The various aspects of projectile motion have been analyzed many times in this journal. As a sample, over the years, authors have investigated particular details of the path of a projectile and different situations for launching projectiles. Others have written about a nifty way to determine the maximum height of a projectile, finding the range of…

One of the greatest challenges in a student's ability to successfully complete reactions in organic chemistry is the ability to differentiate between reactions that have similar structures and proceed through similar reaction mechanisms. Featured in this article is an interleaved reaction review activity called a reaction web. Students are divided…

Despite its proven added value, modeling-based learning (MbL) in science is not commonly incorporated into the early grades. Our purpose in this descriptive case study was to enrich our understanding of how kindergarten children enact MbL by examining these children's constructed models and their accompanying oral descriptions of their models. For…

This research paper aims to propose a novel didactic sequence inspired by an historical/epistemological study of the evolution of spectroscopy and in particular of colorimetry. The working principles of the historical color comparators and the visual color matching method, first proposed by Duboscq, stimulated us in the development of a five-step…

Here, we propose a laboratory exercise to quickly determine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human "alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B)" and "aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2)" genes involved in alcohol metabolism. In this exercise, two different genotyping methods based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), namely…

Thermal cameras have shown to have utility in secondary school classrooms and undergraduate courses. In this paper, the author argues for their potential in the primary school classroom and presents a range of activities that can be undertaken with thermal cameras (or supplied images). With limited access in mind, the activities in this paper have…

A novel teaching approach is aimed at elucidating the concept of bond enthalpy for general chemistry students. Through the integration of a hands-on candy pulling activity, students in a large lecture class were provided a tangible experience to explore bond strengths using rope candy and a luggage scale. Feedback from students indicated a clear…

Changing where, when, and how objects are studied is central to lab-based science (Knorr Cetina, 1999). Science involves changing the scale of objects--particularly scales of size, time, and intensity--from what is experienced in the world. Similar to investigations conducted in science laboratories, classroom investigations involve…

A symmetry activity using student-built models was developed in line with faculty-developed pedagogical goals and a collaborative learning framework. The activity took place in a 3-h laboratory portion of an upper-division inorganic chemistry course. It required students to identify symmetry elements for seven molecules using common 2D…

Cyclopropane can be hydrogenated to produce propane under moderately high temperatures ([tilde]175 [degrees]C). Using a nanoparticle palladium catalyst, undergraduate students can explore the reaction and draw conclusions regarding the conditions for reaction. When deuterium is used, conclusions pertaining to the reaction mechanism are possible.…

Three computer-based activities focusing on fundamentals of binding interactions are described that are powered by Desmos, freely available web-based software. The software allows the instructor to monitor the progress of each student completing the activity by privately viewing their answers in real time, to enforce class pacing by modulating…

In this activity, students observe chemical and physical properties of elements using an online periodic table, where these properties were shown numerically and by colors. Then the elements were divided into metals, nonmetals, and metalloids, and their periodic properties were visualized using statistical concepts such as normality, kurtosis,…

This study investigated meaning-making of arrows in a representation of the greenhouse effect among 14-year-old secondary school students. Data was generated during Biology lessons where 74 students discussed how they interpreted a representation from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, which is an NGO that produce school material. The…

Here, we present a laboratory activity in which the students work on an analysis of a questioned document that was written with one out of five possible pens. As a forensics study, the activity applied chemistry and analytical chemistry tools to solve the case. The students were able to apply polarity and solubility concepts to select and discard…

Problems involving chains, cables, or ropes that are dropped, folded, or pass around pulleys attract ongoing interest, in part because they can become variable-mass situations if the chain is partitioned into sections for analysis. Less attention has been paid to trying to intentionally project the end of a string as far as possible. Here we…