misconceptions/discrepant events

Misconceptions refer to common, erroneous beliefs that students use to understand and explain the world around them. Such assumptions often become entrenched and resist modification by traditional instruction. A discrepant event is an experiment, demonstration, or other occurrence that challenges a misconception by producing a result counter to that predicted by the mistaken belief. When this happens, students are forced to reevaluate and adjust their conceptual framework in order to account for the discrepant event.

Term source
jce
Three levels of representation
Integrating Three Types of Chemical Representation
// Monday, February 8, 2016 • E Posthuma
I spend a lot of time working with models in my classroom - developing mental models, drawing models, talking about models, testing models - you get the picture.  As I was planning my school year last summer, my colleagues and I started thinking about how our students interacted with the models.  
distillation
Thank you "Lady from Texas"
// Sunday, September 27, 2015 • Chad Husting
WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE? HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE? WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?
mole definition
What the MOLE?
// Saturday, August 15, 2015 • Deanna Cullen
What is your definition of the term “mole” in chemistry? Many articles have been written about the term and the confusion surrounding it. It was not considered an SI unit (with an IUPAC definition) until 1971 (Fang, Hart, Clarke).
Light water on fire
Solution to Chemical Mystery #5: How to Burn Water
// Thursday, July 16, 2015 • Tom Kuntzleman
In Chemical Mystery #5, I used chemistry to give the illusion that water can be lit on fire. The trick involves the use of hexane (C6H14) which is flammable, less dense than water, and immiscible with water. In the video below you can see how to set up and carry out this demonstration.
Chemical Mystery #5: How to burn water
// Saturday, July 11, 2015 • Tom Kuntzleman
The video below displays a neat trick you can do for your students. What do you suppose is the secret behind this trick? Hint: It has to do with chemistry!
Building Molar Mass, molar mass calculations, mole calculations
Building Molar Mass
// Sunday, May 10, 2015 • Doug Ragan
An advantage to teaching on the trimester schedule allows me the opportunity to teach the same course again roughly twelve weeks later.
modeling training
Opportunities For Chemistry Modeling Training
// Tuesday, February 24, 2015 • Deanna Cullen
I was taught science by transmission. The content information was provided and I did my best to make sense of it. If some of the material didn’t make sense, I could just memorize it for the test. As a new teacher in the late 1980’s, I wanted to offer my students more.
scantron and pencil
Conceptual Chemistry Questions
// Tuesday, February 17, 2015 • Deanna Cullen
The new AP Chemistry Curriculum and the NGSS both focus on developing deep conceptual understanding. In order to achieve this, teachers must identify the objectives they need to teach to and stockpile a good assortment of conceptual questions for formative and summative assessments to support those objectives.
Balloon cooled in liquid nitrogen
Solution to Chemical Mystery #4: The Case of the Misbehaving Balloon
// Tuesday, February 17, 2015 • Tom Kuntzleman
Did any of you guess what was going on in Chemical Mystery #4:  The Case of the Misbehaving Balloon?  In this experiment, several balloons were placed in liquid nitrogen.  Most of these balloons shrunk tremendously – to almost zero volume – when cooled