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Resource Feature | September 2022 Using the National Historic Chemical Landmarks Lessons in the Chemistry Classroom
This article highlights the National Historic Chemical Landmarks program from the American Chemical Society, and aims to make teachers aware of the growing collection of lesson plans that are centered around select Landmarks for use in the high school chemistry classroom. The lesson plans provide a unique combination of science, history, and literacy while featuring significant scientific achievements and discoveries.
Chemistry Fun | September 2022 Puzzling, Twisted Fibers
In this activity, students will attempt to solve clues related to the chemistry of fabrics. Starting at the center of the maze, students will fill in each word suggested by the 20 given clues. Answering each clue correctly will help students solve the riddle provided at the end of the activity. This puzzle can be used in the classroom as part of the Fabulous Fibers theme celebration for 2022 National Chemistry Week.
In My Element | September 2022 Curiosity, Challenges, and Success: The Journey of a Teacher
In this article, the author shares about the influences and circumstances that led her to a career in teaching. Additionally, she brings light to the demographics and flavor of the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas, and why she feels it is the perfect fit for her as a chemistry teacher.
Editorial | September 2022 Battling and Overcoming Teacher Burnout
AACT President Matt Perekupka addresses the difficult but timely topic of teacher burnout. He shares about the obstacles he has faced as a teacher in recent years, and outlines shared goals for overcoming burnout in the year ahead. Matt emphasizes the importance of having a positive professional network, while also encouraging teachers to be mindful of their personal well-being this year.
Nuts & Bolts | September 2022 Teaching with Project-Based Learning in the High School Chemistry Classroom
In this article, the author describes her interest and recent success with her implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in the chemistry classroom. She discusses her experience using PBL and what motivates her to continue using the approach. She also provides an overview of some successful chemistry units that are designed with PBL in mind.
Chemistry Fun | May 2022 Sudoku by the (Chemical) Numbers
In this activity, students will first answer clues about fundamental chemistry concepts in order to determine the missing digits from a sudoku puzzle. After solving the clues, students must then use both logic and reasoning while following the rules of sudoku to solve the 9x9 puzzle.
Classroom Commentary | May 2022 Real-World Chemistry: Making Chemistry More Relatable for Students
The article describes a teacher’s efforts to help students better understand chemistry by connecting to concepts they encounter in their everyday lives. The author shares some examples from her classroom as well as a lab for readers to try with their own students.
Editorial | May 2022 An Ongoing Effort: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Chemistry
AACT President Greta Glugoski-Sharp shares about the work of the AACT Governing Board throughout the past year, and highlights their efforts focused on culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices in the chemistry classroom. She hopes that their work will result in a toolkit (currently being developed) that can help support and guide chemistry teachers on the path to culturally responsive teaching.
Resource Feature | May 2022 Bringing Materials Chemistry into the Teaching of Bonding
In this article, the author explains how she incorporates topics of materials science into a chemical bonding unit. She shares several teaching resources as examples, including easy-to-use, show-and-tell style demonstrations that have had been effective at introducing students to the exciting field of material science.
Resource Feature | May 2022 The Wonderful World of Chemistry: A Magic Show!
Given the value of chemistry demonstrations to learning, in 2019 the Yale Chemistry Department developed a successful outreach event called, “The Wonderful World of Chemistry: A Magic Show,” which was performed again in 2020 for students from local public schools. This hour-long lecture given by Yale Chemistry Department faculty and students was intended to introduce chemistry to upper-elementary and middle school students through a series of demonstrations. In this article, the authors provide teachers with information that will assist them in performing some of the most successful demonstrations in their own classrooms.
Nuts & Bolts | May 2022 Strategies for Equitable Student Collaboration using Jamboard
In this article the author explains how she recently incorporated a Driving Questions Board and Activity Summary Board using Jamboard in her chemistry classroom. She shares about her purpose for shifting her teaching approach in order to integrate these strategies for equitable student collaboration.
In My Element | May 2022 Achieving Balance: A Day in the Life of a Middle School Science Teacher
In this article, middle school science teacher Scott Valenta reflects on his work/life balance, remembering the adage, “teaching is a marathon, not a sprint.” Scott makes plans to have a future with a healthier balance in his work life.
Classroom Commentary | March 2022 Teachers of Young Students are Chemistry Teachers Too
In this article, 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year and middle school science teacher Autumn Rivera encourages middle school and elementary school teachers to see themselves as chemistry teachers. She shares about how her own love and passion for science was fueled at a young age and knows that teachers of young students can have a similar positive impact. It’s clear that Middle and Elementary school teachers can have a wide range of teaching responsibilities, but if you look closely, you’ll find that most likely they are science teachers as well.
Resource Feature | March 2022 The Online Summer Food Lab

Two teachers at an independent high school share about their inaugural experience designing and teaching a two-week summer mini-course, Chemistry of Cooking. In this article, they share about planning and designing the course, as well as ideas for how teachers might incorporate aspects of it into a homeschool, virtual, hybrid, or in-person chemistry classroom.
Chemistry Fun | March 2022 Chemistry Kakuro Puzzle
In this activity, students will use both math and logic to solve a chemistry themed kakuro puzzle. This puzzle differs slightly from a traditional kakuro by first requiring students to use a periodic table to find the atomic number for each element symbol appearing in the puzzle. Using the atomic numbers as starting clues, students then fill-in the empty squares with numbers 1-9 that sum to the value of the clue, but without reusing any digits. This activity is a fun challenge for students, and provides the opportunity to strengthen logic and reasoning skills.
Tech Tips | March 2022 Teaching Chemistry in a Blended Learning Classroom: When to Go Digital and What to Take Offline
In this article, the author discusses the blended chemistry classroom and provides recommendations for three instances when it is best to use digital teaching strategies, and three instances where offline approaches are most effective. Technology is an integral part to modern teaching, as evidenced by the emphasis placed on blended learning in many schools and classrooms. In order to effectively teach chemistry in a blended environment, however, it is crucial to know when technology is a benefit and when to stick with non-digital tools and activities.
Editorial | March 2022 Rejuvenating Your Passion for Teaching in the Midst of the Pandemic
AACT President-Elect Matt Perekupka reflects on the difficulties teachers have faced in presenting high-quality lessons during the last two years of COVID-interrupted education. With an optimistic outlook for the future, he encourages teachers to embrace the changing world and to incorporate new teaching methods, ideas, and technology moving forward. He also highlights some of the newest chemistry teaching resources offered by AACT.
Resource Feature | March 2022 Cleaning Up the Lab
In this article, the author discusses how the pandemic has created what might be an unobvious challenge for science teachers in many schools: a lack of custodial staff to help with keeping the lab space clean. With this in mind, she teaches her students the basics of cleaning up after a lab activity in order to make this behavior a part of their lab routine all year long.
Nuts & Bolts | November 2021 Real-World Chemistry Learning Opportunities Are Right outside Your Door!
How can we help students see the connections between various fields of study which are traditionally taught separately? With the Next Generation Science Standards in hand, and eyes newly opened to a multitude of resources, a chemistry teacher took his students to learn at a local wastewater treatment plant. It left a lasting impression.
Tech Tips | November 2021 Get Jammin’ in Chemistry!
In this article, the author reflects on her use of Jamboard in the high school chemistry classroom. She shares tips and tricks for integrating Jamboard as an instructional tool for teaching both in-person and remotely. She also includes videos of Jamboard in action, as well as examples of graphics and templates that can be used in your own classroom.
Editorial | November 2021 Broadening Participation in Chemistry
In this editorial, AACT Governing Board SOCED Representative Pamela Leggett-Robinson shares about her passion for broadening participation in chemistry so that all people, voices, and perspectives are given equal opportunity to contribute.
Classroom Commentary | November 2021 Arousing the Spirit of Inquiry
Stories from the history of chemistry can serve as rich and stimulating complements to standard curricula in K-12 chemistry classrooms. Yet even when chemistry teachers have the curricular flexibility to build history lessons into their classes, students can often find this content dry or inaccessible. At the same time, fewer and fewer science centers and museums present content and artifacts on historical chemistry that educators can use to supplement classroom teaching. As ACS celebrates the 100th anniversary of the creation of its Division of the History of Chemistry, this essay reflects on the long-standing desire of chemistry teachers to weave history into chemistry classrooms, particularly by introducing students to the discipline’s material culture. This article highlights the work of the Science History Institute to share artifact- and image-driven stories from the history of chemistry on a digital platform.
Chemistry Fun | November 2021 Family Reunion Puzzle
In this activity, students will be challenged to solve a collection of anagrams—but with a twist! Given 27 ordinary words, students must remove one letter and then rearrange the remaining letters to form a chemical term. Additionally, the anagrams are grouped into 3 families, with all of the chemical terms in each family sharing a common property or theme.
Resource Feature | November 2021 Pigment pH Puzzles
This article discusses an acid-base lab activity that can be completed in a virtual or in-person setting. The authors designed the lab so that students are first tasked with collecting and interpreting data. Then, using their scientific detective skills, the students determine the identity of various pigments in pH strips based on how they interact with several different solutions.
Classroom Commentary | September 2021 An Opportunity to Get Involved!
Read about one veteran chemistry teacher’s 25-year experience with the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Program (USNCO). He shares his experience, insight, and an overview of the wonderful program. If you’ve ever thought about getting yourself or your students involved, now is your chance to learn more!