Chemistry Solutions
November 2019
Featured Article
Classroom Commentary
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.
Resource Features
Lessons by teachers with their inspiration for the activity or tips for how to implement the lesson.
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.
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.
Nuts & Bolts
Functional tips you can implement in your classroom.
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.
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!
In My Element
Stories about teachers finding their way to the chemistry classroom.
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.
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Editorial
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.
Animation
This animation explores definitions and examples of several broad classifications of matter, including pure substances (elements and compounds) and mixtures (homogeneous and heterogeneous). Students will see real-life examples as well as particle diagrams. This animation was featured in the November 2019 issue of Chemistry Solutions. **This video has no audio**
Chemistry Fun
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.