Science Practice: Developing and Using Models

Lewis Dot, VSEPR Shape, Polarity and Intermolecular Forces Activity Sheet

Estelle Lebeau | Thu, 05/23/2019 - 09:00

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Determination of Lewis Dot structures and visualization of the shapes of molecules using VSEPR theory is an example of an abstract concept that students often find difficult to learn. I have found it useful to have a single worksheet/packet that my students can add to as we cover Lewis dot structures, resonance, VSEPR shapes, polarity, and intermolecular forces.

Elements, Compounds, and a Vocabulary Card Sort

Ariel Serkin | Thu, 04/11/2019 - 21:28

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How many of you could recite, word for word, a definition you learned in school? When you first memorized the definition, you could state “inertia is a property of matter”, or “density is mass over volume.” However, you struggled to apply it to a new situation and maybe you were unsure of how to construct a model of what it meant.

Why Do Dead Batteries Bounce? Chemistry, of Course!

Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 04/05/2019 - 07:16

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Did you know there is a simple test you can do to see if an alkaline battery is fresh or dead? All you need to do is bounce the bottom of a battery onto a hard, flat surface. Guess what causes this difference in bouncing ability between fresh and dead batteries? Chemistry, of course!

Simple Demonstration of The Warming Effect of Carbon Dioxide

Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 03/26/2019 - 12:22

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Looking for Earth Day activities that connect chemistry and climate change? Check out this experiment, which demonstrates the warming influence CO₂ has on our atmosphere.

Giving Students a Working Model to Explain Interactions Between Matter and Light

Scott Milam | Thu, 10/18/2018 - 22:27

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Light is a challenging topic in chemistry. In this article, I share an outline of how I approach the content related to interactions between matter and light using activities, a simulation, demonstrations and whiteboards.

Summer of POGIL: Reflections and Teaching Tips

Stephanie O'Brien | Tue, 07/17/2018 - 09:35

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The summer is an ideal time for reflection, a time to process and grow as an educator. This summer I was fortunate enough to attend the POGIL® National Meeting at Washington University in Saint Louis as well as assist as one of the facilitators at the Northeast Regional Meeting at Manhattan College. While there are numerous ways to spend your summer vacation, I wanted to share some reasons why POGIL® draws me in time and again.

Drawing Particulate Models

Ann Gardner | Wed, 05/30/2018 - 11:48

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Embracing the idea that students already create an image, create an idea, of what is happening when they observe a demonstration, lab or activity. The goal is to have the students make that model more concrete through drawing it.

Connecting the Macroscopic to Microscopic: Electrochemistry

Stephanie O'Brien | Tue, 05/15/2018 - 15:50

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This introductory lesson uses a crosscutting concept, structure and function, as a means to model pre-conceptions of a voltaic cell. A phenomena is used to pique curiosity and engage students as they progress through the unit.

Interactive-video experiments now available for Chemistry

Matthew Vonk | Mon, 04/16/2018 - 12:00

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Matt Vonk and Peter Bohacek have just created a handful of new chemistry activities that are based on interactive high-resolution video. These classroom-ready experiments have interactive tools so that students can perform the analysis and record data themselves. In some cases, students can even change variables.

Mass Spectrometer Model

Chad Husting | Wed, 01/17/2018 - 18:01

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My students just finished an activity about isotopes. Each year there is always one or more student who ask about the mass of isotopes. How do scientists solve for that mass experimentally?