The dissemination of chemistry has been experienced as a difficult task, largely because of the negative image that the public has of this science, but also because of its inherent complexity and its own semantics and symbolism. Science centers, as informal learning environments, can contribute to a more effective dissemination of chemistry to an…

The circuit board found in a commercial musical greeting card is used to supply music for electrochemical cell demonstrations. Similar to a voltmeter, the "modified" musical device is connected to a chemical reaction that produces electricity. The commercial 1 V battery inside the greeting card circuit board can be replaced with an…

Given the emphasis on community engagement in higher education, academic departments need to become more involved in the community. This paper discusses a number of outreach activities undertaken by the chemistry department at Rhodes University, South Africa. The activities range from service learning to community engagement with teachers and…

Atomic orbital theory is a difficult subject for many high school and beginning undergraduate students, as it includes mathematical concepts not yet covered in the school curriculum. Moreover, it requires certain ability for abstraction and imagination. A new atomic orbital model "the chocolate shop" created "by" students…

One-day chemistry camps, managed by graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry at the Universities of Virginia (UVA) and Vermont (UVM), have proven successful as an outreach initiative. The camp model engages kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school students in hands-on, inquiry-based science experiments to educate and excite…

Development of an effective strategy for promoting science education and professional development of K-12 science educators is a national priority to strengthen the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This article reports the outcomes of a Geoscience Professional Development Program (GPDP) workshop…

Helping students develop a sound understanding of scientific concepts can be a major challenge. Lately, learning progressions have received increasing attention as a means to support students in developing understanding of core scientific concepts. At the center of a learning progression is a sequence of developmental levels reflecting an…

A trip to the mall is used as a classroom demonstration to illustrate the fundamentals of separations without the need for chemicals or any chemistry background. Student volunteers are the "mixture", and depending on the shopping list they have been given, they spend varying amounts of time in the "stores" versus moving through…

A visual demonstration of the difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces has been developed. It involves placing a shadow mask on an optically clear hydrophobic plastic dish, corona treating the surface with a modified Tesla coil, removing the shadow mask, and visualizing the otherwise invisible message or pattern by applying water,…

Anthocyanins are a class of pigments responsible for the bright colors of many flowers, fruits, and vegetables typically resulting in shades of red, blue, and purple. Students were asked to perform an activity to enable them to identify which anthocyanin was present in one of several possible plant materials through a hands-on activity. Students…

Movies and movie clips have been used by many instructors to teach chemistry. Entire movies based on true chemical stories are used because they provide students with a common experience after which instructors can launch writing lessons about the chemistry, the scientists, or engineers, or even postscripts to the story presented in the film. In…

A hands-on, minds-on inquiry chemistry experiment was developed for use in K-12 schools that enables students to combine the chemicals of their choice and observe the results. The chemistry involved is water based and builds upon acid-base, double displacement, and iodometric detection of starch reactions. Chemicals readily available in the…

This story is a chemical mystery with an emphasis on qualitative analysis. It is, as well, part of a body of work that presents a scientific problem in mystery format in the context of the popular and beloved characters of 221B Baker Street. A break within the story allows readers to ponder and solve the mystery. Holmes and Watson provide the…

What students and teachers often ask is, how are nano-sized materials made when they are so small? One answer is through the process of self-assembly in which molecules, polymers, and nanoparticles connect to form larger objects of a defined structure and shape. Two hands-on experiments are presented in which students prepare capsules in real time…

Art and science are sometimes viewed as opposing subjects, but are united in many ways. With an increased awareness of the benefits of interdisciplinary studies in education, it is desirable to show students how different subjects impact one another. Visual arts are greatly connected to chemistry in several ways. Pigments are usually synthetically…