An infusion of enthusiasm

How can teachers build on the natural curiosity of children and make chemistry a subject that students can enjoy learning? Involvement, humour and wonder can be powerful in helping students understand the subject. Here are a few tips that teachers can use to make their chemistry classes interesting.

Acid or base? The colour tells it all

Demonstrations are the soul of chemistry teaching. These help trigger discussions and questions so that children enjoy watching the demos and also learn the concepts thoroughly. This article outlines a few demonstrations related to acid-base chemistry which is one of the first topics to be taught in chemistry. All the experiments are doable .

Perspectives and challenges

Science teachers in Yadgir district of Karnataka come together to discuss their approaches to teaching chemistry and find solutions to their problems. A summary of these discussions.

Statues, pigments and maps

What does history tell us about chemistry, and chemistry about history? Behind each question is a fascinating story and since history is a record of stories of human ingenuity and frailty, chemistry has a lot to say about history. Discover in this article some fascinating insights into the history-chemistry link.

The birth of elements

There is much more to the stars that twinkle in the sky. They contain several elements and compounds and there are mechanisms by which these elements are synthesised inside the stars. Read all about the mystery behind stars.

Predicting chemical changes

Try and work on these experiments which explain the Le Chatelier principle. Changes in chemical concentration, temperature, pressure can be clarified using this principle.

Back to basics: the structure of DNA

The concept of the DNA structure gives teachers an opportunity to integrate elementary concepts from chemistry. This article highlights some of these concepts as being necessary to understand if students wish to engage in biochemistry.

Measuring it out, one mole at a time

This article makes a case for introducing the mole concept much earlier on in the classes, especially in the eighth grade along with classroom demonstrations. Some experiments have also been suggested as support for the mole concept. Check this out.

Sanga, the playing chemist

Here are some wonderful games which could be used to make chemistry interesting and to help students visualise and associate with something tangible. Read on.

Making the memory stick!

There are no tailor-made solutions to teach any subject, since every class and every student is different. However some techniques can be used to help children remember. In chemistry, for instance, students may find it difficult to remember the symbols and valencies of elements. Introducing a memory game simplifies matters. Try some of these experiments given by a teacher who has tried and tested it out in her class.