What got me hooked on chemistry

Chemistry . . . revealed

As a kid, I never cared much about science. Xylem and phloem weren’t flowing — in my mind, at least; continental drift left me drifting; I was the poster boy for density, if you know what I mean. I remember what my grade 10 science teacher told my father at a parent-teacher meeting in 1974: "Your son will never go to university."

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Category: Pedagogy, opinion and advice Editorials

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.

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Category: Feature From our readers Showcasing student work

Creative mole conversions

As chemistry teachers, we are always looking for creative ways to demonstrate that a mole is just a number. We challenge our readers to send in the most creative mole conversion you have asked of your students.

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Category: Feature Activities Classroom Themed and special days

Electron affinity, the oft-forgotten — yet essential – periodic property

“Ionic compounds form because metals want to give up valence electrons and nonmetals want to gain valence electrons” – a convenient fiction for students starting out in chemistry. But the part of the statement referring to metals is as fictitious as the Tooth Fairy.

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Category: Feature Pedagogy, opinion and advice Viewpoint and advice