Silver and its compounds have been widely used in experimental teaching, industrial production, and other fields. In these processes, a large amount of wastewater containing silver is usually produced, which might contribute to environmental pollution. Therefore, recycling silver from wastewater not only has good economic value but also meets the…

Colleges throughout the United States typically expect their students to take at least one course in the sciences to fulfill liberal studies curriculum requirements. For nonscience majors, the choice of science class can include introductory chemistry, introductory biology, and astronomy, among others. Based upon interactions both in and out of…

It is critical to develop students' science communication skills as they progress through their education. One way this goal can be accomplished is by integrating Flip into educational programs. Through Flip educators create prompts that students respond to in video form, which leads to deeper discussion on various topics. This brief will share an…

Physics teachers around the world are trying to create classroom environments that would allow life science students to be more intrinsically motivated in their work. These efforts include, among others, matching classroom activities to students' interests as well as structurally variable activities to match different student abilities. While…

Teaching biochemistry well is not an easy job for teachers and so is learning biochemistry well for students. Just as many students often complain, they virtually always fail in either physiology or biochemistry. I have been teaching biochemistry at Nanjing University for over 25 years and am very successful in my biochemistry-teaching career. The…

Imagine two groups of students in your physics class or lab. In Group A, the students each take on a different task but invest an equal amount of time, energy, and effort in what they do. For example, one student might be the note-taker, while another operates the calculator, computer, or experimental apparatus, and a third keeps everyone on track…

Hydrogel is an interesting topic in polymer chemistry, which is closely related to daily life and advanced technology. In this paper, we report an activity to deliver hydrogel chemistry into middle school classrooms by undergraduates as a bridge between professors and students. During the activity, undergraduates act as a bridge to receive…

Chemistry laboratory experiments are invaluable to students' acquisition of necessary synthetic, analytical, and instrumental skills during their undergraduate studies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic rendered face-to-face (f2f), in-person teaching laboratory experiences impossible from late 2019-2020 and forced educators to rapidly develop new…

The American Chemical Society's Chemistry Festivals, or "Festivales de Química," are community events where chemistry professionals, professors, teachers, and students use hands-on activities to engage the public and demonstrate how chemistry appears in our everyday life. The Chemistry Festival Organizers received training from the ACS,…

Children are natural engineers. Engineering design activities for preschoolers introduce practices and encourage scientific habits of mind. The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) highlight that crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas can not be mastered without engaging in scientific investigations and…

In this article, newly qualified teacher (NQT) Alexander Odeneal shares some ideas that primary teachers could use to capture pupils' interest and support scientific discussions. The article offers four different activities and an explanation of why they do what they do to support the non-specialist teacher leading the lesson. Each activity…

Introduction to Research is a 4-credit elective course designed for first-year undergraduate students who have a strong interest in the chemical sciences and scientific research. The rich yet accessible field of gold nanoparticles was the theme connecting a multifaceted teaching/learning experience. In the first unit, students were introduced to…

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This month's issue discusses tools of formative assessment.

In this commentary on Per Anderhag, Per-Olof Wickman and Karim Hamza's article "Signs of taste for science," I consider how their study is situated within the concern for the role of science education in the social and cultural production of inequality. Their article provides a finely detailed methodology for analyzing the constitution…

In this article, Carol Bostrom shares how child-led enquiry, with children choosing their own questions to research, can work in a primary classroom. Children in three year 1 classes (ages 5-6) chose three areas of their own interest or hobby and then composed three questions for investigation for each area to be used during science week. This…