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collaborative/cooperative learning

Great Introduction for Physical/Chemical Changes and Balancing

Chad Husting | Sun, 02/07/2016 - 16:09

I hate to sound like a broken record but I used two activities from Grand Valley State Target Inquiry Program that worked amazingly well and had a great "flow". Chad Bridle wrote two inquiry activities that dovetail together. The first is "Change You Can Believe In". Students are presented first with nine cards that are particulate drawings of changes that occur in matter.

Inquiry, "Sticky Water" and some great models...

Chad Husting | Sun, 01/17/2016 - 20:05

 I just completed covering "ionic and covalent" bonding with my studenets. I wanted to bridge the gap to intermolecular forces. I found a great lab called "Sticky Water" from Target Inquiry - Grand Valley State.(link is external)  Before I continue, I have to provide "full disclosure". I spent three years with the Target Inquiry Program at Miami University Ohio. There is a lab called "Sticky Water" that was written  by a teacher in the Grand Valley State program. First, the activity focuses on just water, then ethane, then ethanol. 

How Running a STEM Club Benefits My Classroom

Ryan Schoenborn | Wed, 01/06/2016 - 21:03

I run an after school STEM club that involves many projects and activities. Students build robots for FIRST Robotics, race RC cars, use 3D printers, and build underwater vehicles. They dissect specimens, and create biodiesel from vegetable oil. So why would I bring this up on the Chemed Xchange? Our science club does chemistry activities, we are an ACS Chem Clubs, but I think there are many other benefits to this kind of club. 

Relative Reactivities of Metals

Dan Meyers | Thu, 12/17/2015 - 14:37

Last winter I watched a webinar put on by ACS and AACT called "NGSS in the Chemistry Classroom." As a result of watching that webinar, I took an activity that had NGSS Science & Engineering Practices (SEP) integrated into it and tried it out in class. In this activity, students are required to develop their own procedures and data tables.

Blended Learning Pilot: #1

Dan Meyers | Fri, 12/11/2015 - 12:34

Last year, I researched and practiced what I thought to be "flipping the classroom". But, now that I am taking part in a district-wide "High School Blended Learning Pilot", I can say that I was attempting blended learning early in my teaching career. You see, the flipped classroom is really a small subtype of blended learning. So, the goal of this post is to define blended learning and share what my professional development has in store for me during this academic year.

Concept Mapping as a Review Tool

Shannon Bowen | Thu, 12/10/2015 - 10:29

It is the time of year that content exams loom large and student stress is high. A few years ago I decided to ditch the typical review packet for something else - an open ended, student led, collaborative concept mapping project and I am never going back to the old way!  

So I wrote this project for my students - now what? Part 2: The group contract

Tracy Schloemer | Sun, 09/20/2015 - 12:11

Have you ever worked with someone on a project and you couldn’t get a hold of them? Or you realized, a bit too late, that they need extra reminders to get stuff done? Oh, and by the way, how did that guy get to be in charge? As adults, we can probably remember more than one situation where this has happened. Maybe it was in school, maybe it’s in your job.