Teaching Resources

Labchimica- Itas Santorre di Santarosa

2011

Web Site/Portal

Medium

Problem solving, Experiential learning

Fundamental Chemistry

Upper Secondary School

Italian

Yes

·The prerequisites
Being the chemistry section of the website of a Superior Secondary Institute (IIS: linguistic-human sciences-biotechnology technician), the prerequisites are those for the access to an upper secondary school. For the applets use, the knowledge of propaedeutic concepts of general chemistry at the secondary school level is needed.

The contents
- Interactive simulations on batteries (as to buid a battery by choosing electrodes and solutions to be coupled; analysis of the battery yield with varying the solutions concentration of the semi-cells; redox titrations).
- Didactic material proposed by Santorre di Santarosa Institute teachers which can be downloaded by the students.
- Presentation of the project LabeBook , with corresponding link and guide. It is a “project of the laboratory teachers of the Santorre di Santarosa ITAS finalized to collection, re-elaboration and publication in digital format of the cards of laboratory experiences set up in the last years. The project was started in experimental way during the 2010-11 school year with publication of the first cards in PDF format and will continue in the next years” (33 cards at the moment).
- ‘Tutorial’ section: it hosts guides on the use of applicative tools for the teaching of scientific topics. First tutorial is a guide on the rappresentation of molecular models by RasMol. RasMol is an application for visualization and manipulation of molecular models, useful to work with organic macromolecules (proteins, enzyme, etc.) but also to study functional groups on small molecules.

The aims
The objectives seem to give both the students of Santorre di Santarosa Institute and all the teachers and students that can take advantage of it of a tool for the study and deepening of basic chemistry and biochemistry in particular.

Task Description
Exercises with RasMol on biological organic molecules. Exercises on: batteries, concentration in batteries, redox titrations, based on the corresponding applets (one exercise per type); the applet corresponding to concentration batteries is equipped with a card compiled by the Special Education Resources Centre of Education Bureau of Hong Kong, in English and Italian languages.

How to use it in class
-Applets can be used for discussions in classroom on targeted topics.
- Laboratory cards can be used in experimental activities.

Points of strength
- Facility in access and use of the resource.
- Relevant cards number in pdf format related to laboratory experience with deepening in some activities.
- Tutorial section for the guide of Rasmol software.

Points of weakness
Limited number (three) of applets with corresponding exercitations.

Scientific reliability
Good

Pedagogic value
Good for the possibility of use for both teachers (work in classroom and experimental activities) and students (personal study and deepening).

University of Genova