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Teaching Resources

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TEACHING RESOURCES INFORMATION

TITLE OF TEACHING RESOURCE
An Introduction to Chemistry
IMAGE
NAME OF AUTHOR(S)
Mark Bishop
NAME OF PRODUCER
Chiral Publishing Company
DATE OF PRODUCTION
2012
TYPE OF PRODUCT
Online course
LEVEL OF CHEMISTRY KNOWLEDGE
Basic, Medium
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Cooperative learning
SUBJECT AREA
Fundamental Chemistry
TARGET GROUP LEVEL
Lower Secondary School, Upper Secondary School
LANGUAGE/S OF TEACHING RESOURCES
English
TUTORIAL SUPPORT
Yes
DESCRIPTION
This is an online book related to Introduction to Chemistry for use in beginning chemistry courses that have no chemistry prerequisite. No matter what a reader's goals are, this book will help them to learn the basics of chemistry.
There are two versions of the author’s text. The first version has an emphasis on descriptions of the structure of matter and the nature of chemical changes, postponing the description of unit conversions and chemical calculations. The second version provides a more complete description of atomic theory, chemical bonding, and chemical calculations early. Each of these versions are supported by
• animations that will help the viewer visualize the particle nature of matter (Structure of Matter, Hydrogen-1 Atom, Hydrogen-2 (Deuterium) Atom, Hydrogen-3 (Tritium) Atom, Helium Atom, Element Properties, Dissolving NaCl, Precipitation Reaction, Acid Animation, Acid/Base Reaction Animation, Single-Displacement Reaction, Gay-Lussac's Law Animation, Charles's Law, Volume-Moles Animation, Pressure-Moles Animation etc.);
• tutorials that help students to learn various skills and also provide a way of testing themselves on the skills, (Element Names and Symbols, Isotope Notation, Binary Covalent Nomenclature Tutorial, Cation Names and Formulas Tutorial, Anion Names and Formulas Tutorial, Balancing Chemical Equations Tutorial, Equation Stoichiometry and Mixtures, Equilibrium Calculations etc.)
• checklists to guide students in their study,
• PowerPoint presentations that can be used by instructors in lecture or by students as a quick review of each chapter (18 presentations for the first version and 16 for the second one are available)
• chapter maps that show how the topics in each chapter are connected to topics in earlier chapters and to each other,
• glossary quizzes that allow students to test themselves on the new terms in each chapter (each chapter in both the first and the second versions offers a glossary quiz )
• Web pages that help students to develop a better feel for the chemical structures, including those of molecules (there are illustrations of chemical structure for more than 30 classes of elements and chemical compounds)
COMMENTS
The book provides text and tools that support anyone who is interested in learning the basis of chemistry.
Well structured content, available in audio-version also (audio-book)
Many of the topics in the two versions are illustrated by animations.
An advantage of the resource is the tutorial support about all topics included in the two books versions which helps students get knowledge step by step.
High quality and scientific value of the book content but presented in understandable way.
The recourse is a perfect example about the application of IC-technologies and interactive approach in learning chemistry.
Lessons are supported by 34 interactive glossaries that help student to learn about the basic chemical terminology and to understand the scientific content.
All chapters are available as ppt presentations and are suitable for use both in classes and at home.
The chapter maps help both teacher and student in selection of the necessary information.
The recourse offers chat-section that allows students to share comments on the lessons content. That approach allows for cooperative learning.
NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION
Technical University of Gabrovo

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome


Date: 2013.06.02

Posted by Stamatios Kappatos (Greece)

Message: Here is a remarkable website which can be very helpful in teachers who wonder about the best way of introducing students of Junior High School & (first grades) of High School (we are talking about the Educational System of Greece, particularly now…) in basic chemistry topics and concepts. It applies to students with no preexistent knowledge of chemistry, novice teachers with no or little experience in teaching, and also can be very enlightening to (undergraduate) students of Universities and even experienced teachers as it offers an alternative view in many issues (in presenting Chemistry).
The strongest point of this tool is the “animations” that cover almost the whole range of teaching subjects in Junior High and High School, and the original way of presenting chemistry issues with no scientific deficiency!
Very useful is the “tools” option (in the main bar) which contains (except ‘animations’ mentioned above) valuable sources for the teacher such as:
- tutorial ( complete guide)
- glossary quizzes ( helps students to learn and understand definitions)
- chapter maps (connects schematically definitions / issues / topics and in which way they interact)
- PowerPoint presentations (an extremely helpful and ready-to-use tool)
- Molecules (3D - impressive!)
- Check List for each chapter with notices and formulas of the most important issues and finally
- Audio presentations (leads step-by-step a new user in this site to, fully understand, the ‘way of thinking’ of site’s creators)
Playing the “devil’s lawyer” rule, one could notice as a problem, the …language (English). There’s no alternative option for another language, so only the advanced user of English language will go deep in site’s routes! Even so, it is a good suggestion to other colleagues and students (especially when they know that few-clicks-away there’s a great reward!)
Personally…I commit myself to use it into the classroom and inform you for results as soon as possible.

Date: 2013.02.02

Posted by Mária Smreková (Slovakia)

Message: In my opinion this is an excellent resource for learning chemistry. It is written for students who are preparing to study chemistry at a university, for students who want to take Maturita exams from chemistry and for students who will be studying one semester of introduction to general chemistry. This website has two complementary versions and it has a good structure. It provide complete description of the atomic theory, chemical bondings and chemical calculations. It emphasises a relationship between a structure of a substance and a nature of chemical changes leading to chemical reactions.
Each chapter has a clear introduction in which a student can check up his already gained knowledge. The aim of each chapter and an essential knowledge are clearly set. Audio version is also available and it is a good help for auditory types of students. Graphics is good and it will interests visual types of students. Recent language is used and for each chapter there is a dictionary available. A very good instruction for students is to read each chapter fully and does not matter whether he is working with animation or listening to an audio version..
The most attractive part of this source are audio books and animations to them. It helps students and also teachers and it is a good learning resource for using at home or in a classroom. This web helps students to learn better and faster. It provide them textbooks, animations, maps, audios and etc. It is motivating and inovative resource of how to learn chemistry simply and easily. Student will like chemistry because it is thaught in terms of creative learning. I believe this source can be very motivative and inovative when teaching chemistry for young people who live with 24 hours access to the internet. As a high school teacher I appreciate this web site on the basis of inovative asset in the terms of didactics and pedagogy.

Date: 2013.01.07

Posted by Helena Kaniewska (Poland)

Message: This page provides a tour of the Internet-based version of my preparatory chemistry textbook, An Introduction to Chemistry, first published by Benjamin Cummings in 2002. The text was written for students who want to prepare themselves for general college chemistry, for students seeking to satisfy a science requirement for graduation, and for students in health-related or other programs that require a one-semester introduction to general chemistry.

There are two versions of this text. The atoms-first version provides a more complete description of atomic theory, chemical bonding, and chemical calculations early. The chemistry-first version has a early emphasis on descriptions of the structure of matter and the nature of chemical changes, postponing the description of unit conversions and chemical calculations.
The Internet chapters for the text have all of the usual components of a printed text and more. For example, there are hyperlinks found in grey boxes that take the reader to supporting computer tools, and the objectives references for the end-of-chapter problems have hyperlinks back to the place in the chapter where the objective is mentioned first.
Each chapter has an accompanying study guide chapter that presents a variety of tools to help students, including answers to half of the end-of-chapter problems.
There are animations that support many of of the topics in the text. These are meant to help the viewer to develop a better mental image of the particle nature of matter.
Tutorials allow students to practice some of the skills described in the text.
Because of the large quantity of information presented in the typical preparatory chemistry class, it\'s important that students study efficiently. The author helps them get organized by providing a study checklist for each chapter.

Date: 2012.10.04

Posted by PETER RACHEV (Bulgaria)

Message: The product contains a great number of Physics and Chemistry facts related to the substance structure at subatomic, atomic and molecular level. It emphasizes the relation between matter structure and the nature of the chemical changes leading to chemical reactions. The content is divided into two complementing versions. The second version is more detailed and includes the main points (chapters) from the first version. The linear approach of the two versions is convenient for achieving a particular level of knowledge in a complete cycle. The relation between the first and the second version allows for a concentric approach in the knowledge acquisition process by transferring information from one version to the other. The program offers a variety of animations, tests, assessment papers and presentations that can be used by both teachers and students in teaching and studying the subject.
This program can be applied directly to a large part of the Chemistry course:

1. Substance structure – classes 7, 8,10
2. Chemical bonds – classes 8, 9,10
3. Stechiometrics – classes 7, 8, 9, 10
4. Substance solubility – classes 7 and 10
5. Acids, bases and salts
6. Water states
7. Crystal grids
8. Organic chemistry – class 9

In fact, this is an electronic Chemistry course book. One of its advantages is the audio version, which facilitates and encourages knowledge acquisition by means of its short comments and makes the information comprehensible.
I do not think this product has any serious disadvantages. Perhaps it is too bulky as a result of the author's desire to cover a large area of Chemistry. Therefore, it probably shocks a bit the students who wish to use it. This is my personal opinion and I am in no way reproachful towards the author. I realize how much effort has been put into the creation of this product and I admire the person who has done it. The product has a high scientific value and it is also invaluable in terms of pedagogy.

Date: 2012.10.03

Posted by Abdullah Anıl HOŞBAŞ (Turkey)

Message:
This resource is an online book with lots of different things like audio books, animations, chapter maps, etc. This web site’s most important features are being simple, being attractive for both children and adults, being easy to understand about the topics. The resource aims to intruduce chemistry to students, so it has so many topics. But there are no confusion with the subjects, the web site’s design is so useful and simple.

The most attractive part of this resource is audio books and animations with audio books. It helps both students and teachers, it is a perfect teaching tool for both using at home and for using in classroom. Students can learn better and faster with this site,it provides so much to students with textbooks, animations, maps, audios etc.

It is a motivating, easy learning, inovative resource for chemistry lessons and it is so funny to study with it, I think students will love chemistry with this web site, this is a really creative work.

Date: 2012.10.03

Posted by Enza Lucifredi (Italy)

Message: This resource is really useful because it consist in an e-book on line readable without necessary prerequisites. The contents correspond with those requested in an upper secondary school and they are organized in a logical sequence of chapters (furnished of maps that show links between different chapters). A particular importance is done to primer chemistry math subjects. Furthermore all chapters are available as ppt (power point presentations).
Because of its easy fruition it could be used as a support to teachers lessons and tests both in classroom and at home.
This e book has been revised and controlled by over than 75 chemistry university professors that evaluated it and it has been used in a lot of chemistry lessons in United States and other countries.
I clarify that for a regular use of this resource on line is requested a 20$ contribute. I personally believe that the quality of this web site is worth more than 20$.
Real examples, references to daily problems and daily substances (e.g. vitamins, cold drugs, antacids, throat drugs, heart drugs, nicotine, pesticides, fireworks, explosives, etc.), green chemistry references are too much and certainly they could improve students interest for chemistry.
The ‘key ideas’ game guarantee a more active participation than a summary lecture at the and of a chapter.
I believe that this web site could promote a better and faster understanding thanks to self evaluation exercises with clarifying animations, a tutorial support for each argument, maps and a lot of interactive glossaries (34).
I believe that this resource is an innovative instrument as a didactic approach, contents organisation and support richness. Furthermore the introduction of a chat section for students (where they can comment and share lessons contents) is really well-chosen.

Date: 2012.09.30

Posted by Noélia Vilas-Boas (Portugal)

Message: The analysed resource is easy to consult which allows the use of this tool by lower and upper secondary school students, making it useful for chemistry teaching. Also, the possibility of its use by visually impaired students has an important potential.
This resource combines a set of applications that are extremely diverse and very well structured in terms of scientific content. It has a text book and audiobook as a support with animations, exercises for consolidation and review of the concepts learned, powerpoint files to use as support not only in classes but also at home, concept maps that I consider to be an asset and a glossary that allows students to review forgotten concepts.
I believe this resource can be a highly motivating and innovative approach in teaching chemistry for young people who currently live 24 hours a day with access to the internet. It is essential that resources like these are available, allowing students to access these spaces.

Date: 2012.09.27

Posted by Rosw Lawlor (Ireland)

Message: This teaching resource would be very useful as it is very colourful and lively and would definitely engage students.

I think this would improve anybody’s interest in chemistry because it makes each topic easy to understand and I think it would clarify any fuzzy areas of chemistry for an already reluctant student.

There are two versions of this resource - Atoms-first version which is heavy on atomic theory and chemical calculations, and the Chemistry-first version which postpones unit conversions and calculation. I chose to look at the latter.
This website will appeal to our 21st century students and have them learn faster and with more enthusiasm. The graphics, colour, language and varied teaching methodologies will appeal.
I believe that this resource would aid in a student’s understanding of chemistry because it very much takes the constructivism approach –
The whole website is just brilliantly laid out. Each topic is treated under the following headings:
Textbook; animations; tutorials; glossary quiz ;chapter maps; PowerPoints and checklists.
Each chapter has a very readable introduction which reviews skills already acquired before new material is introduced.
The goal of each chapter is clearly laid out for the reader. There are wonderful concept maps to see very clearly what is ahead of the learner in each chapter.
There is also an audio version – brilliant for our aural-type learners.
The graphics are excellent and will appeal very much to the visual learner.
The language is very lively and a glossary is available for each chapter.
The guideline for the resource advises the student to read the appropriate chapter before any lecture. In other words if someone is using this site they should read each chapter in its entirety before looking at animations PPts etc or listening to the audio version.
There are plenty of PowerPoint presentations and animations with each of the topics.


Its approach is wonderfully innovative because its very presentation acts as a carrot to the learner – it is that appealing.
You feel that you are on a knowledge-quest adventure with Mark Bishop – his own voice is even used in the audio versions!
I am presuming and hoping that the information provided in the course is sound.
I am very impressed.

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.

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