Describes a study conducted in Israel that focuses on how studying industrial-chemistry case studies affects students' perceptions of their learning environment and their interest in chemistry studies. Contains 18 references. (DDR)

Draws data from student responses to the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) and a curriculum analysis of the implemented laboratory tasks. Involves biology, chemistry, and physics students (N=387) in 20 classes in Tasmania, Australia. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Presents eight historical consensus models for teaching chemical kinetics. Models put forth by teachers and textbooks in a Brazilian secondary classroom were analyzed and discussed and found to be hybrids of the historical models. The existence of hybrid models in science teaching is proposed as a new component in science teachers' training…

Describes three calculations used to make students aware of the size of Avogadro's number: (1) the new size of a 6-inch diameter ball with volume increased by a factor of Avogadro's number; (2) the number of moles of sand grains in the Sahara Desert; and (3) the dimensions and length of a mole of hydrogen atoms shaped into a cube, a square, and a…

Explains a way of observing pattern formation in the Blue Bottle chemistry demonstration by pouring a solution containing sodium hydroxide, glucose, and dye into a Petri dish and placing the dish on an overhead projector. (WRM)

Describes a program for bringing industrial applications of technology into high schools to enhance students' perceptions of the chemical industry and industrial careers in chemistry. Ambassadors from the Proctor and Gamble Company and Miami University--Middletown helped students work through a typical product-development cycle for fabricating…

Features acid tests for determining whether jewelry is "real" gold or simply gold-plated. Describes the carat system of denoting gold content and explains how alloys are used to create various shades of gold jewelry. Addresses the question of whether gold jewelry can turn a wearer's skin green by considering various oxidation reactions.…

Describes a series of exercises intended to help students develop a better understanding of chromatography that employ plant pigments. A collaborative approach leads students to a level of competence that permits them to complete an open-ended exercise. (WRM)

Presents an open-ended experiment designed to observe a range of processes and effects associated with electrolysis of an aqueous solution of copper sulfate. Lists materials and procedures. (DDR)

Describes the simple demonstration of precipitation reactions in large glass cylinders. The demonstration lasts an hour and is aesthetically impressive. (WRM)

Presents a relatively short, simple, safe, and visual method for student preparation of chlorine, bromine, and iodine using reactants and glassware that are easy to obtain and handle. (WRM)

An open-ended, written test was administered to 364 students divided into four groups according to their scientific learning background at a teachers college. Results indicate that although the science-major students performed better than nonscience majors, their understanding of condensation and boiling concepts still needed to be enhanced.…

Presents some general strategies for using writing in chemistry courses based on experiences in developing a systematic approach to using writing as an effective learning tool in chemistry courses, and testing this approach in high-enrollment general chemistry courses at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Contains 18 references. (WRM)

Argues that students lack an understanding of how research is done. Proposes a science exercise that provides authentic research experience for ninth-grade students in an advanced-placement chemistry class. (CCM)

Describes an activity that demonstrates catalysis of chemical reactions by ultraviolet (UV) light using one of the earliest photographic processes, the cyanotype process. (CCM)