edled by
GRACE FISCHER McGUFFlE Northwestern High School Hyansville. MD 20782
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represents the Grams o f Unknown. This is just a simple moles to grams conversion for the student.
Chemistry that's Chinese, not Greek, to Students!
GU
Jacqueline J. Maciel Mansfield High School Mansfield, MA
Now let me show vou how this is awwlied hv a student when doing a weight-wLigit problem. I t c& hso behoted that I have the students write the name ED MOG-MUE-GU in a vertical column next to each step.
When a person unfamiliar with the language of chemistry glances at a text, worksheet, quiz, or test, it may all look very foreim or even "Creek to him." One of the maior conrewts that all ofYchemistry is built upon is that of T H E MOLE. A; a high school chemistry teacher, my main objective is for the student to become skillful in solving mole problems, especially those involving stoichiometry. With a solid understanding of how to approach these problems, they will he able to expand their chemistry background in the future. The name stoichiometry sounds monstrous to the student and many times it is not only for the student hut also for the teacher trying to get this concept across. I have developed a sequential method for teaching stoichiometry that has been very successful for me. My students are far from mathematical scholars, but when they are finished, they. beg.me to give them stoichiometry problems as a test, even a month or so after we have finishedthe unit. What is the secret to my students' success? I t lies in the Chinese name E D MOG-MUE-GU. But before I explain in detail the meaning of this Chinese name, I must explain the eroundwork mv students have before thev attemvt stoichi;metry. First, the students must have theconfidence of predicting and writing balanced equations. Second, they must readily he able to convert grams of a substance into mole of that substance, and vice versa. Finally, the students are introduced to the fact that the coefficients of a balanced equation will tell them the ratio between the moles of the reactants and products. They are then informed that this new relationship between the moles and coefficients as well as some old skills they have learned will be put together to do a weight-weight problem. ED MOO-MUE-GU
The letters in this name are clues that tell the students the exact seauence of steps needed to do a weight-weieht ~rohlem. There a;e five step; in this problem-sokng se&eke, and thev are explained t o my students as I will explain them to you. represents the balanced Equation. The student must read the word problem and write the correct balanced equation for the reaction. rrprr\ent
