Chemistry Solutions
November 2023
Featured Article
Classroom Commentary
Student Mental Health Matters... and so Does Yours!
Student mental health has gained greater focus over recent years, yet many teachers have not applied that knowledge to themselves. A discussion at ChemEd 2023, led by the author, introduced techniques for teachers to prioritize their own well-being.
Classroom Commentary
Reflections and perspectives by teachers about topics that affect chemistry education.
In this article, the author describes her efforts to prepare students for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the first time. She also shares the experience of two students who reached the regional and state levels.
Nuts & Bolts
Functional tips you can implement in your classroom.
The author uses three elements in her classroom: blended instruction, self-paced learning, and mastery-based grading. These components foster students’ ownership of their own learning, helping them find joy in mastering challenging topics and gain confidence in their abilities.
In My Element
Stories about teachers finding their way to the chemistry classroom.
In this article, the author describes lessons learned in her journey to becoming a teacher in both a foreign language and country. She also describes the challenges faced during her first years as a chemistry teacher.
Reprint Spotlight
A previously published article from Chemistry Solutions that is particularly relevant to readers.
Nuts & Bolts
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.
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Advice Column
A teacher asks how to create a brighter green flame as part of the "Flame Test" lab.
Editorial
AACT Governing Board SOCED Representative Don Warner explains how his career began with scientific research that changed his life. He implores educators to introduce their students to research opportunities and incorporate course-based research experiences into their classes.
Animation
This animation explores the relationship between physical properties and particle-level interactions. Particle diagrams of common household substances are used to illustrate that forces of attraction influence melting points. Similarly, particle diagrams of the same substances dissolved in water are used to compare their conductivity in solution. This animation was featured in the November 2023 issue of Chemistry Solutions. **This video has no audio**
Chemistry Fun
In this activity, students will use the periodic table, combined with math and logic to solve several chemistry themed pyramid puzzles. In a traditional pyramid puzzle, there is a relationship between the numbers, which is used to determine the missing numbers. In all of these chemistry pyramids, each element symbol is determined by the sum of the two atomic numbers of the elements directly below it. Students are challenged with determining the missing element symbols in each puzzle, but first must use a periodic table to find the atomic number for each element symbol appearing in the puzzle. This activity is a fun challenge for students and provides the opportunity to strengthen logic and reasoning skills.