"Element Cycles" is an activity designed to reinforce correlation of essential elements and their different forms in the ecosystem. Students are assigned essential elements to research as homework, then shar...
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"Element Cycles" is an activity designed to reinforce correlation of essential elements and their different forms in the ecosystem. Students are assigned essential elements to research as homework, then share results, and construct game boards with four ecosphere sections: geosphere (earth), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (life). The outside track is marked with essential elements, and "transition cards" move elements between ecosystem sections. Students play the game, individually or in teams, to reinforce understanding of the biogeochemical cycles. As players proceed through the ecosystem, they are shunted randomly between sections and must answer questions about the elements. The winner is the first student to successfully pass through the entire ecosystem: The game can be tailored to different grade levels by varying card complexity and game-board terminology. This game format is also adaptable to other chemical concepts. Cost for one game setup is less than $10. Average time required to complete one game is about 12 min. One class period is required for internet research (if done in class), and one period is needed to share results and construct gameboards and cards. Alternatively, the teacher can construct the materials and only one class period is used for the activity.
This article summarizes our experience at McGill University in developing a strong connection not only with a large number of students but also with the general public. This has led to the establishment of a cooperati...
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This article summarizes our experience at McGill University in developing a strong connection not only with a large number of students but also with the general public. This has led to the establishment of a cooperative team to deliver useful information about chemistry and science broadly via the radio, television, the internet, lectures, articles, and courses.
Wikipedia represents a revolution in the way knowledge is communicated and a potential threat to traditional encyclopedias. Wikipedia is widely used as a reference in academic assignments. Unfortunately, for the neoph...
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Wikipedia represents a revolution in the way knowledge is communicated and a potential threat to traditional encyclopedias. Wikipedia is widely used as a reference in academic assignments. Unfortunately, for the neophyte, it may be hard to assess the completeness and the accuracy of a contribution to Wikipedia. In this article, we describe an assignment to show students how to read a Wikipedia scientific article critically and how to correct it appropriately, if necessary. The assignment has proven to be beneficial to the students while demonstrating how to analyze, understand, and write a contribution to Wikipedia.
Cell phones, especially "smart phones", seem to have become ubiquitous. Actually, it is misleading to call many of these devices phones, as they are actually a portable and powerful computer that can be very...
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Cell phones, especially "smart phones", seem to have become ubiquitous. Actually, it is misleading to call many of these devices phones, as they are actually a portable and powerful computer that can be very valuable in the chemistry classroom. Currently, there are three major ways in which smart phones can be used for education. Smart phones include a web browser, which gives access to the wealth of material on the World Wide web (WWW);inexpensive applications (commonly called apps) expand this usefulness even further;and two-dimensional barcode labels can be used to create "smart objects". Taken together, these capabilities are creating a world of mobile computing that may have an impact on society, including chemical education, that may be even greater than the changes brought about by the personal computer.
Household water treatments (HWT) can help provide clean water to millions of people worldwide who do not have access to safe water. This article describes four common HWT used in developing countries and the pertinent...
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Household water treatments (HWT) can help provide clean water to millions of people worldwide who do not have access to safe water. This article describes four common HWT used in developing countries and the pertinent chemistry involved. The intent of this article is to inform both high school and college chemical educators and chemistry students of this important application of chemistry and to inspire current and future chemists to participate in the global effort to develop effective, sustainable methods to purify water at the household level.
A science librarian in the laboratory can become a "point of access" for database instruction and provide a learning opportunity for students to develop their information literacy skills. A case study descri...
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A science librarian in the laboratory can become a "point of access" for database instruction and provide a learning opportunity for students to develop their information literacy skills. A case study describes how a librarian in an organic chemistry laboratory helps the class run smoothly and identifies the science librarian as an ally and a resource. The major objectives of the library part of the laboratory was for students to learn to use MDL CrossFire database, become proficient with finding information from the library, and gain an understanding for searching experimental data in articles.
We developed a protein research project for a one-semester biochemistry lecture class to enhance learning and more effectively train students to understand protein structure and function. During thiS semester-long pro...
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We developed a protein research project for a one-semester biochemistry lecture class to enhance learning and more effectively train students to understand protein structure and function. During thiS semester-long process, students select a protein with known structure and then research its structure, sequence, and function. This project culminates with students preparing their own Jmol-enhanced web site that both visualizes their chosen protein's structure and explains its function. All students were able to successfully produce a web site regardless of prior experience. Compared with previous students who wrote a standard research paper, students involved in this project were more enthusiastic about biochemistry and ended the semester with a better appreciation of the connection between protein structure and protein function.
A number of recently developed geographic information system (GIS) tools have made it possible to create highly accurate and customized digital maps that facilitate a personalized form of cartography (1), This technol...
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A number of recently developed geographic information system (GIS) tools have made it possible to create highly accurate and customized digital maps that facilitate a personalized form of cartography (1), This technology has proven useful in educating students about geography (2), environmental science (3), geology, and biology (4). Chem Map is a web-based GIS tool that overlays chemical information with geographic information, facilitating the use of GIS in teaching chemistry, materials science, and nanoscience. This approach can make complicated topics more personal and accessible to students, increasing their interest in chemistry.
This Today’s Science for Tomorrow’s Scientists (TSTS) tutorial introduces current scientific research to synthesize and study the structure, photochemistry, and spectroscopy of reactive organic molecules, many of wh...
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This Today’s Science for Tomorrow’s Scientists (TSTS) tutorial introduces current scientific research to synthesize and study the structure, photochemistry, and spectroscopy of reactive organic molecules, many of which are thought to play a role in the chemistry of interstellar space.
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