Making Chemistry Relevant

<p><b>Unique new approaches for making chemistry accessible to diverse students</b> <p>Students’ interest and achievement in academics improve dramatically when they make connections between what they are learning and the potential uses of that knowledge in the workplace and/or in the world at large. Making Chemistry Relevant presents a unique collection of strategies that have been used successfully in chemistry classrooms to create a learner-sensitive environment that enhances academic achievement and social competence of students. <p>Rejecting rote memorization, the book proposes a cognitive constructivist philosophy that casts the teacher as a facilitator helping students to construct solutions to problems. Written by chemistry professors and research groups from a wide variety of colleges and universities, the book offers a number of creative ways to make chemistry relevant to the student, including: <li>Teaching science in the context of major life issues and STEM professions</li> <li>Relating chemistry to current events such as global warming, pollution, and terrorism</li> <li>Integrating science research into the undergraduate laboratory curriculum</li> <li>Enriching the learning experience for students with a variety of learning styles as well as accommodating the visually challenged students</li> <li>Using media, hypermedia, games, and puzzles in the teaching of chemistry</li> <p>Both novice and experienced faculty alike will find valuable ideas ready to be applied and adapted to enhance the learning experience of all their students.