Abstract This paper introduces a case of elementary chemistry teaching for freshmen of non chemistry majors by combining four teaching strategies (context-based teaching, inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, blended learning). With garbage classification as the theme, students collaborated in groups to complete discovery learning tasks, investigated the chemical elements and their uses in different kinds of garbage, and disseminated the conclusions through three activities: offline classroom display, online achievement sharing and promoting chemical knowledge outside school. Compared with the data collected before and after the activity, 75% of the students only knew the chemical elements in the top 20 of atomic number before the task. After the activity, the number of elements learned by the students increased significantly, the average value was 1.7 times of the original. The confusion of Chinese name and chemical symbol was improved. Finally, a questionnaire showed that the activity had increased the students' enthusiasm in class and helped them understand the chemical elements in life.
LI Zhuo-Xi, WEI Jie-Shu, CHENG Yan-Qin. Discovering Chemical Elements Through Garbage Classification: Inquiry-Based Learning with Everyday Context[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2021, 42(6): 88-93.
