Teaching Resources

E-yliko (Secondary School Chemistry – Teaching Proposals)

Anagnostopoulos, P.; Kalogeropoulos, N.; Meidani, A.

Greek Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs

Web Site/Portal, Downloadable software, Downloadable material

Basic, Medium

Peer education, Modelling, Self-learning

Fundamental Chemistry

Lower Secondary School

Greek

Yes

Prerequisites: All eight teaching proposals of this resource require downloading and extracting zip files. Five teaching proposals (1-2 and 4-6) run by just clicking on the htm-type file via the Internet Explorer. The proposal related with the periodic table (No 3) requires MS Access and the last two ones (No 7 and 8) require the freely available downloadable software Microworldswebplayer.

Contents and Task Description: The teaching resource is a collection of eight separate teaching proposals. Five of them involve interactive quizzes and crossword puzzles covering the teaching material of 2nd and 3rd grade of lower secondary school. The activities deal with acids and bases, the names of chemical compounds, the states of matter and the atomic/subatomic particles. Simple instructions are given on how to start the different applications and how to proceed in order to successfully complete them. There is one interactive activity through which the student can learn and practice his ability in balancing chemical equations. Another activity deals with the periodic table. This activity has also some interactivity since the student can have access to a large range of information concerning the chemical elements by clicking on their names. Finally, there is a teaching proposal referring to the greenhouse effect. This is a proposal which offers an alternative manner for approaching the subject by integrating text, static images, simulation and the internet. This teaching proposal shows how the web can be used effectively for extending the teaching praxis behond the strict physical borders of the classroom.

Aims: The material aims in attracting students’ interest towards chemistry by their engagement in interactive activities which often have the nature of a game. It also aims in increasing critical thinking and in developing the ability to approach knowledge from different sources (Greenhouse effect application). Finally the material aims in helping students assimilate new chemistry concepts and get familiar with the special language of chemistry.

Use in class: The activities proposed can be incorporated in the class practice via the use of personal computers or an interactive blackboard. In addition, the students can practice most of the activities on their own in order to get familiar with the new language of chemistry. The integrated teaching proposal referring to the Greenhouse effect can be realized in class via the combined use of a projector, the blackboard and the Internet.

This collection of teaching proposals gives the possibility to the teacher to employ interactive ICT based tools for teaching fundamental chemistry concepts. Most applications are very easy to run and they can be also be employed by the students themselves for self-assessment. The interactivity of the material and the fact that the assessment has the nature of a game can stimulate the interest and attract student attention. The material would have even higher pedagogic value if specific hints were given after every possible answer of the multiple choice quizzes. The proposed activities can easily be incorporated in the class practice and be used mainly in a supportive manner in order to motivate learning. The material related to the greenhouse effect is a complete teaching proposal accompanied by student worksheets and teacher’s guide. The material is scientifically reliable.

TEI of Ionian Islands