Week 8 begins: The dilemma of Boris the Chem teacher
Boris, the Chem 11 teacher, is looking for a way to create a stand-alone, self-directed tool for students learning the Periodic Table. It should allow students to review the material, then test their knowledge. It would give instant feedback, including formative feedback that helps them move towards the right answers.
My solution for Boris would be to include an interactive Module on his Moodle site, that allows students to explore interactive review options that will keep them on track.
At this site:
http://www.chem.iastate.edu/group/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/simDownload/index4.html
There is a simulation on
PREDICTING THE PRODUCTS OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Periodic Trends in electronegativity
At this site, there is an interactive periodic table that allows you to explore properties of each of the elements, including images of what the element or materials the element is used in, would look like, and also Chem 11 relevant information like isotopes, electron and orbitals:
http://www.ptable.com/
This site:
http://www.touchspin.com/chem/DisplayTable.html
Links the student to a wiki page for each element.
Although in Chem 11, generally, we do not require students to memorize pages of facts on each element (Wiki pages are easily accessible – no need to memorize this stuff).
This site
http://www.chemicool.com/
Is interesting, because when a student clicks on an element, the link includes videos of reactions with that element – far more “kewl” for Chem 11 students than reading encyclopedic facts about elements.
There are sites that offer downloadable review programs:
http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/mac/Periodic-Table-Review-149351.shtml
and
http://download.cnet.com/Periodic-Table/3000-2054_4-75221758.html
And online quiz programs to review the Periodic table:
http://www.quia.com/quiz/890298.html
This above example is on par with the Chem 11 learning outcomes.
These are quite applicable as well:
http://chemistry.about.com/od/testsquizzes/l/blperiodictablequiz.htm
http://chemistry.about.com/od/testsquizzes/l/bltrendsquiz.htm
In fact, this last site mentioned,
http://chemistry.about.com/od/generalchemistry/General_Introductory_Chemistry.htm
has many applicable links.
I have chosen all of these interactive sites as Boris’ solution, since these online quizzes give immediate feedback to the students and corrects them immediately, if they have chosen the wrong answer. It is of utmost importance to note that the teacher would only want to provide those hyperlinks that review the pertinent material and assess the content that the students require for this Chemistry 11 level. Of course, the teacher, in his spare time, could create his own quiz on Moodle, incorporating all the features of matching, multiple choice, embedded images, short answer, short essay, that relate directly to his curriculum…but in a pinch, he can find many interactive links that will engage his students and perhaps increase the likelihood that they will take the time to review the material and improve in their transfer of periodic table knowledge. ☺
For all those Chem teachers out there that wished that I just posted my URL finds so you can use them, here they are succinctly listed in this attachment:
Boris the Chem 11 teacher
Also, be sure to search Chemistry Periodic Table (or any other topic, for that matter) at http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Main/ to find great resources shared by collaborative teachers, just like you!
