Chem 101: The BPP, Chapter 03, Team-Based Learning

Cheetahs are built to run Fish are built to swim Humans are built to ___________* For any student, the first step to studying effectively is to push back any ideas they may have about being limited in their ability to learn. An exceptional set of "smart" genes is not required for any healthy individual to achieve mastery in any chosen field. What IS required is effort—down-to-Earth self-discipline and persistence. Cognitive science tells us that these exertions change the brain's structure, creating new connections and capabilities. Importantly, learning builds upon itself, so the more you learn, the more you can learn. We each have great potential. What matters most is the degree to which we are inspired to develop this potential. How smart you are or wish to be is less a matter of genetic destiny and more a matter of whether or not you live in a social environment that values and supports learning. You have great potential. We all do. That's what makes us human. We are all built to learn. That's what allows us to recognize connections, like you did right now regarding the riddle at the start of this article.

Welcome to this AI review of The Pyramid Exam, which is the most significant activity we have to offer within our handbook of class activities, yet also the most complicated. But year after year, students consistently rate this activity as the most valuable—by far. So, this is something for you to consider, either as we describe or some variation of your own. For a PDF description, download our Handbook of Class Activities.  

This podcast is an AI review of our handbook of just-in-time class activities. They are "just-in-time" in that they present the student with a novel task that can only be solved by the learning of concepts. This is to say, they don't presume student mastery of the concepts. Rather, students work formatively to build that mastery. Also, we call them "class" activities as they are focused on team-based learning right within the classroom.  Follow the podcast link to download the PDF of this handbook. Within that handbook we begin with a four-point overview of our thoughts on the best use of the time we spend with our students in the classroom. This is followed by ideas on how to organize students by teams as well as by nations. For the main show, you'll find detailed descriptions of our favorite class activities that you might adapt to your courses as you see fit. Thank you for sharing this podcast and handbook with others.

John and Tracy interview members of the Iboga Quest team of healthcare providers who work to treat opioid addiction and similar ailments using therapy centered on iboga plant material with the hallucinogenic molecule ibogaine as the active agent. A key feature of ibogaine-based therapy is its success in alleviating the craving that comes with opioid addiction as well as providing a renewed sense of self. Duration: 35:12.

John and Tracy interview Rick, an experienced chemical engineer within the fossil fuel industry who walks us through the process of producing gasoline and other petroleum products from crude oil—the raw material extracted from the ground. Along the way, we learn the state of the industry in a time of diminishing reserves, expanding energy demands, alongside increasing environmental awareness. Duration: 1:02.

Chem 101: The Big Picture Podcast Episode 01 Your hosts: John and Tracy Suchocki Outline 1. Introduction Who is the podcast for? What are our goals? 2. The Back Story How to Study Effectively Step 1 / Step 2 Learning Delayed retrieval Interleaving 3: Do the Review (Chapter 01) About Science About Chemistry Unit Conversions

From the authors of the "conceptual" line of science textbooks, in this second episode we discuss how cognitive "frames" color our worldview. Recognizing these frames can help us to remain open to new ideas. The yet to be recognized term "collective causation" is used as an example of hypocognition. This is followed by a review of Chapter 2 of Conceptual Chemistry relating to the particulate nature of matter.

From the authors of the "conceptual" line of science textbooks, in this third episode we interview Brian Pritchard an expert in the area of team based activities and human performance. Attention is given to the value of team-based learning in the classroom and beyond. This is followed by a review of Conceptual Chemistry's foundational Chapter 3, Elements of Chemistry. Topics include physical and chemical changes, the periodic table, elements and compounds, mixtures, and nanotechnology.

We are now publishing the "Back Story" and "Do the Review" segments of each episode as separate podcasts. For this fourth backstory episode we interview Stephanie Blake, a science professor from Ozarks Technical College in Springfield, Missouri. The subject matter: Academic Endurance. Learn from Professor Blake how best to strengthen your academic endurance. It has everything to do with working within a community and enjoying the journey. Duration: 30 min 54 sec.

Here in episode 5 we review the first half of chapter 4 of Conceptual Chemistry. We start by reviewing the conceptual model, which describes how a system behaves. We then explore some of the history behind the discovery of subatomic particles. This episode concludes with a review of the vocabulary associated with subatomic particles, including atomic number and atomic mass number. Duration: 30:55.