Thanks to Dan Bystrom for permission to use his custom control DBPush. Contact him by email at: dan.bystrom@adb-partner.it-invest.se
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Features
* Eight units which all teach and test students as they learn.
* Sounds used to indicate correct and wrong answers.
* Notebook symbol suggests notes for pupils to make while using the program.
* Information symbol, 'i', provides hints, extra explanation or background.
* Skills taught through familiar examples to help reinforce general chemical knowledge.
* Frequent reference to online Periodic Tables.
* Option to supply answers.
* Option to 'trap' students within a unit to keep them on task.
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Options
* Option to 'trap' the user within a unit once started (to help teachers ensure that pupils stay on task), with a password required to exit.
* Option to provide answers after 3 wrong tries (for Units 1 and 2 only in the unregistered version).
* Option to switch off game high scores (if abused).
* Option to remove the 'Print' button from the certificate - not all printers support printing a certificate.
These options and your spelling preference (US or UK) can be changed by running the 'Change Options' program (refer to the manual and the file 'options.txt' for more details). The only option accessible from the main program is to switch off sound effects.
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Answers/Game
Answers to most questions are available (but only for Units 1 and 2 in the unregistered version). Whether or not answers are provided is optional (use the 'Change Options' program to make this choice). If you choose to have answers, then the answer will appear automatically after 3 consecutive errors.
Some answers are deliberately NOT provided - where the learning process requires the user to work out the answer themselves.
The GAME is available from the contents page. It involves pairing up elements and their symbols. It also requires a good memory. Level 1 uses the first 24 elements; level 2 uses a further 30 mostly well known elements.
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Notes/Information
The notebook symbol suggest notes which pupils could make as they use the program, for later reference. Personally, I always insist that these notes are made - it prevents pupils from rushing through a unit.
Click the information symbol, i, for hints, extra explanation or background information.
Whenever you click on the the 'information' or 'notebook' symbols, or on an element in the Simple Periodic Table, the text is automatically sent to the clipboard and can be pasted into other programs (eg Notepad, Wordpad, Word).
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Reference
The contents page contains a reference section which can be used to view either of the online Periodic Tables, use the 'Atom Builder' to build up the structures of any of the first 20 atoms (up to calcium) or use a simulation called 'The Ionizer' to work out the formulas of over 120 ionic compounds from their constituent ions.
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Using the Program
The early units are intended for use at Key Stage 3 and the rest at Key Stage 4(UK). It is NOT intended that the program be worked through from beginning to end. Rather that it should be used as a resource for perhaps one lesson at a time over a considerable period, as pupils build their skills. A typical unit might require about a lesson (30-40 minutes) to complete (if the suggested notes are made).
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Points/Certificate
The program automatically adds up totals of correct and wrong answers for each unit as you go along. This score can be displayed by clicking the RIGHT mouse button on the bottom right of most screens.
At the end of each unit, the score will be displayed on a printable certificate. Note that if the date or time on the certificate appear incorrect, you should adjust your computer settings via the date/time section of the control panel.
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Word Equations
This unit introduces word equations and the use of state symbols. The chemical reactions covered include rusting, burning magnesium, making water, burning methane and respiration.
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Elements and Symbols
Pupils are introduced to a simple interactive Periodic Table which provides the names, symbols, basic properties and uses of some of the more common elements. Pupils are then quizzed on the properties and symbols of some of these elements.
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Valency and Formulas
In this unit, formulas are developed through a simple valence model, and linked to use of the Periodic Table introduced in the previous unit. The patterns of valency (valence) for different Groups in the Periodic Table are emphasised, as pupils work out the formulas of a variety of common compounds.
Note to teachers: this unit is aimed at young pupils just starting the subject, and contains some simplifications. A simple valence model is applied to both ionic and covalent compounds as an introduction to writing formulas. I avoid reference to ionic 'molecules' but I am not too concerned about the distinction - at this early stage, pupils are likely to have little, if any, knowledge of chemical bonding.
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Models of Reacting Molecules
This unit emulates an activity that I have carried out previously using molecular models, illustrating the rearrangement of atoms during simple chemical reactions. Liberally illustrated with interactive molecular æmodelsÆ, it is intended to give pupils a greater understanding of what we mean by a chemical equation (in molecular terms), an introduction to the structures of some simple hydrocarbons and a first introduction the concept of a balanced symbol equation.
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Symbol Equations
The writing of symbol equations is linked to the use of word equations and formulas which were introduced in previous units. Pupils are taken carefully through the processes of writing a word equation, converting this to formulas (by reference to valency and the online Periodic Table) and finally the balancing of this equation. A number of familiar reactions are considered.
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Atomic Structure
This unit teaches pupils about the structure of atoms in terms of the various particles involved and their arrangement in atoms. The 'Atom Builder' section (also available as reference) allows pupils to 'build' any of the first 20 atoms (up to calcium) on screen.
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Formation of Ions
This unit looks at the formation of ions by the gain and loss of electrons and teaches pupils how to predict the charges on ions by reference to the Periodic Table.
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Ions, Formulas and Equations
This unit looks at how ions combine to form ionic compounds and teaches pupils how to predict the formulas of ionic compounds (including those involving radicals) and how to use these formulas to write balanced symbol equations. It includes an interactive simulation called 'The Ionizer' that allows pupils to work out, on screen, the formulas of more than 120 ionic compounds from their constituent ions. The æIonizerÆ is also available in the reference section.
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Manual
Click on the 'Manual' icon in the 'Equations' program group or folder. Print out the manual for details of some extra features of the program.
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Warranty Disclaimer
These programs and documentation are provided "as is" and without any express or implied warranties. I have run the programs on a number of machines but cannot possibly anticipate all possible variations of software and hardware that the programs may be run under. Therefore, the user must assume the entire risk of using these programs. Under no circumstances will I be liable for any damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, these programs.
