We have developed a new curricular approach for General Chemistry for science and engineering majors focused on teaching students how to apply chemical thinking to answering relevant questions in our world. The curriculum introduces core concepts and ideas in chemistry as needed to answer essential questions that drive research and development in our discipline. For example: How do we differentiate substances? How do we control chemical processes? How do we harness chemical energy? Instructors in the classroom use a learning cycle instructional model in which students analyze data, build models, and apply their understandings to solve questions and problems in a variety of relevant contexts. The new curriculum has been tested in different General Chemistry sections over the past five years. Analysis of students' performance in ACS standardized tests and in subsequent Organic Chemistry courses shows a significant positive effect on student understanding and achievement. In this talk we will describe the core components of the new curriculum and discuss central findings on the effect of the "Chemical Thinking" curriculum on student learning.

Chemical thinking: Exploring the impact of a new general chemistry curriculum

249th National Meeting (2015)

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