The Chemical Thinking curriculum represents an alternative way of conceptualizing the introductory chemistry curriculum for science and engineering majors. The curriculum has been designed with the following goals in mind:
- Present chemistry as a powerful way of thinking rather than as a static body of knowledge
- Use essential questions in the discipline to guide the presentation and discussion of relevant content
- Emphasize conceptual understanding of core concepts and ideas in chemistry
- Build student understanding through carefully designed learning progressions based on existing research in chemistry education
- Offer many opportunities for students to engage with core concepts and ideas through activities that ask them to analyze data, model chemical systems, and generate evidence-based explanations
- Create opportunities for students to demonstrate and self-assess their understanding via the application of their knowledge and skills to solving relevant integrated problems
- Engage students in thinking about important issues in four critical areas of interest for the science and technology of the 21st century: energy sources, environmental issues, life and medicine, and materials by design
- Take advantage of diverse educational tools that allow students to explore chemical ideas and phenomena in interactive ways