January 2009
Vol 46, No 1. Selected articles and reviews available online to all. Full issue available online to subscribers.
Column
RSC on the campaign trail
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) launches campaign to tackle a 'decline in school science examination standards'.
Nobel chemists get the green light
The discovery of the green fluorescent protein, which is providing researchers with new insight into various diseases, wins 2008 Nobel chemistry prize.
HE chemistry students on a high
Research finds that undergraduate learning experience in UK chemistry departments is consistently of high quality.
Laboratory skills for AS chemists, online
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has teamed up with Pfizer to disseminate Bristol ChemLabS' interactive, online AS Chemistry Labskills module to UK secondary schools.
RSC puts food on the menu
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) reports on the role the chemical sciences have in sustainable food production.
Teacher fellows new intake
In September 2008 three teachers left the classroom to take up one-year secondments at English universities.
Climate change online
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) publishes The chemistry of climate change, an online resource for secondary school students.
UCL - a landmark in organic chemistry
University College London (UCL) has been awarded its second Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) National Chemical Landmark in honour of Sir Christopher Ingold.
The big bang science fair
The first UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair - The big bang - will be held from 4-6 March in London.
In brief
Items: Various short items
Netgains
News on websites of interest to chemistry teachers and their students. In this issue: relaunch of Spectraschool and promoting STEM careers
Soundbite molecules
Simon Cotton, teacher at Uppingham School, takes a look at those compounds that find themselves in the news or relate to our everyday lives. In this issue: titanium dioxide
Web watch
Tony Tooth, chemistry teacher at The King's School in Ely, looks at some websites that may be of interest to chemistry teachers. In this issue: Chemsheets and chemistry diagrams
Letters
Letters
Education in Chemistry Letters, January 2009
Exhibition Chemistry
Chromium(III) oxide-catalysed oxidation of ammonia
Demonstrations to capture the student's imagination, by Adrian Guy of Blundell's School. In this issue: chromium(III) oxide-catalysed oxidation of ammonia
The Elements
The Elements
John Emsley, University of Cambridge, takes you on a tour of the Periodic Table. In this issue: a knock-out element, xenon changed chemical theory of the noble gases
Features
Jesuits' powder
The powdered bark of the South American cinchona tree is the source of quinine - the mainstay treatment for malaria for centuries
Investigations get real
What real chemists do can be the basis of motivating investigations and learning in school chemistry
Printing on plastic
The dye diffusion thermal transfer method is used for printing digital photos on plastics, and for direct printing on PVC cards
Microbial iron scavengers
Medicinal and analytical chemists take their cue from micro-organisms' ability to bind to iron in the design of new drugs and sensors
Distillates
Different contexts - different ideas
Researchers from Colorado State University investigate how students' chemical ideas are affected when the science is presented in unfamiliar contexts
Cooperative learning
Researchers based in Turkey show that effective group work in the classroom improves students' understanding of science
Primary-secondary transition
Researchers in Australia identify aspects of the learning experience that help to maintain students' interest in science as they progress into secondary school
Reviews
Molecules of murder
John Emsley
Wholly irresponsible experiments!
Sean Connolly
Chemistry 1 for OCR
David Acaster and Lawrie Ryan
Endpoint
Curriculum research matters
Keith Taber has the last word
Infochem
