SLiThEr #31: Using "Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning" (POGIL) in your classroom!

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Wed, 05/04/2022 - 07:31
Description

In this session, facilitators Wayne Pearson, Tim Herzog and Kim Mullane will introduce you to the benefits of using Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in your classroom. POGIL is a student-centered, group-learning instructional strategy and philosophy developed through research on how students learn best.

Guess What: An Inorganic Chemistry Board Game

Submitted by Brad Wile / Ohio Northern University on Mon, 04/25/2022 - 17:46
Description

"Guess Who?" is a two player board game in which the object is to guess the identity of a character by asking questions about their appearance or features. This activity uses a similar game mechanic to identify concepts, models, and historical figures from inorganic chemistry. 

What is the pKa of water (and why do some textbooks get it wrong)?

Submitted by Joanne Stewart / Hope College on Thu, 03/31/2022 - 17:07
Description

This LibreTexts module by Dr. Tom Neils and Dr. Stephanie Schaertel provides a clear and thorough explanation of why some biochemistry and organic chemistry textbooks get the pKa of water wrong. The pKa of water at 25 ºC is 14.0 and not 15.7. This module describes the derivation of the correct value and describes why the value of 15.7 should not be used. 

Structures of Solids - Unit Cells, Close-Packing, and Ionic Materials

Submitted by Dean Johnston / Otterbein University on Mon, 02/28/2022 - 16:16
Description

This website displays interactive models of the unit cell contents of simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, and hexagonal close-packed structures, in addition to several simple ionic compounds. Relationships between the close-packed atomic layers, the unit cell contents, and the structures of related ionic materials are highlighted.

SLiThEr #27: A mental health conversation - Warning signs, normalization, and responses

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Thu, 10/14/2021 - 17:32
Description

As with chemistry, mental health is something we learn more about every day. The major focus of this SLiThEr is depression and anxiety in students, which are more prevalent in these COVID-impacted times. The material presented in this SLiThEr describes the best practices at the time it was recorded, and these practices may change in the future. While this recording is intended to be a resource for faculty, we would strongly encourage future viewers to seek out the latest research or contact a mental health professional for more information on these topics and current best practices.

The Safety Net

Submitted by Amanda Reig / Ursinus College on Thu, 08/12/2021 - 11:17
Description

The Safety Net (highlighted in a BITeS post) is a great online resource for crowd-sourced standard operating procedures established by Prof. Alexander J. M. Miller (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Prof. Ian A. Tonks (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities). It primarily contains SOPs from the Miller and Tonks research groups, but they invite submissions from the chemistry community. It is a treasure trove of useful information, safety resources, and links to physical property databases.