For inexpensive chemistry lab ideas to expand your repertoire, buy my lab book Chemistry on a Budget for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com.
Chemistry on a Budget contains several labs that are great for the beginning of the school year! Topics used include Significant Figures, Density (2 labs) and Physical Separation techniques are very handy for the beginning of the school year.
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report. This way the teacher has the option! Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout.
It will take a week or so to get to you, so Order Now and use the rest of the summer to determine how you will use the labs!
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget
http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
I realize that during the school year it’s very difficult to keep up with research topics. During the next few weeks, I will talk about some current research going on in the science community.
According to https://news.brown.edu/articles/2015/07/melting ,
“Using powerful computer simulations, researchers from Brown University have identified a material with a higher melting point than any known substance.”
Melting Point is a Physical Property typically discussed in the early weeks of a Chemistry course -- this article is a handy extension.
Students could brainstorm on the potential utility of this substance, the use of computer modeling, and the cost/benefit of investigating the substance.
Here are two articles about this substance with a high melting point that are brief enough to be summarized or used in a “10-fact” assignment (described in my 7/23/15 post):
http://www.gizmag.com/material-new-record-melting-point/38637/
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/07/28/Researchers-discover-highest-ever-melting-point/4371438108391/
And here is another article with a slightly different approach about this high melting point substance:
http://az-neweer.com/researchers-predict-material-with-record-setting-melting-point/
This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom. Remember, you can check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
Have a great end of July, and remember to order my book!