JCE ChemEd Xchange provides a place for sharing information and opinions. Currently, articles, blogs and reading lists from ChemEd X contributors are listed below. We plan to include other items that the community wishes to share through their contributions to ChemEd X.
Flash rocks, typically pieces of quartz that produce light when struck together, are an example of the complex phenomenon of triboluminescence. The green chemistry aspects for the flash rock demonstration are considered, and LEGO models illustrating quartz crystals, piezoelectric materials, and nonpiezoelectric materials are presented.
On July 11, 2022, Nora Walsh shared tips and advice for integrating interactive notebooks into chemistry lessons. In this ChemEd X Talk she spoke on everything from organizing your classroom for notebooking to how to plan layouts, general and specific ideas for input and output, and some ideas on grading/scoring interactive notebooks. View a recording of Nora's presentation and access materials here.
You can solve Chemical Mystery #20 if you know your chemistry...and your magic!
Nora Walsh outlines the interactive notebook pages she uses for her first unit of the school year: Scientific Reasoning. All of the documents and foldables are available for download.
Why does the "Whoosh Bottle" experiment behave differently at different temperatures?
Educators may be able to use these anthocyanin experiments to make a connection between the food we eat and the chemical principles that are employed to ensure that canned foodstuffs can be preserved properly.
Here is a great way to use spreadsheets to both collect student data and provide instant feedback during labs with quantitative data.
Continuation of the practical application of chemistry to seemingly something unrelated- global maritime trade. In this classroom activity students predict the buoyancy (and hence stability) of a merchant cargo ship based on interpretation of seawater surface salinity values. Like in the first three posts, the question types are conceptual.
In this lab, students are presented with nine unknown substances. By performing a series of tests, analyzing chemical structures, and applying their understanding of how intermolecular forces affect the properties of a substance, students will ultimately determine the identity of each unknown.
Nora Walsh shares the outline of the interactive notebook pages she uses for her thermochemistry unit. All of the documents and foldables are available for download.
