Teaching with Atomsmith > Curriculum

The Atomsmith^® Classroom Curriculum

One of the greatest difficulties faced by chemistry students is developing the ability to visualize "invisible" concepts and symbolic relationships. The process of visualizing is critical to understanding. Gaining understanding can take multiple mental tries at various solutions and “seeing” the results. Atomsmith's curriculum facilitates the “seeing” process for your students.

The Atomsmith Classroom's curriculum features a broad array of interactive visuals that range from an atomic theory timeline, to 3D models of the atom to bonding orbitals to simulations of ideal and real gases. (Note: Screencasts may take a moment to load.) These visuals are accessed through Atomsmith's various labs.

As a teacher, you can use these labs for classroom demonstrations using LCD projectors or interactive whiteboards. But watch the real excitement happen when your students interact with and conduct lab-type experiments on their own computers, all in the context of a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum. In some cases, Atomsmith's curriculum can replace textbook reading. In other cases, teachers tell us that it has replaced their lecture time. This student self-directed learning allows you to get out among your class to observe and to work one-on-one with students who have questions.

To provide for flexible and targeted integration of The Atomsmith Classroom's curriculum, the software is licensed by Curriculum Unit. Each Curriculum Unit comprises a set of virtual experiments and interactive lessons that lead students through sequences of:

• Motivating content (text, web links, animations and videos) that ties to and builds on the curriculum
• Step-by-step Experiment Procedures
• Recording data and Observations
• Responding to questions that are designed to stimulate “discovery”
• Drawing conclusions
• Journaling, to track the development of ideas and knowledge (with reflection comes meaning)

Click the links below to learn more about each of the current Atomsmith Curriculum Units:

Curriculum Unit (click to see a description)	Screencast (requires Quicktime) (click to view)	pdf Description (click to download)
Introducing The Atomsmith Classroom
Atomic Structure
Periodic Trends
Molecular Structure – Chemical Bonding
Molecular Structure – VSEPR
Phases of Matter – Gases
Polarity and Intermolecular Forces	Coming Soon	Coming Soon
Note: The screencasts may take a moment to load.