physics teachers have AAPT, biology teachers have NABT, and starting this fall, chemistry teachers will have AACT. We are happy to announce that the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) will be accepting charter members starting on Aug. 4 at BCCE in Grand Rapids, Mich. But if you aren’t attending BCCE, you can join AACT by visiting teachchemistry.org on Aug. 4, and you’ll still have the status of charter member.