Teaching Strategies

Topic Strategy Title Description
Vary Your Approach

A topic like this is quite theoretical and if you approach it in a very didactic way, it can be very dry. It’s undoubtedly quite abstract, and if you present it in a fairly traditional way it’s even more so. Try to engage students with it, and get them to...

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Use Models

Use models to illustrate shapes formed by molecules.

Emphasize Reason For Multiple Models

We do Lewis Structures and then we do molecular orbital theory, and it's theory after theory and they say, 'Why do we have to do this theory and this theory and that theory?' You need to say 'Well, because they're all slightly different interpretations because we don't actually know how it is....

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Makeshift Models

Tell them to go to Spotlight and get some toothpicks and some polystyrene balls. The problem then is you don’t have the correct angles, but usually it’s enough to get it out of their head.

Worked Examples

Use lots of worked examples.

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