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Laboratory investigations
In line with our focus on hands-on learning, the labs are central to the teaching of chemistry. These are inquiry-based discoveries of chemistry concepts that are done in a safe environment. The labs were designed to produce no hazardous waste, and they do not require an open flame or fume hoods. These investigations can be carried out in any classroom that has a sink. For each chapter, the first investigation is to be performed before the lecture. This prompts students to ask questions and provides a starting point for the formal lesson. There are a total of 58 investigations that span from discovering the difference between heat and temperature, to learning about electron configurations using an atom model, to learning stoichiometry. The quantitative investigations not only work, but they give students an opportunity to evaluate their answers by calculating percent errors and to discuss potential sources of error. |
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The Teacher’s Edition to the laboratory investigation manual contains a scope and sequence section that links the concepts learned in the student book with the concepts in the investigations. It also provides teaching tips, ideas, sample lessons, sample data and analysis. Teaching tips include addressing misconceptions associated with the topic, what materials to prepare in advance, and how to guide students through each investigation.
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_Laboratory equipment and Lab-Master system
The program comes with a complete lab kit provided by Lab-Aids. It includes a Lab-Master system that connects to a temperature and voltage probes, and a heater. Using this heating system, 30 mL of water boils within 3 minutes with no open flame. This allows students to do distillation and condensation experiments to study the water cycle on Earth. The Lab-Master also features an integrated RGB spectrophotometer. The atom model helps students visualize and understand the structure of the atom, and the organization of electrons, the concepts of valence and bonding according to the octet rule. Students also understand the concept of isotopes, sometimes an elusive idea if taught the traditional way. A molecular model set helps students to understand chemical formulas, chemical change, and molecular geometry. Labs use these sets to go beyond the traditional way to use models. These labs are designed to USE these models to tell the difference between subscripts and coefficients. This is often a barrier for many students. The lab equipment contains other items such as a crucible, a condenser unit, and dimensional analysis and spectroscopy cards. |
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Presentations and videos
A wide range of curriculum resources are available to teachers. For each section of each chapter in the student book, and for each laboratory investigation, a PowerPoint presentation has been put together to help guide the flow of instruction. This represents a total of 132 presentations for this curriculum. Slides are not mere replicas of pages in the text. They are designed to help with math problems, stimulate critical thinking, and to show how to collect and analyze data. Each investigation is also accompanied by a short instructional video so teachers know what to expect. These videos introduce chemistry concepts, pacing suggestions, and go through each step in the experiments. These videos embrace the inquiry-based approach and help teachers ask the right questions to students. |
Curriculum Design Principles
_ A Natural Approach to Chemistry was designed to incorporate findings from learning research. Clarity of language, educational illustrations, and solved problems aside, the content is delivered with two learning strategies in mind: a spiraling content and the 5E model of instruction.
_ Spiraling curriculum
The concept of spiraling means students are exposed to similar content in greater depth as their understanding and mathematical skills increase. A Natural Approach to Chemistry spirals the content within the course, while building on knowledge and skills from prior grades. This is consistent with learning research that shows students need multiple exposures and varied contexts before they effectively retain new knowledge and skills. |
_ 5E model of instruction
A Natural Approach to Chemistry was designed around the 5E instructional model. Extensive learning research since the 1960’s supports the conclusion that learning does not take place all at once, but occurs in stages that are part of a learning cycle. The cycle that begins with some kind of engagement experience in which the learner cognitively connects with the content being taught. The learning experience is shaped through reflective and cognitive processes until it leads to real and retained learning. In 1989, Roger Bybee and colleagues suggested five steps that could serve as a model for developing instructional materials that explicitly made use of learning cycles. The five steps were called engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate. The 5E model is a proven, well-used, and successful curriculum design philosophy that has been used in more than 230,000 lesson plans in the past three decades. While there have been many refinements, the core idea is as powerful today as when it was first published. |