Picks

ChemEd X contributors and staff members are continually coming across items of interest that they feel others may wish to know about. Picks include, but need not be limited to, books, magazines, journals, articles, apps—most anything that has a link to it can qualify.

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pick
Why Do Americans Stink at Math?
(New Math) - (New Teaching) =Failure by Elizabeth Green
// Tuesday, July 29, 2014 • Hal Harris
Parents are rebelling against the Common Core, even though its approach - fostering intuition through real-world examples - is the best way to teach math to kids. The real problem: No one has shown the teachers how to teach it.
The Unpersuadables, by Will Storr
"The Unpersuadables" by Will Storr
// Friday, July 11, 2014 • Hal Harris
When addressing those who deny the conclusions of standard science, scientists tend to respond with whatever argument most succinctly shows the fringe view to be incorrect.  For example, most chemists confronted with the claim of a homeopath that a substance diluted in water by a factor of 10^30 would not bother to inquire further,
"The Big Sleep" by Ian Parker
// Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Hal Harris
I have known many chemists who have been involved in the synthesis of potential therapeutics and have learned quite a bit about the process from the view of those in the laboratory, including some of our graduates.
The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh
// Tuesday, December 3, 2013 • Hal Harris
This book would be a great holiday gift, but you should buy two copies so that you can have one for yourself. Simon Singh is the author of one of my favorite books about mathematics, "Fermat's Enigma", that was one of my picks when it came out in 1998.  It was a brilliant and insightful description of Andrew Wile's amazing solution to the famous puzzle.
MOSART Tests
// Monday, October 28, 2013 • Deanna Cullen
The MOSART tests are designed to measure understanding of science concepts. The name, MOSART, stands for: Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-based Assessment Resources for Teachers  
Elemental Videos
// Wednesday, October 16, 2013 • Deanna Cullen
The Periodic Table of Videos has been around for a while, but they are actively updating videos and creating new ones.  The videos were created by Brady Haran at the University of Nottingham.  They are short and very informative.  I like to use them during lessons when my classes are discussing specific elements.  For instance, some of us like to