Latest articles, blogs, and events from the chemical education community

When the topic of Photoelectron Spectroscopy (PES) was added to the AP Chemistry curriculum during the 2013 redesign, I was apprehensive.

Here’s a fun demonstration I did for my students on Valentine’s Day:  

In August 2016, I attended the New England Association of Chemistry Teacher’s summer conference in North Adams, MA at the Massachusetts College for Liberal Arts (MCLA).

As I planned for my mole unit this year, I thought about how fundamental the mole concept is for stoichiometry and brainstormed ways to really make it stick. I usually do a lab practicum at the end of every unit. I have shared about my Lab Practicums in Chemistry before.

Greatness is easily recognized. Whether it be in sports, music, or writing, there is often a short list of contenders for the greatest of all time. How greatness is achieved, on the other hand, can be difficult to explain.

Each year around this time, the same questions start emerging on listservs and discussion boards about the structure and content of the AP Chemistry Exam. Teachers start to worry if they have covered all of the content and if their students are prepared enough for the daunting exam.

If you didn't know, National Periodic Table Day is this Thursday, Feb. the 7th. More info about the day can be found on PeriodTableDay.org.

Each year, my honors chemistry class eventually gets to the point where thermodynamic quantities and the relationships between them are introduced. For many students, the very nature of the ideas within thermochemistry often creates a sense of overwhelming abstraction that is difficult to overcome.

The June, 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education contains an article tha