Blogs

ChemEd X contributors offer their ideas and opinions on a broad spectrum of topics pertaining to chemical education.

Blogs at ChemEd X reflect the opinions of the contributors and are open to comments. Only selected contributors blog at ChemEd X. If you would like to blog regularly at ChemEd X, please use our Contribution form to request an invitation to do so from one of our editors.

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preview image: title "Exploring Nomenclature" inside magnifying glass
Exploring Nomenclature
// Tuesday, February 20, 2024 • Ashley Green
My students have always struggled with nomenclature. Even at the end of the unit, I had students mixing up the roman numerals with the molecular prefixes and they would give answers such as Copper Monoxide (II) or Mononitrogen (III) trihydride (I). I decided to try a new approach this school year.
preview image with text:"Introduction to the Metric System in Year 1 Chemistry" with balance, 10g calibration weight
Introduction to the Metric System in Year 1 Chemistry
// Thursday, February 15, 2024 • Kristen Drury
This summer I read a teaching philosophy changing book titled “Building Thinking Classrooms” by Peter Liljedahl. Although the book is written for mathematics, there are so many fresh ways of approaching teaching for any topic, many of which I have begun to implement this school year.
preview image with text:"A Demo A Day IV - Demonstrations and Props Used in Materials Chemistry Class"
Demo A Day IV
// Friday, February 2, 2024 • Dean Campbell
Dean J. Campbell, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois
preview image text: "IUPAC Chemistry Teacher Survey 2023-2025"
IUPAC Chemistry Teacher Survey 2023-2025
// Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • Hannah Sevian
IUPAC has funded an international effort to learn from high school chemistry teachers in as many countries in the world as possible how they are teaching about green and sustainable chemistry.
preview image - title "Ice Clouds 2.0" with image of cloud of ice backlit by sun.
Ice Clouds 2.0
// Tuesday, January 16, 2024 • Tom Kuntzleman
About a decade ago, I wrote briefly about the interesting experiment of throwing boiling hot water into air that is below -18°C (0°F) (see Ice Clouds).
text: "Personalizing Resources" with 3 molecular models - preview image
Personalizing Resources
// Friday, January 5, 2024 • Nora Walsh
Sometimes we have a topic that needs a refresh, and I hope when you’re searching for fresh ideas those searches lead you to ChemEd X! What I love doing is taking an activity that is really great, and using it in my own way with a personal twist.
text: "Elemental Coding: A New Twist on a Classic Chemistry Project " with computer and student coding - preview image
Elemental Coding: A New Twist on a Classic Chemistry Project
// Wednesday, December 13, 2023 • Jessica Pittarese
As a high school chemistry teacher, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with the classic element project. You know the one - each student chooses an element to research and then creates a new, fun “box” to represent their element.