Showcasing student work

Unveiling an international masterpiece

The Timeline of Elements interactive exhibit and Mendeleev Mosaic

Chem 13 News and the Department of Chemistry are excited to announce the unveiling of the final pieces of our Timeline of Elements Project! Both the Timeline of Elements interactive exhibit and the accompanying Mendeleev Mosaic will be highlighted during an official unveiling ceremony on October 26, 2019. Author: Victoria Van Cappellen, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario

Understanding heat flow from a coffee cup

Heat flow and temperature control are important topics in chemistry and chemical engineering. In a recent paper in Chem 13 News one of us (CM) analyzed the cooling curve of hot water in an insulated cup as an example of a first-order process. Author: Charles Marzzacco (retired), Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island and Charles Pepin, Rhode Island College, Eau Gallie High School, Melbourne, Florida

Our school’s spaceflight experiment program

I want to share the story of our project to highlight the benefits and obstacles of space research with your school community. In August 2016 our high school community had their winning microgravity experiment performed on the International Space Station (ISS). This two-year initiative (SSEP) was organized at The University of Toronto Schools (UTS) in Toronto.

Stained glass spiral periodic table

In 2015 my students and I finished a long-term, multiple month project making sort of a "stained glass" spiral periodic table. Our creation is now attached to the classroom window at Morro Bay High School.

The limiting factors of eraser effectiveness

A situation common to individuals across a diverse student body is the failure to effectively erase graphite marks ingrained on paper using certain types of erasers....

Periodic Table of shelliments

Last year I was planning to do an eggsperiment with eggshells and food dye. Not wanting to boil 100 eggs, I bought these fake white eggs at Walmart because I was sure they'd work great!

Glenforest's wall-sized periodic table!

Pictured is our school’s wall-sized periodic table inspired by the University of Waterloo’s periodic table project. All the images of the elements were hand-drawn, digitally drawn or photographed by students from grades 9 to 12.

Princeton Day School’s periodic table

The periodic table is one of the most useful tools in science, and also so much more. When Mendeleev and then Moseley placed the elements in order first by atomic mass and then by their atomic numbers, they saw families and periods, and the universe began to fall into place.

Chemistry murals

A couple of my students did a project last spring that might be of interest to your readers. Chrissy Bresadola and Leah Cuker, who took Chem I and Chem I/AP Chem (respectively), painted a chemistry-themed mural over my classroom door as a senior project (both are more interested in art than chemistry!). They did a fantastic job.

Student-created ceramic periodic table

Inspired by the Chem 13 News Periodic Table Project during the International Year of Chemistry in 2011, I teamed with Roy Chang, a pottery teacher, to have students make ceramic tiles for a permanent periodic table.

A chemistry teachers brag page

Chemical Valentines

This is a new feature in Chem 13 News. It is an opportunity for readers to share some of their students’ creative work. The goal is not just to showcase what is being done in the chemistry classroom but to inspire teachers to do new things. We begin our brag page feature with chemistry valentines submitted by Barbara Gaudet, Elmira District Secondary School, Elmira ON. Send your students’ work to Jean Hein, jhein@uwaterloo.ca and show off what is being done in your classroom.

Periodic Table with CD cases

In the fall of 2005, my chemistry class completed our own periodic table project with the aid of empty CD cases. The CD cases are adhered to the wall, and the incased artwork is protected and easily changed.

Crystal craziness in Clifford’s chemistry class

Each semester my grade 12 chemistry students work hard to grow beautiful crystals. Working in groups of three or four of their choosing, students receive 100.0 g of a compound.