Charlotte Teachers Institute

Chemistry is one of those subjects that has a bad or scary reputation. On or even before the first day of class students will tell me that they are not expecting to do well in the course. This curriculum unit is designed to make chemistry accessible and relatable to all students. Using the unifying concept of light emission, this unit will link various North Carolina chemistry standards to everyday experiences. All of the topics and activities were selected with simplicity in mind, and every teacher should be able to incorporate all or part of this curriculum unit into their course with relative ease. The topics addressed in this unit include: electron emissions, the visible light spectrum, chemical bonds, chemical reactions, thermochemistry and solutions. This unit includes a lesson on electron emissions that focuses on how the movement of electrons can produce visible light. Students will also investigate how chemical bonding relates to chemical reactions; while being challenged to explore how luminescence can be used to improve society.