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In this, the second installment of "Five for the First", Nora Walsh shares five simple activities for the first few weeks of school to help build her classroom culture.
Oxidation-Reduction (Redox) reactions, also referred to as electron-transfer reactions, are common. So common, in fact, that four of the five general reaction types studied in Honors Chemistry involve the transfer of electrons. In this post, lead contributor Michael Jansen outlines three approaches to teaching electron transfer and Redox reactions.
The second installment of our (Re)Bootcamp includes three different examples of ways you can implement new approaches without having to redesign your entire curriculum.
This post outlines five simple and effective strategies for teaching English learners in the Chemistry classroom.
This post describes an engaging, thought-provoking capstone activity for the Redox/Electrochemistry unit in AP Chemistry1. It may be used as a homework assignment, a collaborative in-class assignment, or as a challenging test or exam question.2 It can also be used as a hands-on and MINDS-ON laboratory activity or teacher demonstration.
Over the course of this summer, we will be publishing a series of blog posts aimed at teachers who are new to teaching chemistry or who are looking to refresh something(s) about their chemistry courses. Each post will feature several teachers' thoughts on how they approach topics in their classrooms, with teacher-facing examples, or artifacts, to support you in your own planning. This post, the first in our (Re)Bootcamp series, will explore instructional models that shape chemistry classrooms. The next post will incorporate smaller aspects from each of these methods, because your course can incorporate pieces of a pedagogical style without committing to adopting any one method for a whole year. Variety is indeed the spice of life, and courses that are diverse in terms of methods have the potential to be more engaging for students. That being said, organization and consistency are also important, so having a thread that weaves through all of your content to help students keep track of their learning is very powerful.
You're going to love this new color variation on the Density Bottle experiment!
Lead contributor Nora Walsh has compiled several activities for AP students to follow after the exam. From engaging one-day activities to Organic lessons and project ideas, Nora has you covered for a successful end of the school year with your AP students.
A pre-dinner conversation leads to a different way of thinking about quantum superposition. A meal from an idiosyncratic chef is not defined until “the reveal.” Discussion of this leads to the statement by Asher Peres that “unperformed experiments have no results.” Discussion of Peres’ statement, then contrasting versions of resultlessness in both macroscopic and quantum realms, leads to classroom discussion. This, hopefully, creates an easier and deeper understanding of quantum mechanics.
In this blog, Michael Jansen considers the significance of using proper units and their role in helping students develop a conceptual understanding of Chemistry.