To get students interested in Chemistry is not always an easy task. Especially after they hear from their parents or peers about how difficult it can be. Therefore it is important that we teach students that Chemistry can be a fun topic to learn about and that it is important to know more about it as it surrounds us everywhere
Websites:
Websites:
The most informative site I found for assisting students with learning about the periodic table and its elements. This site allows students to look up the elements via many different methods, including crystal structures, orbital properties, atom & ion sizes, isotopes, and many more.
This site is perfect for inspiring those students that are comic book lovers. It includes links to every element on the periodic table and its location within comic books. It also includes actual copies of the comic books where the element is mentioned.
This page of the Learning Science website is full of great interaction applets and other programs for teaching students chemistry through interactive technology. Students will have a great time playing around with the science tools, and learning a lot at the same time.
And lastly this site is for middle school teachers, though some might be useful for younger or older grades as well. It has a lot of links to chemistry and other science related content. One that might be particularly useful is the link to the periodic table elements videos.
Usage in the classroom:
When students use these websites, their links, or their programs students will be able to capture the enthusiasm for Chemistry that we teachers have when teaching It to them. They will learn a lot of useful information while also learning how to use technological tools.
One possible lesson that could be taught through the use of the WebElements site is to have students create a PowerPoint presentation that centers on a specific group of elements or specific characteristics of elements. Students would also be required to create a creative representation of the information they learn. Options could include artistic visuals, songs, plays, etc. When using WebElements, students will become interested in how they can link to all of the different aspects of the elements as well as become interested in the creative aspects of the project.
The only issue with the WebElements website is it could be confusing to students without some instruction on how to use it. Therefore, this project would likely take a few days to complete.
