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Standards and Inquiry or Standards vs Inquiry?

In my grad program one of our discussions concerned how to teach science the way science is actually done.  This seems to be one of the core ideas in the Next Generation Science Standards.  The standards want to encourage students to think more like scientists and engineers as opposed to students seeking an A.  Please share your thoughts!

Chemistree Holiday

My ChemClub students came to my room for a holiday celebration today. We made a batch of sea foam candy, experimented with Elephant Toothpaste, and marbled gift tags.

Expo Neon Markers

As the trimester comes to an end, I have the chance to reflect with my chemistry students and ask them about course likes and dislikes.  A major "like" that came out was the use of the Expo brand neon markers.  I had heard about their use from Brian Bennett @bennettscience and how well they show up on the black lab tables.

Greener Replacement Labs and Activities

I am a safety conscience science teacher. I am embarrassed about some of the things that I did in my classes early in my career that I did not realize were unsafe. I saw the demonstrations and activities done at professional development venues and assumed that if my mentors were using the activity, it was safe.