The Basics
| Site URL: | http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/ |
| Who: | Bassam Shakhashiri |
| What: | This site has a group of experiments that can be done at home using household materials, descriptions of some common and interesting chemicals, and many additional resources. |
| Why: | Shakhashiri has long been a proponent of getting children interested in science and fostering scientific literacy. |
| Cost: | Site itself is free, some resources are available for purchase |
| Log-In Needed: | No |
These experiments all use household materials to explore science at home or in the classroom. They include the materials needed, procedures, as well as questions for students to think about as they explore.
PDF descriptions of various chemicals and groups of chemicals can spice up lessons providing teachers and students with additional information as well as adding to student interest. These short articles could also work well as anchoring activities for students with some adaptation as they are written beyond a high school level.
The 5 volumes of Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry are widely used among chemistry educators, and frequently referenced on the ChemDemo site.
There are 49 chemical demonstrations performed by Shakhashiri in his DVD collection. This collection would be a good addition to any classroom that doesn’t have the resources for live demonstrations.