Have the Lab Practical Early
Jerry Godbout | Sun, 08/02/2020 - 14:40
If you only have a few weeks of in-person labs this fall semester, consider this lab content reorganization.
two-year college
An Experimental Demonstration of Hess's Law
Philip Penketh | Sun, 08/02/2020 - 10:03
The application of Hess's Law frequently presents students with conceptual problems. This series of experiments confirms Hess's Law and offers a robust understanding of this principle. This can be done as a demo completed by the teacher or as a lab with groups of students.
Chemistry of Canning: Classroom Activity Dealing with Concentrations and Molecular Structure
Scott Donnelly | Fri, 07/31/2020 - 17:09
As autumn approaches it is that time of year to begin canning fruit like peaches. In canning light colored fruits, a chemical pretreatment is used to prevent darkening. This blog describes a classroom activity comprised of questions related to the chemistry of the pretreatment solution. The questions focus on the seminal topics of concentration and molecular structure.
Colorful Copper Chemistry around the Campfire
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 07/28/2020 - 13:09
Learn how to form a blue-green copper compound on a penny, and then use that compound to make green flames. This is a great summer time activity for your next campfire!
The Alchemy of Us - How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another
Chad Husting | Mon, 07/27/2020 - 06:36
Ainissa Ramirez has crafted a great story book that introduces the non scientist reader to the idea of material science. Does material science influence people or do people influence material science?
Applying Chemistry Principles to COVID-19: Think-Pair-Share Questions
Scott Donnelly | Sun, 07/26/2020 - 14:12
This post is comprised of questions (Qs) that challenge students to apply the knowledge acquired in their chemistry education to COVID-19. The questions encourage students to think across scientific disciplines, to think 'outside the box', and/or 'connect the dots'. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 works inside the human body is every bit about chemistry as it is about biology as it is about physiology.
Increasing Engagement in Online Lecture Using Zoom Features
Jennie Mayer | Sat, 07/25/2020 - 15:00
One of our new Two Year College (2YC) lead contributors describes some lessons learned for increasing attendance, participation, engagement, discussion, assessment, and building community in the online classroom.
Online Labs and the Question of the Relevance of the Lab Curriculum
Clarissa Sorens... | Thu, 07/16/2020 - 19:10
This is the first of three consecutive blogs about online labs. This first blog centers on the question, "Is chemistry laboratory coursework still relevant?" The second and third blogs discuss if the lab curricula we currently use is achieving our goals and if lab coursework can be effectively moved to an online platform.
Activities to Promote Higher-Order Thinking in Virtual Asynchronous Chemistry Learning
Josh Kenney | Wed, 07/15/2020 - 15:53
The 2020 global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 forced millions of teachers to switch from in-person to online instruction. With minimal training in online teaching, many substandard learning environments were quickly rolled out. In this post, the author describes two metacognitive learning activities that are easy to incorporate into an online learning environment.
Benefits of Teaching Chemistry Online
Kathleen Carrigan | Tue, 07/07/2020 - 11:40
Twelve years teaching a fully online GOB (General Organic Biochemistry) chemistry course have revealed many benefits for faculty and students alike. This blog focuses on some positive aspects of teaching online.