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  • Editorial | May 2017 The Future Looks Bright

    AACT President Scott Hawkins reflects fondly on his year as AACT president, the accomplishments of AACT, and the promise for a bright future. He also shares news about upcoming events, governing board election results, and member benefits.

  • Nuts & Bolts | May 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. Using Formative Assessment to Guide Instruction

    Formative assessment is a valuable tool for determining a student's misconceptions and level of science understanding, in order to guide class instruction. While it can seem intimidating, formative assessment can take a variety of forms to incorporate movement and collaboration in the classroom.

  • In My Element | May 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. A Serendipitous Teaching Career

    The author recounts the events and influences, from childhood through retirement, that guided his successful teaching career.

  • Nuts & Bolts | May 2017 There’s More to the New Safety Data Sheets than a Missing “M”

    Safety in the chemistry lab is a concern for all teachers, regardless of years of experience. In 2015, major changes occurred to chemical labels and SDS in the US, however, many people that work and teach with chemicals are still fuzzy on the details. This article aims to increase your comfort level with SDSs by describing the timeline, some changes over the last 5 years, pros/cons of the newer format, related hazard communication issues, and providing info on other available resources.

  • Tech Tips | March 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. Using Virtual Labs to Enhance AP Curriculum

    This article uses several topics related to the AP chemistry curriculum, such as general equilibrium and thermodynamics, to illustrate how virtual lab assignments and activities can be designed to enhance the AP chemistry curriculum and meet specific learning objectives.

  • Editorial | March 2017 Passion and Involvement Are Keys to Success

    AACT governing board member and retired chemistry teacher Regis Goode reflects on her years in the classroom, as well as her many positive experiences with ACS during her career. She encourages current teachers to get more involved in leadership by joining a committee or running for a governing board position.

  • Classroom Commentary | March 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. Bridging the Observable to the Atom: Teaching Chemistry to PreK-12 Students

    In order to support children’s understanding of matter throughout their primary and secondary education, it's necessary to design instruction using the tetrahedral model representations in which students recognize the multiple levels of thought and contextualize learning in the everyday level. This article aims to help teachers understand the learning progressions in light of the tetrahedral model representation through NGSS and other curriculum documents.

  • Classroom Commentary | March 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. Seeing STARS in Chemistry

    Read about a science instructional coach from a rural school district who made a valuable connection with two professors from the chemistry department at North Carolina State University. Together they developed a program that extended the world of chemistry to rural middle schools. Through sustained relationships, these professors continue to share their love of chemistry, in some cases for years.

  • Nuts & Bolts | March 2017 Four Strategies for More Effective Labs

    Learn four strategies for effectively connecting chemistry lessons to lab activities. This article will explore flipping the pre-lab, incorporating claim-evidence-reasoning in the hypothesis and conclusion, implementing a class discussion during inquiry labs, and developing lab quizzes.

  • Nuts & Bolts | March 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. Peer Instruction for AP Chemistry

    Peer Instruction has been described as a research-based teaching method that leverages the power of social interaction to drive learning. PI can be a powerful tool for helping students learn the challenging concepts that are integral components of AP Chemistry. This article summarizes the process of PI and research that supports it, and provides guidelines for writing quality multiple choice questions.

  • Tech Tips | March 2017 Access is an AACT member benefit. Using Google Forms for Remediation

    This article, written in lab report format, discusses the use of Google Forms for online quizzes in the chemistry classroom. The author summarizes her experiences and methodology for using these quizzes in her classroom, and includes a link to a step-by-step video guide for creating quizzes as well as tips for implementing them in your classroom.

  • Simulation | March 2017 Half-Life Investigation

    In the March 2017 simulation, students will have the opportunity to investigate the decay of two samples of unstable atoms. Students will interact with the simulation in order to decay the unstable samples resulting in a visual and graphical interpretation of half-life.

  • Resource Feature | March 2017 Take Home Labs: Making Science Real

    It’s an ongoing question: how do we provide students with more lab time? One answer is to introduce take home labs. In this article, the author explains how take home labs can fit into your curriculum to cover new material, review material, or provide extra credit, and how they provide increased exposure to science in our everyday world.

  • Editorial | September 2014 Welcome, Charter Members!

    Well, it’s finally here. Something chemistry teachers have been anticipating for years. Welcome, charter members, to the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT)! This is the inagural editorial of Chemistry Solution and addresses the goals of AACT, including safety, building community, and embracing all teachers of chemistry.

  • In My Element | November 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. From Corporate Scientist to Classroom Teacher

    Read about the author's transition from a corporate chemist to a high school science teacher. Through her journey, she discovers a desire to empower disenfranchised minorities and encourage their inclusion and success in STEM related careers.

  • Tech Tips | November 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. Using Wikis to Promote Engagement in a Chemistry Lab

    Wikis can be used as a technology tool for differentiating a chemistry lab so it's engaging to all students. In this article the author explains how to build a classroom wiki page to use with students. He also explores ways to assess students’ tasks completed during the lab.

  • Tech Tips | November 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. Simple Technology Strategies to Improve the Lab Experience

    Learn how to incorporate a few simple strategies to improve data sharing, pre-lab preparation and post-lab discussion in the chemistry lab. The author discusses the use of Google Forms, and the integration of videos and simulations.

  • Editorial | November 2016 How a Little Luck and Some Get-Up-and-Go Made Me a Better Teacher

    Veteran chemistry teacher and AACT governing board member Roxie Allen reflects on her teaching career and active involvement in various professional teaching organizations. She emphasizes the value of being involved, and encourages other teachers to grow outside their classroom.

  • Resource Feature | November 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. A Map to Solving Limiting Reactant Problems

    Teach struggling students how to determine the limiting reactant in a stoichiometry problem with this method. Through the use of arrows and corresponding steps, students are given appropriate guidance for completing these complicated calculations.

  • Nuts & Bolts | May 2015 Access is an AACT member benefit. Using NGSS in the Chemistry Classroom

    Questions from the March NGSS webinar are addressed, touching on topics including NGSS resources, how NGSS effects chemistry curriculum, and helpful tips about ChemCom sixth edition.


  • Resource Feature | September 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. Tools and Strategies for Teaching Lab Report Writing

    One of the critical skills expected from any science graduate is the ability to write coherent and meaningful laboratory reports. Many chemistry students come to their first- and even second-year classes with an incomplete understanding of how to write high quality formal lab reports. We have developed some tools and strategies that may be helpful in this endeavor.

  • Classroom Commentary | September 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. The Value of Chemistry in a STEM Focused World

    Chemistry teachers often find themselves in the center of the STEM programs within their schools. In this article, we look at what STEM education means and what the focus of our STEM programs should be. The roles of the chemistry teacher and the chemistry classroom are key to the STEM agenda, and we see how our curriculum contributes to a STEM-prepared workforce.

  • Tech Tips | May 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. BYOD

    The author explains how her bring-your-own-device (BYOD) classroom works and how it helps her manage her classroom while also sharing tips, tricks, favorite apps, and websites.

  • Resource Feature | May 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. Getting Young Students Excited about Science

    Have you considered teaching chemistry to your elemenatry students? This fifth grade teacher shows how easy it is to introduce chemistry into the elementary school classroom. She reviews several You Be The Chemist® activities, and explains why her students love them.

  • Nuts & Bolts | September 2016 Access is an AACT member benefit. Starting off on the Right Foot

    Want to hit the ground running as a new AP chemistry teacher? While there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to tackling the delivery of an AP chemistry course, here are ten basic things you can do to help yourself before the school year gets underway.