Chemmatters: Science Articles for Teens

I subscribe to Chemmatters and AACT whenever I teach Chemistry.  I rely on both for original articles, ideas, and fun labs.  But many of the Chemmatters articles are free.  Chemmatters articles have topic which interest kids:  3D Printed Food, Pimple Patches, Bugs and the Future of Meat, How to Raise a Jellyfish, and Ice, Cream…and Chemistry.   Be sure to browse the Resources for Teachers section.  I usually focus on the questions for discussion.  Look at this Emergency Lesson Plan: Chocolate: The New Health Food.  Or is It?  (When I taught in public and private schools, I saved Chemmatters articles with questions in a drawer as emergency lesson plans—for the day you’re just too sick to supply detailed notes for the sub.)  You can assign a simple writing lesson: Is chocolate healthy?  Explain.  It’s considered old fashioned to have your child read and article and write a response.  Print a few articles and questions to set aside when your week has just been chaos as emergency plans.  Make these part of your safety net for your home-school curriculum—just like the novel and book report.