Chem Lab Teacher Background

Purpose of courseware:
The ChemLab presents interactive problem-based activities which simulate real-world chemical reactions in a safe computer-based environment. Students select chemicals from those available in the lab which are likely to react to produce target substances.

An on-line World Wide Web "quest" guides students to the basics behind chemical reactions and the symbols and formulas for chemicals which can help solve the problems.

An evaluation rubric defines what students should know and be able to do following use of the courseware.

The following California State Board-adopted science content standards are addressed by this courseware:

8th grade physical science
standard 3. Elements have distinct properties and atomic structure.
                  All matter is comprised of one or more of over 100 elements. 
standard 5. Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged
                   into different combinations of molecules.
standard 7. The organization of the Periodic Table is based on the properties of
                   the elements and reflects the structure of atoms.