Chemistry education research demonstrates the value of open-ended writing tasks, such as writing-to-learn (WTL) assignments, for supporting students' learning with topics including reasoning about reaction mechanisms. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI)technology, such as chatbots ChatGPT and Bard, raises concerns regarding…

I describe three activities that allow students to explore the ideas of evolution, natural selection, extinction, mass extinction, and rates of evolutionary change by engaging a simple model using paper, pens, chalk, and a chalkboard. As a culminating activity that supports expository writing in the sciences, the students write an essay on mass…