At the beginning of any chemistry course, students learn the basic elements and the properties of these chemical building blocks. Spice up your element instruction by asking students to create an element feature poster. Assign each student a different element, and ask them to create a poster on which they feature that element. Ask students to include identification information, such as the element's atom number and atomic weight. Place the posters around your chemistry laboratory to enhance the space.
Forensic science is a growing chemistry related field. There are many benefits to the use of forensic science, including fewer false convictions and more successfully solved cases. Ask students to extol the virtues of this field of chemistry by creating a forensic science advertisement poster. On this poster, students can feature information about particularly useful forensic science tools and provide statistics that prove the beneficial nature of this discipline.
Add some humor to your chemistry class through the creation of chemical reaction cartoon posters. Ask students to exercise their creative talents by drawing a cartoon featuring two elements or compounds. Students could for example, draw a cartoon featuring baking soda and vinegar in which one solution says to the other "Being with you makes be bubbly". Allow students as much freedom as possible in creating their poster to encourage them to use their chemistry smarts in a creative pursuit.
Most colleges require a series of complex forms to be completed before independent research can be conducted. Allow your students a break for the monotony of form completion by asking them to create a research proposal poster. Instruct students to make a poster that indicates what type of research they will conduct and how this research will be beneficial. Remind students to make their posters exciting and attention getting, to entice people to take notice of their scientific exploration efforts. While students will likely still be required to fill out collegiate forms, this creative first step allows them to explore their research idea before engaging in the tedium of the application process.
Many amazing discoveries have been made within the field of chemistry since the development of the discipline. Provide the opportunity for students to explore these discoveries and share their findings with their classmates through the creation of Amazing But True... Chemistry Facts posters. Provide students with access to print or online resources, or allow them to conduct their own research. Once students have uncovered an interesting fact or group of facts, they can create attention getting posters that present these facts to their classmates.