External Resources

Explore digital resources from the chemistry community!

General

This site provides teaching and learning tools to support green chemistry in the classroom.

Formerly part of the Journal of Chemical Education website, ChemEdX provides a forum for teachers to exchange ideas and resources.

Connected Chemistry Curriculum (CCC) (High School)

These simulations help students understand topics such as molecular modeling, solutions, reactions, and gas laws. The files are downloadable and can be used on any computer for free.

Related webinar: Getting Started with the Connected Chemistry Curriculum »

Discovery Education Lesson Plan Library (All grades)

Discovery Education provides free lesson plans written by teachers, for teachers. The site includes standards-based digital media that can be used to improve student achievement. Use the lessons as they are or modify them to create your own.

Laboratory Safety Institute (All grades)

Offers free safety guides, posters, videos and other resources to teachers. Scholarships are available for K-12 teachers to receive one- to three-day science safety courses at greatly reduced prices.

Molecular Workbench (Middle/High School)

A simulation without instructional support is difficult for students to use. An optimal way of using simulations is to embed them into curriculum materials. MW has an authoring system for teachers and curriculum developers to create or customize their own online lessons that use models and simulations.

Related simulation: Comparing Attractive Forces, featured in the November issue of Chemistry Solutions »

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (High School)

This site provides five units on nuclear-related subjects that teachers can use in the classroom. In some instances, the instructional units can be modified to be taught by teachers with varying degrees of knowledge in this subject area.

POGIL (High School)

POGIL (process-oriented guided-inquiry learning) is a student-centered learning strategy that guides students to construct new knowledge. Students work in small groups with roles to ensure that all students are fully engaged in the learning process.

Related article: Learning Electron Configuration via POGIL »

PhET (Middle/High School)

For free, PhET provides interactive simulations of physical phenomena. Students can make connections between real-life phenomena and the underlying science, deepening their understanding and appreciation of the physical world. Some simulations have teacher resources to accompany the activity.

Related webinar: Teaching Chemistry Using PhET Simulations »

Realism (Middle/High school)

This site provides free 3D gamified virtual labs that are inquiry based.

Science Friday (All grades)

Science Friday is a trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science. It started as a radio show, created in 1991 by host and executive producer Ira Flatow. Since then, it has grown into much more: SciFri produces award-winning digital videos and publishes original web content covering everything from octopus camouflage to cooking on Mars. SciFri is brain fun, for curious people.

Target Inquiry (Middle/High School)

These activities help teachers successfully implement standards-based inquiry instruction into their lessons. In addition to a host of free resources, Grand Valley State University also offers a 2.5 year program that assists teachers to develop an inquiry-based science classroom. Science teachers can earn a Master of Education with an Emphasis in Advanced Content Specialization or complete a 15-credit certificate program.

Related webinar: Cookbook to Inquiry »

Featured resources from the American Chemical Society

Middle School Chemistry

This online resource of lessons encourages students to investigate the world of atoms and molecules through hands-on inquiry-based activities and molecular model animations. The entire book is downloadable in PDF format.

Energy Foundations for High School Chemistry

Teach the big ideas about energy in your chemistry class. Exercises, lab investigations, videos, and demos focus on the fundamentals of chemical, mechanical, nuclear, and gravitational energy.

Inquiry in Action (Elementary/Middle School)

What causes certain substances to dissolve in water? Why do some liquids bead up on wax paper while others spread out? These questions and many more are explored in Inquiry in Action, a resource of guided activities that covers basic chemistry concepts along with the process of scientific investigation.

Adventures in Chemistry (Elementary/Middle School)

This interactive website is a creation by the ACS Education Division and investigates everyday questions that kids have about topics from apples to zooming rockets. Featured on the website are an interactive game, a library of poems, experiments, videos, and other activities for students to experience.

Science Activities (Elementary School)

Use these activities to enrich the study of various science topics taught in elementary school. Topics are aligned with curriculum for physical science, earth and space science, and some life science. Best suited for grades 3-5.

Chemistry Landmarks (High School)

These inquiry-based activities are based on material from the ACS National Historic Chemical Landmarks program. The lessons, reading materials, videos, and student activities are designed as ready-to-go activities, easily implemented by a chemistry teacher or a substitute to supplement a unit of study.

ACS Reactions (All grades)

Reactions is a video series from the American Chemical Society that uncovers the chemistry of life. Topics covered include the chemistry of caffeine, ice cream, bacon, and other everyday items.

Spellbound (All grades)

In this video series, scientists tell their stories about how their childhood curiosity in everyday things helped them launch careers in the lab, win Nobel Prizes, and make other achievements. Their curiosity, mentors, role models, and other early childhood experiences may point to approaches that can be used today and tomorrow to encourage young people into careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Spellbound was produced in 2011 for the International Year of Chemistry.