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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.
Tech Tips | May 2019 Edpuzzle: A Video Formative Assessment Tool
In this article, the author discusses the use of video media to enhance teaching and learning through the use of the Edpuzzle platform. He shares his thoughts about the many ways that using video media can increase student accountability and engagement, while providing more data about student achievement throughout the lesson. Edpuzzle can be a helpful tool to formatively assess student understanding, identify misconceptions, and drive instruction.
In My Element | May 2019 The Chemistry of Opportunity: From the Commode to the Conant Award
This article discusses the author’s background and experiences that led to his becoming a high school chemistry teacher and the 2018 recipient of the ACS James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching.
Editorial | May 2019 Thank You for an Inspiring Year
Sherri Rukes reflects on her past year as AACT president. She highlights some of the great progress made by AACT during the 2018-19 school year, and recognizes the important contributions of many valuable stakeholders.
Resource Feature | March 2019 Teaching Essential Concepts … with T-Shirt Chromatography
In this article, a teacher shares about her colorful classroom activity for teaching chromatography.
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 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.
In My Element | March 2019 An Unplanned Journey to Middle School Science Teacher
The AACT Middle School Ambassador describes her somewhat unplanned journey to becoming a middle school science teacher. Her enthusiasm and passion for teaching students at this level are evident as she shares her experiences with the reader.
Simulation | March 2019 Predicting Products
In this simulation, students will reference an activity series and a solubility chart to accurately predict the products of single replacement and double replacement chemical reactions. Associated particle diagrams will be displayed to help students better comprehend the reaction at the particulate level. Students will also be asked to balance the chemical equation. The simulation is designed as a five question quiz for students to use multiple times.
Editorial | March 2019 Colorful Lessons
The March editorial is guest-authored by the AACT President-Elect, Heather Weck. Heather reflects on how the theme of color has impacted her and inspired her throughout her teaching career.
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 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.
Resource Feature | November 2018 Taking Inspiration from the AP Chemistry Reading
In this article, the author describes how her experience at the AP Chemistry Reading inspires lesson ideas to help address common misconceptions. In her engaging classroom activity, students model equilibrium reactions using chips to represent atoms in an effort to connect the symbolic model of an equilibrium reaction to its particle model.
Nuts & Bolts | November 2018 A Groovy NGSS Phenomenon for Chemistry Concepts
In this article, the authors demonstrate how an existing middle school chemistry curriculum can be easily modified toward an NGSS storyline. The article highlights lesson shift toward the “groovy phenomenon” of a lava lamp to engage students in chemistry concepts such as density, heat transfer, particle motion, and phases of matter. NGSS practices in modeling for understanding and arguing from evidence are highlighted.
In My Element | November 2018 The Grass Really Is Greener
The author describes how he transitioned from drowning as a teacher in the United States, to cruising as an international school teacher.
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.
Video | November 2018 Frontiers of Chemistry
This video explores new scientific developments that were made possible by the application of fundamental chemistry concepts. Students will learn about exciting advances in science and technology focused on three main topics: Solar Cells, 3D Printing and Micro Machines.
Classroom Commentary | November 2018 Successful Collaboration, Fostered by the American Chemical Society
This article describes the exciting collaboration between university and high school students and faculty that developed over a decade. The two main components that contribute to this successful partnership are the ChemClub and Science Coaches programs, sponsored by ACS/AACT.
Editorial | November 2018 Pursuing Growth
The November editorial is guest-authored by the AACT Governing Board DivCHED representative, Amiee Modic. Amiee highlights professional growth opportunities and educates members about the Division of Chemical Education’s technical division, which is available through an ACS membership.
Editorial | September 2018 Be Inspired!
AACT President Sherri Rukes hopes to inspire members to tap into the great (and growing!) collection of resources and benefits that teachchemistry.org has to offer. She offers ways for teachers to inspire both themselves and others through involvement, collaboration, and contribution to AACT.
In My Element | September 2018 How Collaboration Helped Transform My Teaching Career
A teacher describes her teaching journey and how she plans to prepare for her first year in the high school chemistry classroom.
Nuts & Bolts | September 2018 Instant Feedback on Quizzes
In this article, a high school teacher describes his successful implementation of a system for providing students with instant feedback on their chemistry quizzes. This idea can be easily implemented in your classroom too!
Nuts & Bolts | September 2018 Designing Effective Multiple-Choice Items in Chemistry
Multiple-choice questions are frequently used in both formal and informal assessments in order to determine if students have mastered specific learning objectives. This article discusses the characteristics of multiple-choice items as well as some guidelines for writing them. It is possible to design multiple-choice items that emphasize conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills. The creation of high-quality assessments can provide useful information about student learning and help teachers make important decisions about instruction.
Resource Feature | September 2018 Chemistry of Lightsticks: Determination of Activation Energy, a Guided Inquiry Approach
Lightsticks, with their eerie glow, capture the interest of students of every age. Capitalizing on this, the authors describe how they developed and used a guided inquiry approach to help students determine the activation energy of the chemiluminescent reaction in a lightstick. They also describe how they used a Vernier LabQuest 2 system, while acknowledging that any data collection system that allows simultaneous collection of data from light and temperature probes may be used instead. In addtion, they explain how they employed the natural logarithm form of the Arrhenius equation and spreadsheet software.