Come explore Pre-Chemistry with lecture videos, Nearpod interactive slides, and hands-on labs and activities! This course will cover many topics which are aligned with NGSS (science standards) for middle school: atoms, electrons, periodic table, chemical reactions, balancing equations, carbon/organic chemistry, solutions, acids and bases, and nuclear chemistry.   

Nearpod includes teaching slides alternating with: collaboration boards, matching challenges, virtual field trips, Time to Climb game/contest, video clips, drag-and-drop activities, drawing slides, and fill-in-the-blank mini-quizzes. In addition to the virtual activities, weeks 1-5 include optional hands-on activities - see syllabus below for specifics. 

I have a down-to-earth teaching style and I like to spark excitement about topics by tying the lesson to learners' lives or adding interesting facts and real-life scenarios. I truly do love science and learners pick up on my enthusiasm! I encourage learners to share anything they would like to in the classroom that is related to the lesson. I once had a learner bring real-life, very large, DINOSAUR FOSSILS to class that her dad collects in an auction! Woah! You just never know what will show up at "science show-and-tell" :)

*This class is also available in a live, muliti-day option.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

1. Lessons, links, and assignments will be uploaded to the classroom each Monday morning by 9am (eastern time).
2. Optional projects will be assigned (weeks 1-5) in the Outschool Classroom and can be turned in within the classroom, or be sent to me in a private message. Sunday of each week is the due date for projects and assignments. Projects outside of class time are optional. Hands-on labs during classtime are also optional but strongly encouraged. 
3. Most assignments consist of foldables, labs, educational tech-games, or other fun activities!
4. I will grade or give feedback for projects turned in. 

Learners will be encouraged to interact with other learners and myself in the Outschool classroom and within Nearpod (Time to Climb, Collaboration Board, etc). We will have an interactive scavenger hunt of the periodic table, and an Element Guessing Game in which learners will give clues about an element, guess other learner's elements, and tag the next person. 

Course Syllabus:

Week 1: Intro to Chemistry and Atoms

Nearpod interactive slides
Class discussion
Skill practice
Marker Chromatography Lab

Week 2: Periodic Table

Nearpod interactive slides
Class discussion
Skill practice
Salt’s Effect on Freezing Point Lab

Week 3: Chemical Reactions and Balancing Equations

Nearpod interactive slides
Class discussion
Skill practice
Borax Crystals (super-saturation and ionic bonds) Lab

Week 4: Carbon/Organic Chemistry

Nearpod interactive slides
Class discussion
Skill practice
Dry Ice/Frozen Carbon Dioxide Lab

Week 5: Solutions, Acids and Bases

Nearpod interactive slides
Class discussion
Skill practice
Red Cabbage Acid Test/Lab

Week 6: Nuclear Chemistry

Nearpod interactive slides
Class discussion
Skill practice
Review activities

Other middle school classes I have available: Semester 1 and 2 ongoing, live middle school science, space science multiday/flex, and keyboarding classes.