How Small is the Stuff that makes up Matter?
Chad Husting | Wed, 10/19/2022 - 12:39
Explore how small the stuff that makes up matter is and consider what those tiny particles are doing in this engaging activity.
models/modeling
Flash Rocks from Green Chemistry and LEGO Brick Perspectives
Dean Campbell | Fri, 07/15/2022 - 23:56
Flash rocks, typically pieces of quartz that produce light when struck together, are an example of the complex phenomenon of triboluminescence. The green chemistry aspects for the flash rock demonstration are considered, and LEGO models illustrating quartz crystals, piezoelectric materials, and nonpiezoelectric materials are presented.
Making Chemistry Visible with Doug Ragan
Deanna Cullen | Wed, 04/20/2022 - 12:24
Many chemistry teachers use models and diagrams to help students describe how matter behaves at the particle level. On April 14, 2022, Doug Ragan explained how he uses colored magnets in his classroom to represent things such as subatomic particles, states of matter, balancing chemical equations, types of bonding, molecular geometry and much more. View a recording of his presentation and access materials he uses.
An Educator’s Journey to Now…
Philip Root | Mon, 04/04/2022 - 20:05
Please welcome Phil Root as a new ChemEd X two-year college (2YC) lead contributor. This is his first blog. Enjoy...
Kasi: A Multi-Sensory Modeling System
Doug Ragan | Fri, 04/30/2021 - 06:26
Doug Ragan has been working with the Alchemie team -- founded by a former chemistry teacher, Julia Winter -- for a number of years. They have been working over the last year on a new project, named Kasi, which delivers sound-based feedback to students as they learn with tactile pieces on a magnetic whiteboard. The goal is to build an accessible learning system that helps ALL students learn, and is particularly important for those with visual impairments.
Energizer Lab with Virtual Options
Deanna Cullen | Tue, 03/23/2021 - 14:42
In this lab, students connect the workings of an electrochemical cell in the lab with the symbolic equations used in electrochemistry and manipulate a model representing the particulate level of what is happening during the electrochemical process. Although this lab was previously highlighted on ChemEd X, there are now virtual options offered!
Supercharge Your Classroom with GIFs
Melissa Hemling | Sun, 02/28/2021 - 17:00
Are you having a hard time describing 3-D drawings or or showing motion of particles in your digital assignments? GIFs can help!
Introducing Density - A Free Virtual Chemistry Lab Activity
Josh Kenney | Wed, 09/16/2020 - 11:24
The author explains a virtual chemistry lab activity for use in a high school chemistry class. This activity is an excellent way to introduce measurements, significant figures, and the concept of density.
Creating Interactive Particle Diagram Activities for Online Instruction
Michael Farabaugh | Mon, 08/31/2020 - 16:48
Many teachers have students draw models and diagrams to help them illustrate how matter behaves. Teachers can uncover and address possible misconceptions quickly using this strategy. The author describes how to create interactive particle diagram activities that are easy for students to use online. This strategy is applicable to almost any particle diagram and should be useful for teachers during virtual lessons.
Why Do You Make Us Draw so Many Particle Diagrams?
Ben Meacham | Tue, 04/21/2020 - 10:49
Living at the macroscopic level, it’s no surprise that understanding and effectively communicating chemistry concepts can often be a challenging endeavor. Attempting to rationalize our observations through particle-level interpretations requires us to think in less intuitive ways that often create a cognitive barrier for our students. And for good reason.