Science Articles

My chemistry posts are redundant this time of year.  We are in the midst of moles and Stoichiometry. So I have been trying to think of other topics until we switch gears in Chemistry and tackle more interesting topics.

Home-schooler often read more than private, public, or parochial students do.  When I taught in private and public schools, the teachers were strongly encouraged to increase the number of reading and writing assignments.  I like ‘lessons in a can’: an article, a short writing exercise with a prompt, and a lab.  One example is Tatoos: Thinking About Tattoos? article or What Chemicals are in Your Tattoo?, Should you get a tattoo writing prompt, and Making Ink Lab.  (I have completed this lab successfully without the gum arabic or acacia.). Before I assign the writing prompt, we do a risk analysis as a class.  A Risk-Benefit Analysis is easy; the class makes a list of the risks and benefits—much like a list of the pros and cons.  Then I ask the kids to weigh the risks versus the benefits.  Do the risks outweigh the benefits or vice versa?  Finally, I ask if they should get a tattoo?

Another good topic is Counterfeit Currency. Countermeasures (2007) is a good place to start.  This is a good article to use with the strategy, Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, CER.  I ask the kids to identify countermeasures to counterfeit currency.  Do the countermeasures work?  What is the claim?  What evidence supports the claim?  Finally, explain your reasoning.  It is a more thoughtful exercise than writing a paragraph summary. One easy activity is to get out new bills and foreign currency.  Let the kids look at the bills with microscopes—especially digital microscopes which attach to laptops.

The third idea is Fireworks.  What is in fireworks?  Do the Flame Test lab.


Here are recent free issues from ChemMatters.  I’m renewing my print subscription.  I took a year off and miss the issues.  ChemMatters has Videos relating to the monthly topics, too.  The Dec 2019 ChemMatters issue has an article about Vaping.  This article is pretty balanced.  Ask kids to discuss whether flavored e-cigarettes should be banned.  Should the age for all cigarettes be raised from 18 to 21?  Do they think these measures will reduce e-cigarette use?  What are the risks of black market e-cigarette liquids?  No, I do not have an e-cigarette lab.  I am betting kids will write volumes on the topic.