AACT Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics Unit Plan Updated

As chemistry teachers around the country are planning activities for both distant and face-to-face learning, AACT will be highlighting resources from our high school resource library that can be used to reinforce topics in different units throughout the school year. We recently updated the Aqueous Solutions unit and we are now moving on to resources that can be used to support a Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics unit.

We have added a new multimedia resource related to this topic to the high school library, which is highlighted below. We have also updated our unit plan to help you teach an introductory unit on thermochemistry and thermodynamics. In the sidebar of this page, we have included links to resources that are appropriate for virtual learning.

Culminating Activities

Students develop a presentation to compare the pros and cons of a sustainable resource using the Sustainable Energy Evaluation project. The explanation will involve researching the cost and benefits of the resource and analyzing if the resource should continue to be used. This resource is aligned with NGSS standard HS-ETS1-3 Engineering Design and also with several Science and Engineering Practices.

Challenge your students with an escape room scenario that requires them to complete three tasks in order to escape from an old, mysterious Gothic house in the Thermodynamics Escape Room lab. Students have access to an assortment of chemicals and lab equipment and are asked to design a method that will allow them to light a tap light without touching it, free a key from a block of ice without using a conventional heat source, and free a lock that is buried in a pile of glue. This lab includes alignment with NGSS and with the AP Chemistry Curriculum Framework.

We hope that these resources can help you to reinforce several of the topics covered in a unit about thermochemistry and thermodynamics. Most of these lessons were made possible by great teachers who shared their own resources. We need your help to keep the collection growing. Do you have a great demonstration, activity, or lesson related to this topic that you would like to share with the community? Please send it along for consideration.