Chemistry—Look it up...

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Teaching Chemistry

Here are some sources that might be useful in creating class assignments, preparing for class lectures, or exploring new ideas in science education.

ACS Division of Chemical Education

Members include those who teach chemistry in high school through university as well as those in industry that have a stake in chemical education. Their web site includes information on the activities of the Division (papers presented, symposia given, publications) as well as a list of related links. They also support the CHEMED-L listserv. Join the listserv and discuss your ideas, opinions, successes and/or problems with your peers.

Clearinghouse for Chemical Information Instructional Materials (CCIIM).

Sponsored by Indiana University, the CCIIM provides links to materials that are designed to instruct people on how to use chemical information resources. This can consist of class lectures, assignments, and course pages designed by chemists, librarians, or publishers.

College Science Classroom (NSTA).

Sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association, this web site includes news briefs related to science education at the college level. Also includes articles from the NSTA's Journal of College Science Teaching. (NOTE: Access to the online journal is only available to NSTA members, but Fenwick Library has print issues from 1996 to present.)

Journal of Chemical Education.

Published by the Division of Chemical Education of the ACS, this journal contains articles describing the teaching of chemistry in the classroom and laboratory, from middle/high school through college. The web site also contains educational software and videos.

[Fenwick Library has print volumes of this journal from 1983 to present and 1970-1976 on microfilm. The Arlington campus also has print volumes from 1924-1967 and 1978-1982. Fill out the form to request a particular article from the Arlington campus.]

Other useful journals to browse:

• The Chemical Educator, published by Springer, "is a working journal, a reference to current topics, experiments, and teaching
  methodology."
• ChemMatters, published by the ACS, is for high school chemistry students. Teacher's guides are included.
• Education in Chemistry, published by RSC, is aimed at educators in the UK
• Journal of Research in Science Teaching, in print, Fenwick Library.
• School Science and Mathematics, in print, Fenwick Library.
• School Science Review, in print, Fenwick Library.

Writing about Chemistry

Communicating in Science: Writing a Scientific Paper and Speaking at Scientific Meetings. 1993.

Fen Stacks and JCL Stacks Q 223 .B664

Reporting technical information. 10th ed. 2002.

Fen Stacks T 11 .R426

Science and Technical Writing: A Manual of Style. 2nd ed. 2001.

Fen Stacks T 11 .S378

Successful Lab Reports: A Manual for Science Students. 1992.

Fen Ref and JCL Stacks Q 183.A1 L63

Technical Writing: A Practical Approach. 5th ed. 2003.

Fen Stacks PE 1475 .P47

For similar books, search by Subject in the library catalog. Subjects to use: Communication in Science, Report Writing, or Technical Writing. Also see the section on Citing Your Sources below for additional style manuals.

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Citing Your Sources

In the field of Chemistry, one widely used citation style is the American Chemical Society (ACS) Style Guide. Print copies can be found at:

ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors. 2nd ed. 1997.

Fen Ref and PWL Ref QD 8.5 .A25

Some examples and brief guidelines to the style can be found online:

ACS Citation Style for Internet Sources. (from Penn State Lehigh Valley)
ACS Style Sheet. (from Lehigh University; based on 1st ed.)
CORE: ACS Style Guide. (from Chemistry/OhioLINK Resource Explorer)

Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. 6th ed. 1994.

Fen Ref and PWL Ref T 11 .S386

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. 2001.

Fen Ref Desk, JCL Ref, and PWL Ref BF 76.7 .P83

APA Style Official Site

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. 1999.

Fen Ref Desk, JCL Ref, and PWL Ref Desk LB 2369 .G53

MLA Style Official Site

Other Formats

ONLINE! Citation Styles

Gives examples of citing online information in ALA, CBE, Chicago, and MLA formats, including web sites, emails, and listserv messages.

Sources (from Dartmouth University)

Gives examples of citing various sources in ALA and MLA formats. Also discusses other subject specific citation formats.

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