Teaching Strategies, Ideas & Resources
Mentimeter
Mentimeter is a great website with a lot of different applications. It allows the teacher to pose a question to the class and have everyone give a response anonymously using technology (device of their choice with an internet connection). Teachers create the poll of their choice and have students use a user code to log in and post their answer. Answers can be displayed in a variety of fashions, such as a bar graph, matrix or a word cloud. There is also a profanity filter which can be applied, if your class thinks they are particularly funny and enjoy shocking the teacher with colourful language.
Mentimeter is a great website with a lot of different applications. It allows the teacher to pose a question to the class and have everyone give a response anonymously using technology (device of their choice with an internet connection). Teachers create the poll of their choice and have students use a user code to log in and post their answer. Answers can be displayed in a variety of fashions, such as a bar graph, matrix or a word cloud. There is also a profanity filter which can be applied, if your class thinks they are particularly funny and enjoy shocking the teacher with colourful language.
Think, Pair, Share
Students have the chance to think about a question or idea, discuss it with their elbow partner or other people sitting around them, and then talk about it with the whole class and teacher. This is more effective than individual students being called on to answer because:
Students have the chance to think about a question or idea, discuss it with their elbow partner or other people sitting around them, and then talk about it with the whole class and teacher. This is more effective than individual students being called on to answer because:
- It doesn't put students on the spot as much
- Students have time to formulate their answers and bounce ideas off their peers
- Everybody has the chance to share their ideas, so it is lower risk than if only one student shares their answer
PEOE
The PEOE (predict, explain, observe, explain) is a way a teacher can show a demo to their class. The teacher gives a brief description of what they will do, and has the students predict what will occur and explain why. During the demo, the students are silent so they can take in what is occurring. Following the demo, they write down their observations and explain why it occurred. They may also draw a picture explaining what has happened. The PEOE is a great guiding tool for a demo because the students have a written record of what they saw so they can refer back to it. It also forces students to think critically about what they have observed. |
Practicing Together
Guided release is a useful and effective way to show your students how to approach a problem. First, do the problem for them. Next, ask them for help in doing the problem. Finally, have the students work individually while circulating to make sure they understand what they are doing. Offer help if they are still struggling.
For example, with naming organic compounds:
Guided release is a useful and effective way to show your students how to approach a problem. First, do the problem for them. Next, ask them for help in doing the problem. Finally, have the students work individually while circulating to make sure they understand what they are doing. Offer help if they are still struggling.
For example, with naming organic compounds:
- First, show them how to name a simple organic compound
- Next, have the students help you name a different organic compound
- Finally, give students one to name on their own
Building Molecular Models
Invest in a class set of molecular model kits if your department does not already have one. Students can either work individually or in partners with these, but no larger than groups of 2: you want your students to have the chance to manipulate the kits and look at the models they have built. This brings engineering and modelling into the science classroom and gives students a more hands-on approach. |
YouTube Videos
Take advantage of the technology available to everyone. YouTube has a lot of amazing science resources, if you are willing to look for them. I use YouTube to consolidate my lessons with videos like Crash Course Chemistry.
Take advantage of the technology available to everyone. YouTube has a lot of amazing science resources, if you are willing to look for them. I use YouTube to consolidate my lessons with videos like Crash Course Chemistry.
Peer Teaching
The Organic Compounds research project and presentation has the purpose of getting the students to research the organic compound classes and to teach their classmates about it. Teaching is the best way to learn something, so allowing students to teach their peers about organic chemistry is a great way for them to learn about it themselves. Also, giving students the freedom to select how they will teach their peers, be it with a video, a poster, an infographic, etc., incorporates multiliteracies and allows for creativity.
The Organic Compounds research project and presentation has the purpose of getting the students to research the organic compound classes and to teach their classmates about it. Teaching is the best way to learn something, so allowing students to teach their peers about organic chemistry is a great way for them to learn about it themselves. Also, giving students the freedom to select how they will teach their peers, be it with a video, a poster, an infographic, etc., incorporates multiliteracies and allows for creativity.
Societal Implications and Applications
Giving a project a real-world spin helps give context to the seemingly abstract topics students learn about in the confines of the classroom. The Environmental Impact research project has students research an organic compound and its uses in everyday life. This will help students to realize all the organic compounds they encounter every day, since when discussing these in class, a lot of them seem far-fetched and unattainable.
Giving a project a real-world spin helps give context to the seemingly abstract topics students learn about in the confines of the classroom. The Environmental Impact research project has students research an organic compound and its uses in everyday life. This will help students to realize all the organic compounds they encounter every day, since when discussing these in class, a lot of them seem far-fetched and unattainable.
Lab Activities
It's helpful to students to get their hands dirty and make a product in the lab that has been discussed in class. Inquiry labs are especially great because students have to make their own purpose and procedure, determine what materials they need to conduct the experiment, and come up with their own conclusions, rather than the ones practically given to them by the teacher. |