Articles

26 – 50 of 50 Articles

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  Tech Tips | May 2018 Experimenting with Electronic Lab Notebooks

  The author describes her efforts to implement and effectively use electronic notebooks to capture lab work in regular, advanced, and AP chemistry classes.

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  Resource Feature | March 2018 Teaching Beyond the Cookbook

  Inquiry lab experiences provide students with a wider context for understanding the material presented in the classroom while improving student engagement and giving them a more authentic science experience. If you want to include more aspects of inquiry in your laboratory experiences, but lack the time and money to test brand new labs, this article provides specific tools and ideas for adding inquiry experiences to your own labs.

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  Classroom Commentary | March 2018 Part II: Rethinking Common Practices in High School Chemistry

  This article is Part II of a series that aims at rethinking common practices in the high school chemistry curriculum. The first article in this series was published in the November 2017 issue. This article describes the shortcomings with the “5 Reaction Types” classification scheme and provides an alternative organization to the study of chemical reactions.

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  Resource Feature | March 2018 Recasting Chemistry Labs with Forensic Themes

  This article discusses several examples of how forensic scenarios can be added to tried-and-true chemistry labs. The author also provides several example lab activities for the audience to use in their own classrooms.

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  Classroom Commentary | November 2017 Part I: Rethinking Common Practices in High School Chemistry

  The physical vs. chemical change dichotomy and criteria for classification often taught early in chemistry courses should be removed or delayed until students have a more thorough understanding of the particulate nature of matter.

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  Resource Feature | September 2017 Introducing the Chemistry of Color: A Resource Collection

  This article highlights a set of lessons developed by a team of content writers, sponsored by PPG, using color as a general theme. The lessons use chemistry to explore various aspects of the science behind paints and coatings.

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  Nuts & Bolts | March 2017 Four Strategies for More Effective Labs

  Learn four strategies for effectively connecting chemistry lessons to lab activities. This article will explore flipping the pre-lab, incorporating claim-evidence-reasoning in the hypothesis and conclusion, implementing a class discussion during inquiry labs, and developing lab quizzes.

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  Resource Feature | March 2017 Take Home Labs: Making Science Real

  It’s an ongoing question: how do we provide students with more lab time? One answer is to introduce take home labs. In this article, the author explains how take home labs can fit into your curriculum to cover new material, review material, or provide extra credit, and how they provide increased exposure to science in our everyday world.

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  Tech Tips | November 2016 Using Wikis to Promote Engagement in a Chemistry Lab

  Wikis can be used as a technology tool for differentiating a chemistry lab so it's engaging to all students. In this article the author explains how to build a classroom wiki page to use with students. He also explores ways to assess students’ tasks completed during the lab.

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  Tech Tips | November 2016 Simple Technology Strategies to Improve the Lab Experience

  Learn how to incorporate a few simple strategies to improve data sharing, pre-lab preparation and post-lab discussion in the chemistry lab. The author discusses the use of Google Forms, and the integration of videos and simulations.

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  Resource Feature | September 2016 Tools and Strategies for Teaching Lab Report Writing

  One of the critical skills expected from any science graduate is the ability to write coherent and meaningful laboratory reports. Many chemistry students come to their first- and even second-year classes with an incomplete understanding of how to write high quality formal lab reports. We have developed some tools and strategies that may be helpful in this endeavor.

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  Resource Feature | May 2016 Getting Young Students Excited about Science

  Have you considered teaching chemistry to your elemenatry students? This fifth grade teacher shows how easy it is to introduce chemistry into the elementary school classroom. She reviews several You Be The Chemist® activities, and explains why her students love them.

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  Nuts & Bolts | September 2016 Keeping the Wow Factor, and Controlling the Risks

  This article reviews the safety problems inherent in the “traditional” rainbow experiment and similar demonstrations, the responses from various organizations, and safer alternatives.

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  Resource Feature | March 2016 Keys for Success in Teaching Chemistry

  Teach fundamental chemistry concepts using common items, and discover clever options for finding teaching supplies on a limited budget.

  
  

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  Resource Feature | November 2014 A Cracking Good Reaction

  Eliminate safety concerns of cracking hydrocarbons in a classroom setting by doing the reaction with a microscale set up.

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  Nuts & Bolts | November 2014 Strategies for Increasing Student Engagement

  Increase student engagement and promote critical-thinking skills through positive student–teacher relationships, chemical demonstrations, and student discussions.

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  Nuts & Bolts | September 2015 Teaching Chemistry on a Budget

  Do you have an unlimited budget for your classroom? Learn tips for maximizing your teaching resources and supplies, while minimizing cost.

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  Nuts & Bolts | September 2015 Minimizing Error in a Stoichiometry Lab

  A student suggests an alternative method to minimize the error in an exciting stoichiometry experiment.

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  Resource Feature | May 2015 The Indestructible Crucible

  Is it correct to use unconventional equipment in a school setting? Read about this alternative apparatus to the traditional crucible—a bottle cap.

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  Resource Feature | November 2015 Best Molar Ratio: An Acid-Base Discovery Activity

  An experienced teacher updates a classic limiting reactant activity using inexpensive chemicals, pressure sensors, and Erlenmeyer flasks.

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  Resource Feature | March 2015 Positioning the Gas Laws in Our Chemistry Teaching

  Set up student understanding of gas behavior and Avogadro's hypothesis using gas density, gas compressibility, and the law of combining volumes.

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  Nuts & Bolts | November 2014 Demonstrations and Good Pedagogy

  Given recent accidents involving methanol, are traditional, teacher-performed, passive-student demonstrations best?

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  Resource Feature | September 2016 The Chemistry of Cars: An Adventure in Resource Creation

  Learn about the exciting Chemistry of Cars project, and the content writing team responsible for creating 19 new amazing classroom resources!
  

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  Classroom Commentary | May 2015 A Dialog on Terminology: Double Replacement vs Ion Swap

  Are ionic AX + BY reactions better titled double replacement or ion swap? Read the discourse between two advanced high school chemistry students, with an introduction and conclusion from their teacher.
  

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  Resource Feature | November 2014 Magic Bubble

  Read about a lesson designed by a teacher that introduces students to particle diagrams via the process of dissolving.