Chemistry in Action

Produced by the University of York Science Education Group and published by The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this resource contains ten teaching units that explore the social, industrial and economic aspects of chemistry as well as encouraging students to acquire investigative and practical skills. Each unit has been designed to:
* cover key chemical concepts
* illustrate the use of chemistry in a wider context
* encourage active student participation
* encourage skills such as data interpretation, decision making, and communication
* develop practical skills
* be covered in one hour and a homework.

The themes in the units are:
Cracking the problem: analysis of an oily liquid to locate a leak.

Salt solution: the technology and economics of salt mining

Rusting all over the world: an examination of the environmental factors controlling the rate of corrosion of steel.

Aluminium can: students investigate the properties of aluminium and steel for a company which is manufacturing food packaging materials.

Invergrog reservoir project: students use their knowledge of the hardness of water and solubility to guide their choice of a site for a new reservoir.

Eboclean: students devise and carry out an analysis to identify suspected fake samples of a cleaning powder.

Safety first: students take on the role of a safety officer at a sulfuric acid plant.

Gardeners' question time: students apply their knowledge of chemistry to help a market-gardener decide how to treat an acidic soil.

Clean up your act: students examine the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of reducing car exhaust emissions.

Burning problems: students consider the properties and uses of coal.

The materials contain full teacher guidance, student notes and activity sheets.