Content Development

During June and July of 2023, AACT sponsored a content writing focused on developing unique lessons plans related to the 2023 National Chemistry Week Theme, The Healing Power of Chemistry. Seven teachers from across the United States were selected to create exciting lessons for use in high school chemistry classrooms and middle school science classrooms. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Jesus Abrego – Saint Joseph Academy, Brownsville, Texas
Melissa Hemling – Beaver Dam High School, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Steve Kosmas – Mercy high School, Farmington Hills, Michigan
Sherri Rukes – Libertyville High School, Libertyville, Illinois
Jennifer Smith – Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School, Mahomet, Illinois
Caroline Tsuyuki – Archbishop Riordan High School, San Fransico, California
Taylor Villanueva – Skyline High School, Dallas, Texas

In the winter and spring of 2023, AACT sponsored a content writing team focused on creating teaching materials to educate students about the role of chemical technical professionals in the chemical sciences. This opportunity was developed in support of the ACS Strategic Initiative on Fostering a Skilled Technical Workforce. Three outstanding teachers worked to develop high school content for this purpose. Find their resources and more as part of the Chemical Technical Professionals Resource Collection. 

Roxanne Spencer – Ranney School, Tinton Falls, New Jersey 
Petra van't Slot – The Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, New Jersey
Chrstine Taylor – Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina

During the summer of 2022, AACT sponsored a Chemistry & Sustainability content writing team to develop lesson plans that have students apply their chemistry knowledge to real-world applications through the lens of one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Three wonderful teachers created unique, multi-part lesson plans that will help your students see how chemistry can be used to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Shea Wickelson – Salt Lake Center for Science Education, Salt Lake City, Utah
Deonna Lynch – Scottsburg High School, Scottsburg, Indiana
Roxanne Spencer – Ranney School, Tinton Falls, New Jersey

In the winter and spring of 2020, AACT sponsored a K-8 content writing team focused on developing teaching content related to two fundamental chemistry topics: Energy and Measurement. Three talented teachers worked both independently and cooperatively over 16-weeks to prepare new and unique lesson plans for these topics. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Sarah Moore – Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve, Asheboro, North Carolina
Chris Ann Slye – Ephrata High School, Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Jennifer Smith – Monticello Middle School, Monticello, Illinois

AACT sponsored a forensic chemistry themed content writing team during the summer of 2020. Five outstanding teachers created engaging lesson plans that can each be integrated into a high school chemistry curriculum. The exciting forensic storyline in each of these lessons will certainly be of interest to students, while also revealing a real-world application of chemistry. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Anne Huntress – South Lewis Central School, Turnin, New York
Crystal Kissel – Fort Mill High School, Fort Mill, South Carolina
Deonna Puckett – Scottsburg High School, Scottsburg, Indiana
Alyssa Whitney – Old Rochester Regional High School, Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Shea Wickelson – Salt Lake Center for Science Education, Salt Lake City, Utah

During the summer of 2019 AACT sponsored the first content writing team focused on creating lesson plans that incorporated the use of a ChemMatters magazine article. This team was highly successful, as three wonderful teachers created very unique teaching content for both middle and high school classrooms. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Stacey Balbach – Cuba City School District, Cuba City, Wisconsin
Judy Cheng – Poly Prep Country Day School, New York, New York
Lauren Stewart – Sylvania Northview High School, Sylvania, Ohio

When the College Board announced that the AP Chemistry Course Framework would be reorganized into 9 units, effective as of the 2019-2020 school year, AACT sponsored a teacher team to realign the existing AP content in the AACT classroom resource library. Four amazing teachers worked tirelessly in the summer of 2019 in order to make the content available in advance of the new school year. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Dusty Carroll – Seneca High School, Tabernacle, New Jersey
Jennifer Douglass – Veterans High School, Kathleen, Georgia
Christine Taylor – Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina
Nora Walsh – Reitz High School, Evansville, Indiana

AACT sponsored a second AP Chemistry Content Writing Team in the Summer of 2018. Four participants worked independently and cooperatively during the 8-week project to develop classroom resources appropriate for teaching specific Learning Objectives. The classroom resources developed through this content writing project will be available in the High School Resource Library in the Fall of 2018. Meet the team of talented teachers:

Rose Dunlap – St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Memphis, Tennessee
Melissa Hemling – Beaver Dam High School, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Ryan Johnson – Doherty High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Christine Taylor – Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina

AACT sponsored an AP Chemistry Content Writing Team in the Summer of 2017. The participants worked independently and cooperatively during the 8-week project to develop classroom resources appropriate for teaching Learning Objectives related to AP Big Ideas 4, 5, and 6. The classroom resources developed through this content writing project will be available in the High School Resource Library in the Fall of 2017. Meet the team of talented teachers:

James Cherry – Summit High School, Spring Hill, Tennessee
Jennifer Douglass – Veterans High School, Kathleen, Georgia
Erin Radebe - Long Reach High School, Columbia, Maryland

With generous support from PPG Industries, AACT formed a new content writing team in 2017. Ten K–12 teachers and one lead writer will create a collection of teaching resources about the Chemistry of Color, with a focus on real-world applications that coincide with PPG’s core business, particularly paints, dyes, and ceramics. Each classroom resource developed by the content writing team will be connected to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Resources will be available Fall 2017 in the AACT classroom resource library. Meet the team of talented teachers: 

Dusty Carroll – Lead Content Writer, Marlton, New Jersey
Laura Celik – Princeton, New Jersey
Bill Hoffman – New Castle, Pennsylvania
Lauri McDonald – Dallas, Texas
Renuka Rajasekaran – Locust Grove, Georgia
Michele Thomas – Georgetown, Delaware
Maria Tolentino – Woodbridge, New Jersey
Kevin Willis – Carmichaels, Pennsylvania
Michelle Winesett – Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Heather Zimmer – Milton, Massachusetts

AACT partnered with the Ford Motor Company to offer a themed content writing opportunity focused on The Chemistry of Cars for K-12 teachers of chemistry in the spring of 2016. A special thanks to the teachers who contributed, and to The Ford Motor Company for their support of chemistry education.

Steve Sogo – Lead Content Writer, Laguna Beach, California
David Allan – Saginaw, Michigan
DeEtta Andersen – Center Point, Iowa
Jean Mihelcic – Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Laura Murphy – Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Lee Rucinski – Tinley Park, Illinois
Sherri Rukes – Libertyville, Illinois
Jennifer Smith – Monticello, Illinois
Roxanne Spencer – Princeton, New Jersey
Maryjane Utley – Westerly, Rhode Island

Prior to AACT's official launch in September of 2014, we assembled a middle school and elementary school team of dedicated teachers to develop lesson plans. Thanks to all who participated!

2014 Middle School Content Writing Team

Michael Chapman Jr., lead content writer
Lisa Blank
D. Marie Gillespie
Christine Herald
Christopher Johannesson

2014 Elementary School Content Writing Team

Margaret Carruthers, lead content writer
Deborah Franklin
Charles Gale
James Sauer
Jennifer Sengbusch
Luci Spinale