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Nuts & Bolts | September 2020 Mole of Reaction: Application in Limiting Reactants
In this article, the author describes the use of mole of reaction in limiting reactant calculations in first-year advanced chemistry. In addition to describing how mole of reaction was used in limiting reactant calculations (including advantages and drawbacks), the author also describes how introducing mole of reaction in first-year chemistry impacts students’ subsequent use of this unit in AP Chemistry.
Tech Tips | September 2020 My Favorite Technology Tools for Teaching Chemistry — Remotely and In-Person
In this article, the author highlights her five favorite technology tools for teaching chemistry, both in-person and remotely. She includes examples and tips for effective use — and encourages teachers to incorporate these tools into their own lessons!
Resource Feature | September 2020 Lab Safety Teaching Resources for the Chemistry Classroom
This article provides an introduction to the ACS lab safety videos and demonstrates ways to implement the videos into a 5E lesson plan. Specific resources and activities are provided to integrate safety into chemistry lesson plans.
Resource Feature | September 2020 Using an Online Meeting Scavenger Hunt to Offer Kinesthetic Learning
In this article, the author describes her use of an online scavenger hunt activity during remote learning. This activity offers students an engaging opportunity for kinesthetic learning and class discussion, while learning about the chemistry in their everyday life.
Resource Feature | May 2020 Using Escape Rooms in the Chemistry Classroom
In this resource feature article, the author describes her use of two escape room activities in the chemistry classroom. One activity was used in AP Chemistry as an assessment, while the other used in a first-year chemistry class as a test review. She shares her successes, challenges, and lessons learned, and encourages other teachers to try these and other escape room-themed activities in their own classrooms.
Nuts & Bolts | May 2020 The BOSSO: A Tool for Enhanced Comprehension and Retention
In this article, the authors share about the BOSSO, a highly effective homework assignment that is used specifically with reading assignments and is designed to help students organize their learning.
Resource Feature | May 2020 Molecules that Changed the World: A Molecular Modeling Project
In this article, the author shares about a successful culminating project that she uses in her classroom. Students select from an approved list (that ranges in level of difficulty) a molecule that has changed the world. Each molecule is one that they encounter in the real world, and students are asked to research about its uses, physical and chemical properties, structure, synthesis reaction, by-products, environmental issues, related current events, and more. Additionally, students build a three-dimensional model of their molecule, which they present to the class with an accompanying oral presentation.
Nuts & Bolts | March 2020 The Benefits of Culminating Tasks
In this article, a teacher shares her experience implementing culminating tasks in the chemistry classroom. She shares her insight for best practices, and offers suggestions for hands-on lab experiences that can be completed at the end of a unit or a semester.
Classroom Commentary | March 2020 The Importance of Teaching Literacy Strategies in High School Chemistry
In this article, the author discusses rationale for teaching chemistry literacy and offers strategies to be successful in the classroom. Since teaching students how to read and write is the responsibility of all teachers, the author aims to help chemistry teachers focus on these important skills in their content area.
Resource Feature | March 2020 Teaching Periodic Trends with a Popular Card Game
In this article, the author describes how she was inspired by the rules and spirit of the well-known card game, War, to help her students test their knowledge of the periodic trends. She shares about how she uses her version, which she calls Periodic War, in the classroom, and discusses student learning outcomes, as well as difficulties and successes that she has encountered when using it as a teaching activity in her classroom.
Nuts & Bolts | November 2019 Developing the Skill of Modeling to Reinforce Complex Topics in Chemistry
In this article, the author explains the progression of skill development in particulate modeling in the chemistry classroom to help students better understand complex chemistry.
Nuts & Bolts | November 2019 Drawing Exit Tickets: A New Way to Formatively Assess
The author uses a modified version of traditional exit tickets as a useful strategy to formatively assess student understanding at the end of the lesson. Her students are asked to summarize what they have learned by creating drawings. She shares that recent research has shown that drawing can be more effective than writing as a tool for remembering concepts. Read this article to see how you can use this strategy in your own classroom!
Classroom Commentary | September 2019 Strategies for Fostering Community in High School Chemistry Classrooms
In this article, the author discusses how developing a strong classroom community can help students persevere in the face of challenging chemistry content. The author shares how she has developed a system for fostering individual student growth while developing strong classroom culture over time.
Nuts & Bolts | September 2019 Tips for Surviving and Thriving in Your First Years as a Chemistry Teacher
This article provides tips for finding success as a new chemistry teacher. Tips include helpful organizational advice and lab logistics for teachers who are navigating their first few years of teaching.
Nuts & Bolts | September 2019 Systems-Thinking in the Chemistry Classroom
Recent critiques of chemistry curricula have pointed toward an overly reductionist approach to teaching and learning about the central science. Advocates of curriculum changes point out that many schools and textbooks fail to help students see chemistry’s impacts within larger and interconnected systems. A systems-thinking approach to chemistry curriculum development and implementation may help both students and teachers conceive and appreciate these complex relationships. Two tools that can help teachers design and implement a systems-approach to chemical education include Science Literacy Maps and Concept Maps.
Classroom Commentary | September 2019 Using the Challenge Cycle to Facilitate Learning
In this article, the author shares about her use of the Challenge Cycle in combination with the Middle School Chemistry curriculum, developed by ACS. The Challenge Cycle moves the responsibility for learning from teacher to student, and facilitates active learning as it serves as a guide for thinking and communicating.
Nuts & Bolts | May 2019 Addressing Scientific Literacy through a Demonstration
A chemical demonstration can be repeatedly utilized in a curricular unit to bolster scientific literacy. A series of classroom activities in a chemistry classroom is presented to illustrate the demonstration's usefulness as a central and ongoing instructional strategy.
Classroom Commentary | May 2019 Hands-On Science for K-8 Students
This article describes outreach efforts to bring hands-on science experiments to K-8 classes. The author shares her experience involving college students in these efforts, and provides examples of some experiments that were memorable with young students.
Classroom Commentary | March 2019 NGSS Storylines in a Flipped Classroom
This article provides insight into how a teacher flipped her middle school science classroom and then integrated the NGSS storyline process of learning into the flipped classroom structure.
Nuts & Bolts | March 2019 Applying Retrieval Practice Techniques in the Classroom
This article describes the author’s efforts to increase opportunities in her daily teaching practice for students to actively engage in practicing and retrieving information. Research has shown that these activities are very beneficial to long-term learning.
Tech Tips | March 2019 Creating YouTube Tutorial Channels for Student Success
The authors share their success with creating chemistry tutorial videos and posting them on YouTube in order to support students outside of the classroom.
Resource Feature | March 2019 Magic Monday: Inspiring Students to Observe and Question in Chemistry
The article describes the author’s use of demonstrations to spark interest and investigation in chemistry. This teaching strategy has been both valuable and popular with her students.
Nuts & Bolts | March 2019 Ditch Your Step-by-Step Procedures: Teach Students to Understand the Chemistry
In this article, the author describes his emphasis on problem-solving rather than providing step-by-step instructions to students. With the use of examples, he explains how this focus has helped his students develop a deeper understanding of chemistry topics.
Classroom Commentary | November 2018 Working Together toward Vertical Alignment
The author shares his experience organizing a science workshop that connects high school science teachers with elementary school teachers in their same system. During the workshop, high school teachers present labs and activities to help elementary science teachers best prepare their own students. The experience lets teachers collaborate and discuss vertical alignment of their teaching, and be better prepared to work together to provide students with the most effective science education.
Classroom Commentary | September 2018 Reflections of an AP Chemistry Exam Reader
This article describes a chemistry teacher’s experience as a Reader for the AP chemistry exam. She shares some reflections, pointers, and insights to help guide other AP Chemistry teachers in hopes of helping them prepare their students to achieve mastery on the exam.