inquiry-based discovery learning

Using Research Journals in High School Chemistry

Deanna Cullen | Tue, 04/15/2014 - 12:23

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I attended professional development provided by the VanAndel Education Institute (VAEI) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that provided an opportunity to observe scientists at the VanAndel Institute engage in a journal club.

Chemical Educational Foundation Activities & Challenges

Deanna Cullen | Wed, 04/09/2014 - 14:42

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I just recently became aware of the Chemical Educational Foundation® (CEF), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting youth science education. They have developed a K-8 science curriculum supplement that recently won a Teachers’ Choice Award for the Classroom.

Chemistry in Past and New Science Frameworks and Standards: Gains, Losses, and Missed Opportunities

greg rushton | Fri, 04/04/2014 - 19:35

I've read this recent JCE article a couple times and have been thinking about its potential impact on our K12 community as we begin to consider the challenges and the opportunities associated with the NGSS.

Nail Bottle Demonstration in Slow Motion

Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 02/21/2014 - 11:27

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The nail bottle demonstration is one that many of us have conducted in our classes. To perform this demonstration, 2 – 3 mL of ethanol is placed into a plastic bottle that has two nails punctured into opposite sides of the bottle. After stoppering the bottle, a Tesla coil is touched to one of the nails. A spark jumps from one nail to the other, which initiates the combustion of vaporized ethanol inside the bottle. We recently filmed this reaction with our high speed video camera.

Answers from Alice

Sarah Kong | Sat, 02/08/2014 - 11:28

This week I talked with Alice Putti who teaches Chemistry and AP Chem in West Michigan. Below are her answers to our inquiry questions:

Q1: How do you define inquiry? or What does inquiry look like to you?

Inquiry Interviews

Sarah Kong | Mon, 02/03/2014 - 09:15

This year one my goals is to use this space to talk specifically with various teachers about how they use inquiry in their chemistry classrooms. My four questions are:

Types of Chemical Reactions

Deanna Cullen | Wed, 01/15/2014 - 17:23

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I expect that most high school chemistry teachers assign some type of laboratory related to types of chemical reactions including synthesis, decomposition, single replacement and double replacement reactions. I have used several published versions, but I am sharing my modifications.