This semester I teach honors chemistry. It has definitely been a challenge for me. I know that chemistry is already an honors level class, just from the content material alone. However, I also wanted to make it more than just a hard academic class. I want to expand it to really differentiate for high level kids. I have at least five students who are classified as AIG (academically and intellectually gifted) and several who used to be in the program but are not anymore.
I can't say that I've been successful every day. We all fall into the comfortable trap of worksheets and textbook problems, and sometimes that really is the best way to teach. Especially in the holiday season, it is so much easier for teachers to just find a worksheet and leave it at that.
But we all know better. We know our kids need more than that. So, as I was glancing over my state standards, I found this one:
"Describe macromolecules and network solids: water (ice), graphite/diamond, polymers (PVC, nylon), proteins (hair, DNA) intermolecular structure as a class of molecules with unique properties. " (NC chem 1.2.5)
It hit me -- what a perfect opportunity for a project! I quickly came up with some guidelines. (I took what the state says students should know and incorporated it into this standard.) I put together a rubric. I also decided to provide my students with some links to help them when researching.
Because I have so many advanced students, I purposely made this project vague. I gave the students specific items to research, but I did not tell them how to write it or how to present it. My only guidelines were that their final product had to include technology, an oral presentation, and a visual presentation. They could do it all in one (like in a video), or they could break it up.
A lot of my students too this project and ran with it. I got some awesome green screen videos with animations! I think they appreciated the opportunity to work on something more creative than a worksheet.
Find this product here in my TpT store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Molecule-Research-Project-1551296
I hate to ramble on for too long, but if you have questions about this project, please ask!
Cheers!
- S :)
Because I have so many advanced students, I purposely made this project vague. I gave the students specific items to research, but I did not tell them how to write it or how to present it. My only guidelines were that their final product had to include technology, an oral presentation, and a visual presentation. They could do it all in one (like in a video), or they could break it up.
A lot of my students too this project and ran with it. I got some awesome green screen videos with animations! I think they appreciated the opportunity to work on something more creative than a worksheet.
Find this product here in my TpT store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Molecule-Research-Project-1551296
I hate to ramble on for too long, but if you have questions about this project, please ask!
Cheers!
- S :)
