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Topic: Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions  (Read 3668 times)

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Offline SinkingTako

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Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions
« on: July 14, 2013, 03:32:48 AM »
Hello, in my school we have a chemistry club. Currently our weekly sessions usually include someone presenting about a interesting topic in chemistry (eg solvated electrons, how to use SMILES), or playing games (such as rapid fire rounds, or chemistry charades). There are relatively few lab sessions, because the labs are hard to book.

We would like to do something more interesting for club sessions this year, so does anyone have any ideas? Or any games to suggest?

Thank you!
Hello!

Offline curiouscat

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Re: Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2013, 03:54:37 AM »
Show a sketch of a complex molecule and see who can write the correct SMILES for it first. :) Or conversely.

Take a random fairly common liquid and see who guesses its boiling point closest.

Give a liquid pair, azeotrope or non azeotrope.




Offline 408

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Re: Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2013, 04:49:36 AM »
If SMILES notation is the bar for interesting, I think you have a lot of space to wow them.

I was always a fan of giving students a chemical, and saying "ok, now try to (hypothetically) make this from household products"  It is a pretty great game. 

Offline curiouscat

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Re: Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2013, 06:43:52 AM »
If SMILES notation is the bar for interesting, I think you have a lot of space to wow them.

I was always a fan of giving students a chemical, and saying "ok, now try to (hypothetically) make this from household products"  It is a pretty great game.

Conversely, give them a material and ask how they might deduce what it is.

Offline SinkingTako

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Re: Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2013, 07:05:11 AM »
Show a sketch of a complex molecule and see who can write the correct SMILES for it first. :) Or conversely.

Take a random fairly common liquid and see who guesses its boiling point closest.

Give a liquid pair, azeotrope or non azeotrope.

Seems interesting, thanks! Hmm azeotropes can possibly be an area of discussion next time.

If SMILES notation is the bar for interesting, I think you have a lot of space to wow them.

I was always a fan of giving students a chemical, and saying "ok, now try to (hypothetically) make this from household products"  It is a pretty great game.

Well I think any area that is not in the school syllabus is "interesting" :P Can you please provide an example of "making a chemical from household products"? I don't quite get what kinds of chemicals can be chosen.

Thank you!
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Offline 408

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Re: Ideas for High School Chem Club Sessions
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2013, 01:42:24 PM »
easy:

salicylic acid (aspirin and lye, followed by HCl)
chloroform (bleach and acetone)
iodine from KI tablets with hypochlorite and acid. 

medium:
calcium cyanamide from calcium chloride, NaOH and cyanuric acid
chlorobutanol from chloroform and acetone


lots of things!

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