This book offers a step-by-step analysis and discussion of just why some students find chemistry difficult, by examining the nature of chemistry concepts, and how they are communicated and learnt.

Unique new approaches for making chemistry accessible to diverse students Students' interest and achievement in academics improve dramatically when they make connections between what they are learning and the potential uses of that knowledge i n the workplace and/or in the world at large. Making Chemistry Relevant presents a unique collection of strategies that have been used successfully in chemistry classrooms to create a learner-sensitive environment that enhances academic achievement and social competence of students. Rejecting rote memorization, the book proposes a cognitive constructivist philosophy that casts the teacher as a facilitator helping students to construct solutions to problems. Written by chemistry professors and research groups from a wide variety of colleges and universities, the book offers a number of creative ways to make chemistry relevant to the student, including: Teaching science in the context of major life issues and STEM professions Relating chemistry to current events such as global warming, pollution, and terrorism Integrating science research into the undergraduate laboratory curriculum Enriching the learning experience for students with a variety of learning styles as well as accommodating the visually challenged students Using media, hypermedia, games, and puzzles in the teaching of chemistry Both novice and experienced faculty alike will find valuable ideas ready to be applied and adapted to enhance the learning experience of all their students.

Chemistry as a Game of Molecular Construction: The Bond-Click Way utilizes an innovative and engaging approach to introduce students to the basic concepts and universal aspects of chemistry, with an emphasis on molecules’ beauty and their importance in our lives. • Offers a unique approach that portrays chemistry as a window into mankind’s material-chemical essence • Reveals the beauty of molecules through the “click” method, a teaching methodology comprised of the process of constructing molecules from building blocks • Styles molecular construction in a way that reveals the universal aspect of chemistry • Allows students to construct molecules, from the simple hydrogen molecule all the way to complex strands of DNA, thereby showing the overarching unity of matter • Provides problems sets and solutions for each chapter

Polymeric products are used widely in the construction industry, because they offer a range of desirable performance properties not available from traditional materials. Development of these products continues in a number of major research and development programmes within the construction materials sector, aimed at improving the performance, durability and applicational properties of these materials. It seems certain that their use will increase as their overall performance is developed and as the industry becomes more familiar with the techniques required to apply these materials and the benefits they offer. The purpose of this book is to familiarise the reader with the range of thermosetting polymeric materials available for construction applications, and to provide sound information on the properties and applications of these important materials. Professional engineers involved in the specification, application and testing of these materials will find this book a compact, authoritative and comprehensive source of information on these materials. Chemists and technologists involved in developing new or improved formulations will find in this book much to inform their work, particularly in the important area of applicational properties.

Since the 1970s and 1980s, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of ground chemistry in construction. Bringing together representatives of the various disciplines involved in ground chemistry, the proceedings of this conference present case histories and research topics.