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Help, I’m teaching chemistry

Learning about the Material World involves studying matter and how it changes. Understanding basic chemistry principles helps us to make sense of the world around us. It also helps us understand contemporary issues such as environmental sustainability and the development of new materials, pharmaceuticals and energy sources.

Watch this video to find out how to locate Hub resources that will help you plan and implement engaging classroom programmes.

Related PLD

The Science Learning Hub has a range of recorded webinars to support you with your chemistry teaching. Have a look at these recorded webinars:

  • Chemistry made simple – atoms

  • Chemistry made simple – properties of matter

  • Chemistry in the primary classroom

  • Kitchen science

Transcript

Voiceover

Welcome! We’re glad you’ve found us. The Material World is such an exciting area to teach. There are loads of opportunities for students to get hands on and really engaged in their learning. But we know it can sometimes feel like there is a lot to get your head around, and deciding where to start can be tricky.

A good place to start is to choose a topic. This can be used as the broader context in which the chemistry learning takes place.

One of the Hub’s popular chemistry topics is fire. This gives you a way to introduce concepts like properties and changes of matter, chemical reactions and combustion.

Use the filters along the top to help you narrow down your search.

The Teacher PLD collection can be a great place to build your confidence and gain some insights into ways to start.

Our articles bring to life science concepts by telling the stories of New Zealand science and scientists. They can be used to help you with your own understanding or inspire your students while integrating literacy strategies.

Our activities are designed with students in mind. They range from ways to check students’ ideas and get them hooked into learning all the way through to large investigations and enquiries.

Interactives provide a great way to visualise science ideas by modelling concepts such as states of matter or complex processes such as the carbon cycle.

Use our short, pithy videos to bring a scientist into your classroom.

Another way to access science content can be through our concepts. Perhaps you have a specific chemistry concept that you want to teach, or you can browse for ideas.

Here you’ll again find articles and activities.

Did you know that chemists recognise five different states of matter?

If you know what you want to teach, use our search engine to find resources.

You can see which concepts can be explored with oobleck and how these concepts interact with other scientific concepts.

If you’ve still not found something to get you started, just get in touch via social media or email us.

To keep up with new developments, including our ever-evolving resources and teacher webinars, register for our newsletter. At the Science Learning Hub, we hope that we can help make your chemistry teaching a stimulating and rewarding experience that leaves your students wanting to find out more.

Glossary

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Published: 7 March 2019
Referencing Hub media

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