Design
Build an engaging instructional sequence
In this step of the planning phase, efforts should be directed at:
Design content and activities to:
Introduce the socio-scientific problem to be analyzed.
Explore the selected central ideas in chemistry.
Engage students in core science practices.
Practice systems thinking skills.
Integrate collaborative learning activities that embrace diversity and foster inclusion by creating opportunities for students to share their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences with each other. These activities will actively and meaningfully engage students in:
The analysis of data about the system of interest,
The identification of major patterns in properties and behaviors of the system,
The construction of different representations to manage the complexity of the analysisÂ
The guided application of systems thinking.
As an example, this presentation includes a sequence of content and activities for a proposed module (approximately five 50-minute sessions) that engages students in the development and application of chemical systems thinking to understand greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The module is designed for an introductory general chemistry lecture course at the university level:
Greenhouse Gases.pptxChemistry concepts learned: This example module introduces and applies the following chemistry concepts: Electronegativity, partial charge, bond polarity, molecular polarity, light-matter interactions, and IR active vibrations.
Prerequisite knowledge: This example module assumes students already have a basic understanding of the particulate model of matter, atomic structure, molecular structure, and basic properties of electromagnetic radiation.
The diagram depicts a suggested schedule for the implementation of this example module:
The example module includes a set of interspersed activities (labeled "Let's Think") that students are expected to complete in small collaborative groups and then share their ideas in whole class discussions. These activities ask students to share and explore chemical concepts, actively engage in core science practices such as analyzing data, making predictions, applying models, generating explanations, and practice systems thinking skills. The specific system thinking skills that are practiced during each activity are highlighted using representative icons. The activities also create opportunities for the instructor to formatively assess student learning and provide specific feedback to advance their understanding.