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  • Classroom Commentary | May 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. Part 4: Teaching Earth Chemistry

    This is the fourth and final article in a series about teaching earth chemistry. It is an examination of how earth materials break down physically and chemically, resulting in new chemistry and creating landscapes around us. The author provides an accompanying activity that directs students on how to examine their local earth chemistry.

  • Chemistry Fun | May 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. Element Bingo

    In this activity, students will play a Bingo game, crossing out the element symbol on their Bingo card that corresponds to the element name announced by the teacher. This will help students to identify element names by their symbol, and vise-versa.I

  • Editorial | May 2020 Making the Most of an Unwelcomed Interruption

    Heather Weck reflects on the successes and challenges of the 2019-2020 school year, as her term as AACT President comes to an end. She shares some of the strategies and resources that have been valuable to her online teaching since the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools across the country. Although it has been an unexpected ending to this school year, she is hopeful in her outlook for the future.

  • Resource Feature | May 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.

  • Resource Feature | March 2020 Designing a Greener Le Châtelier's Principle Lab

    Are you interested in teaching core chemistry content with safer materials? This article discusses the importance of green chemistry and features a safer replacement to traditional Le Châtelier’s Principle labs, which often use hazardous chemicals that pose a risk to students and the environment. The concepts of Le Châtelier’s Principle can be effectively demonstrated using household materials of starch, iodine, butterfly pea tea, vinegar, and baking soda.

  • Classroom Commentary | March 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. Part 3: Teaching Earth Chemistry

    This is the third article in a series about teaching earth chemistry. The focus of this piece is discussing and investigating how the partial melting of rocks related to plate tectonics occurs, and its effects on volcano behavior.

  • In My Element | March 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. Exploring the Elements of my Life

    Linda Cummings describes her challenges and successes as her identity evolved over the years. Follow her journey as her job description changed from musician, to high school chemistry teacher, and ultimately to university chemistry instructor.

  • Resource Feature | March 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.

  • Classroom Commentary | March 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.

  • Chemistry Fun | March 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. Quantitatively Puzzling

    In this activity, students will analyze sixteen chemistry-based clues and use the numbers, zero through fifteen as possible answer choices for each one. The clues cover content related to measurement, scientific notation, significant digits, atomic structure and the periodic table.

  • Nuts & Bolts | March 2020 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.

  • Editorial | March 2020 Instilling Engagement in Chemistry

    AACT President-Elect Jesse Bernstein shares about his most engaging chemistry memories from both his childhood and early teaching career. He is a passionate advocate for integrating engaging, hands-on teaching methods in the chemistry classroom, and encourages all teachers of chemistry to provide their students with similar engaging learning opportunities.

  • Nuts & Bolts | November 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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!

  • Resource Feature | November 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. Part 2: Teaching Earth Chemistry

    The second in a series of articles, the author focuses on using a phenomenon-based approach to investigate how density effects the chemical compositions of the two types of crust on the surface of the earth. He also demonstrates how the entire earth is arranged by density from the core to the top of the atmosphere — expanding the potential applications of density concepts beyond the lab.

  • Editorial | November 2019 Building Connections

    In the November editorial, AACT Governing Board DivCHED Representative Michael Mury highlights the importance of building connections as a teacher. He shares information about opportunities for educators to grow their professional network, locally and nationally, and also offers suggestions for how to get involved.

  • Resource Feature | November 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. Navigating the Periodic Table Guided by Nested Russian Dolls

    The authors describe a lesson they developed collaboratively to teach elementary students about the structure and shape of periodic table using a set of Russian “nesting dolls.” Building on that understanding, they teach students how to navigate the periodic table, identify specific elements by atomic number, analyze several element samples, and determine the identity of a mystery material.

  • Chemistry Fun | November 2019 Organizing the Periodic Table

    In this activity, students are challenged to organize elements into the shape of the periodic table based on trends in data. Students are given a set of cards, each card representing an element, and containing five data points for consideration. The data that students will analyze includes atomic mass, atomic radius, melting point, density and electronegativity.

  • Classroom Commentary | November 2019 AP or IB: What’s the Difference?

    The author is frequently asked questions about IB and AP chemistry, including, What's the difference? Isn't one chemistry course pretty much like any other? Based on his experiences, he provides a brief overview of the AP and IB Chemistry programs, and outlines some similarities and differences between the curriculums, laboratory experiences, and end-of-course exams.

  • In My Element | November 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. Life Lessons: Becoming a Teacher

    This article tells the unique story of a second-career teacher and her path to the high school chemistry classroom. Her first year as a teacher tested the perseverance of both her and her colleagues, as their school was lost in a Northern California wildfire. In the article, she shares thoughts about the lessons she’s learned about her role as an educator and the admiration she has gained for her amazing students, colleagues, and community.

  • Nuts & Bolts | November 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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 | 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.

  • Classroom Commentary | September 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.

  • Chemistry Fun | September 2019 NCW ChemCatcher: Marvelous Metals

    In celebration of National Chemistry Week 2019, ACS has created a ChemCatcher for students to enjoy.

  • In My Element | September 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. Embracing My Teaching Style

    The author shares about her recent career transition to becoming a chemistry teacher, and reflects on the challenges and successes she experienced during her first year in the classroom.

  • Nuts & Bolts | September 2019 Access is an AACT member benefit. 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.