High School Chemistry: Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents
Chemistry class gets down to the nitty-gritty—moles of atoms and molecules that come together in covalent and ionic bonds. You’ll learn what’s going on around you even when you can’t see it, and that the smallest of changes can make a big difference. In the High School Chemistry Web Guide, students and parents will find chemistry help with homework and test prep, while teachers will get lesson plans and classroom tools to make teaching chemistry fun.
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Expand All Guide SectionsHigh School Chemistry for Students
Chemistry opens up a whole new world for students, and it can be an amazing and interesting one. These resources on chemistry for students will help you get your homework done, prepare for tests and get to know all those elements in the periodic table.
Insights for High School Chemistry for Students
- If you’re using a chemistry textbook, check the publisher’s Web site for activities and resources that relate directly to the chapter you’re working on. McDougal Littell, for example, offers supplemental materials that take the chapters a step further.
- There are sites that offer expert advice and answers to chemistry questions for a fee. Check the credentials of any expert before you get advice (check the “About Us” section of the site), ask your parents before spending money and don’t give out any personal information online.
Top Sites for High School Chemistry for Students
For periodic tables and chemistry formulas …
ChemiCool
is a searchable periodic table of the elements. Choose an element to learn more, such as name, symbol, atomic weight, melting point, specific heat, appearance and more.
The Periodic Table of Videos
from The University of Nottingham offers the periodic table with short videos explaining each chemical element. Also look for The Molecular Videos, a series of videos on molecules and compounds.
ChemicalElements.com
has information on all of the elements in the periodic table, from Helium to Ununbium with the basics (boiling point, atomic number, density) and a drawing of the atomic structure of each.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Chemistry WebBook has data on more than 7,000 organic and inorganic compounds. Type in a chemical formula or chemical name and you’ll get the molecular weight, chemical structure and more.
For help with chemistry homework …
Chemistry Virtual Textbook
is an online general chemistry class produced by Stephen Lower, a former chemistry professor. Browse the chapters to review and get thorough explanations of the material that’s covered in class.
ThinkQuest Library
hosts Chemistry Tutor, a site created by high school chemistry students that offers an introduction to general chemistry, and chemical reactions and equations.
For chemistry test prep ...
FunBrain's
Proton Don game tests your knowledge of the periodic table elements and their symbols. Use the game to improve your skills and prepare for tests.
Widener University Department of Chemistry
Web site has online quizzes that test your ability to calculate significant figures, do conversions, balance equations, evaluate mass and moles, and more.
General Chemistry Online,
a site from Frostburg State University, helps you learn chemistry and tests your knowledge with exam guides and practice tests. Search the Common Compound Library for 3-D images of molecules and compounds, or see if your question is part of the site’s FAQ section.
Teaching Chemistry
Even though we’re dealing with atoms and tiny molecules, chemistry is best learned through experience and real-world examples. Teaching chemistry is made easier with help from the Web.
Insights for Teaching Chemistry
- Working from a chemistry textbook? Check the publisher’s Web site to find additional chemistry materials online, and ways to differentiate the material for students at different levels. Textbook publishers with enhanced online content include McDougal Littell and Pearson Prentice Hall.
- We usually avoid recommending sites that are mere directories of links to outside sources. In our education guides, we make exceptions to this rule for lesson plans and student activities to provide you with as much helpful content as possible.
- There are tons of free online chemistry resources, so don’t be fooled into paying for something. We’ll show you where to find the best chemistry resources that don’t cost a cent.
Top Sites for Teaching Chemistry
For chemistry worksheets and classroom tools ...
The ChemCollective
is a virtual library of interactive materials that aim to make chemistry relevant to the real world. Access chemistry activities, tests, tutorials and simulations, or create your own to add to the site.
Resources for Chemistry Educators
has a teacher section with links to tests and quizzes, online media, podcasts, tutorials and even chemistry-related humor. Use it as a reference when planning a unit, and for specifics throughout the year.
Amazing Chemistry Teacher Resources,
a Web site by retired high school chemistry teacher Nancy Clark, has links to experiments, worksheets, tutorials, videos and more. Look for resources on topics like the atom, forensics, nuclear chemistry, gas laws and others.
For chemistry lesson plans ...
Illinois Institute of Technology's
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE) project has nearly 200 chemistry lessons. Posted by teachers in the IIT education programs, the lessons are aimed at various levels, so some searching is required.
The Science Spot
has chemistry lesson plans complete with worksheets. Scroll down to find links to Internet lessons and activities, as well as chemistry trivia to incorporate into lessons and tests.
TeAch-nology
links to general chemistry lessons, labs and more from around the Web. Also find more specific lesson plans on atomic structure, chemical reactions, elements and compounds, and states of matter.
For other chemistry resources…
Molecule of the Month
has information about molecules updated monthly, a good way to introduce molecules one at a time.
The Particle Adventure,
produced in part by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, provides an overview and classroom activities about quarks, dark matter, antimatter, neutrinos and more.
ThinkQuest Library's
Hi! Hydrogen has online tutorials, games and experiments all about hydrogen. Students can do experiments with hydrogen online at the Experimental Lab.
Chemistry at Home
If you’ve forgotten the atomic structure of magnesium or that a mole is not just an animal, what your child is learning in chemistry class may stump you. Find resources on high school chemistry so you can help your child with chemistry at home.
Insights for Chemistry at Home
- Chemistry organizations like the American Chemical Society have information about careers in chemistry, blogs, updates on the latest research and more information that can help take your child’s interest in chemistry to new levels.
- There are chemistry tutorial sites online that offer products, like the CD-ROM series from Chemistry Tutor Software, and sites that offer live online tutoring, like Tutor-Homework.com but these sites often aren’t free. If you’re ordering products or tutoring online, be sure to check credentials.
- For ideas about bringing chemistry (and other subjects) into the home, visit the findingDulcinea Homeschooling Web Guide.
Top Sites for Chemistry at Home
For chemistry standards…
SCORE
(Schools of California Online Resources for Education) provides an overview of chemistry standards in California. The California standards provide an idea of what’s covered at the high school level, and can be adapted to your district.
FunBrain's
“Standards Finder” has information about what your child should be learning according to class and grade. Get an idea of what your child’s tests will cover, and what to look for in terms of resources.
For chemistry resources…
Rader's Chem4Kids.com
has information on general chemistry, the periodic table of the elements and information that can help your child review for a test or quiz.
The Chemistry Hypermedia Project
has an alphabetical glossary of chemistry terms and a valuable overview of general chemistry concepts.
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