This paper analyzes the feasibility and underlying biochemical principles of tattoos based on skin structure, examines the composition of common tattoo inks, and explores ancient Chinese tattoo art and plant-based tattoo art. Moreover, it carries out a dialectical discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of tattoos through the lens of tattoo and chemistry education. In other words, this study deciphers the biochemical principles of tattoos from biological, chemical and cultural perspectives, aiming to sort out relevant chemical teaching resources and provide practical guidance for teaching practice.

Guided by the national strategies of “Forging a Strong Sense of Chinese National Community” and “Infusing Culture into Xinjiang”,this study explores pathways for promoting cultural identity in Xinjiang’s chemistry education through local curriculum resources. By constructing a “Chemistry Teaching Model Oriented Toward Cultural Identity”,the research clarifies the synergistic mechanism between the vertical process of “perception-inquiry-identity” and the horizontal dimensions of “cognition-value-behavior”. A curriculum resource framework that organically integrates Xinjiang’s unique cultural resources with high school chemistry knowledge points has been systematically developed. Furthermore,a teaching pathway centered on “cultural contextualization,scientific inquiry-based reconstruction,and unity of knowledge and action” is proposed. This study provides a comprehensive theoretical and practical framework for high school chemistry education in Xinjiang,aiming to implement the fundamental task of “Fostering Virtue Through Education” while offering theoretical support and practical references for deepening the cultural education function.

The national college entrance examination in chemistry is oriented toward assessing core competencies. By selecting and utilizing diverse contexts, setting tiered assessment objectives, and structuring problem tasks, it comprehensively evaluates students' abilities to interpret, analyze, and distill patterns from multifaceted information. This study reviews pathways to optimize the assessment of core competencies in the chemistry exam, analyzes the effectiveness of such optimization in advancing curriculum reform, driving pedagogical innovation, and guiding the inheritance and innovation of elective chemistry content. Based on these findings, targeted teaching implications are proposed to provide references for achieving alignment between teaching and assessment, as well as for cultivating top-tier innovative talents.

The new curriculum standards emphasize improving students’ comprehensive abilities. Interdisciplinary project-based learning can break down disciplinary barriers and guide students to conduct experimental inquiry through driving questions and activity tasks. Based on the characteristic that both enzymes and chemical catalysts reduce reaction activation energy,this project explored the effects of different reaction conditions (such as temperature,concentration,and pH) on the activities of enzymes and ferric chloride (FeCl₃) through a series of experiments. A cognitive model for regulating chemical reaction rates with catalysts was constructed and applied to innovative design. This approach helps students overcome the cognitive difficulty of “regulating catalyst activity to affect chemical reaction rates” and deeply understand the application value of catalysts.

Unit teaching based on real problem-solving is an important way to promote the development of students’ core competency. By constructing the relationship between problem-solving,knowledge construction and the advancement of competency in unit teaching,a unit teaching design framework that deeply integrates problem-solving,knowledge construction and the advancement of competency is formed. Taking sulfur and its compounds as an example,the unit teaching of “the formation and prevention of sulfuric acid rain” is designed and implemented. Based on theoretical exploration and the effectiveness of teaching practice,summarize the unit teaching design and implementation strategies that deeply integrate three elements: understand the intrinsic relationship among core knowledge,competency goals and real problems to determine the unit teaching positioning of the integrated development of the three; By regulating the openness and complexity of teaching activities as well as the dialogue feedback with students,the integrated development of problem-solving and the advancement of competency can be achieved; Through the transformation of teaching scenarios and the summary of knowledge and methods,the integrated development of problem-solving and knowledge construction is achieved; Promote the transformation of core knowledge into the development of competency through the construction and application of disciplinary cognition methods.

Building China into a leading country in education requires firm cultural confidence, and the chemistry classroom has great potential in fostering students’ cultural confidence. Based on existing research, an analysis framework for the use of cultural confidence materials in chemistry classrooms is constructed. The study analyzes 112 junior high school chemistry lesson materials from 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country. The study reveals three characteristics of cultural confidence material usage: First, cultural confidence materials are widely used in junior high school chemistry classrooms, with fragmented usage being the dominant form; Second, the primary functions of cultural confidence materials are to cultivate emotions and stimulate motivation, with insufficient attention to function integration; Third, students have limited participation in using cultural confidence materials, and cultural practice is difficult for students to engage in. Based on the identified issues, suggestions are provided from three aspects:chemistry teachers’ perspectives, the connection between materials and knowledge, and the design of practical activities,for the effective use of cultural confidence materials in junior high school chemistry classrooms.

In response to the core risk of student “cognitive offloading” easily triggered by the application of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in interdisciplinary assignments for junior high school chemistry,this study,guided by the core competencies of the new curriculum and using the “Water Purification and Composition” unit assignment design as a practical example,directly addresses two key questions through comparison: “What kind of design exacerbates the risk? What kind of design can foster collaboration?” It proposes four principles for effective assignment design: goal anchoring,step construction,role delimitation,and evaluation shift. These principles not only address GAI-related risks but also effectively promote the development of students’ core competencies in chemical concepts,scientific thinking,scientific inquiry and practice,and scientific attitude and responsibility. This provides a clear pathway for frontline teachers to design forward-looking and effective assignments within the “Chemistry and Society: Interdisciplinary Practice” theme.

The changes of oxygen,carbon dioxide concentration and temperature during candle burning and extinguishing were monitored by sensors in real time to explore the root cause of candle extinguishing in confined space. Changing the myth of “oxygen depletion and quenching” generated by students in traditional teaching,it reveals that the generation of carbon dioxide in the combustion process also plays a role in blocking oxygen. The experimental design breaks through the single variable attributional thinking pattern,guides students to use the control variable method and data modeling technology to reconstruct the combustion reaction model,effectively promotes students’ thinking from phenomenon observation to essence exploration,and effectively cultivates students’ critical thinking.

Based on the application of membrane separation technology in water purification,we conduct water purification treatment through ultrafiltration membranes,microfiltration membranes,various biological membranes,and compare their effects. Through diverse experiences in water quality testing and iterative optimization of self-made water purifiers,we guide students to construct a problem-solving thinking model,stimulate their innovative consciousness,cultivate their engineering technology thinking,and reflect the significance and value of interdisciplinary learning.

This study addresses the pedagogical challenges associated with teaching the abstract concept of intermolecular forces in high school chemistry by employing bubble formation as an engaging experimental model. Through systematic investigation of bubble solution formulations,key performance parameters including maximum bubble volume,lifespan,surface tension,viscosity,and evaporation rate were evaluated. The optimized composition of 10% detergent and 0.6% guar gum was demonstrated to surpass commercial bubble solutions in overall performance. Mechanistic analysis revealed that detergent components reduced surface tension and imparted self-healing properties while retarding liquid evaporation,whereas guar gum enhanced viscosity and inhibited drainage. The synergistic combination of these components significantly improves the stability of bubbles. This simple yet intriguing experiment effectively visualizes abstract chemical principles,providing a valuable platform for extracurricular scientific exploration.

Dendritic metal branches (metal trees) are typical structures formed during the electrochemical deposition process. However,traditional electrolysis methods struggle to observe their dynamic formation in real time. By designing a planar substrate electrolysis approach,the growth process of metal trees has been visualized,clearly revealing the evolution of their microstructures. This method can also be applied to create intricately structured metal tree artworks. To further investigate the growth details,a miniature visual electrolysis device was constructed,enabling real-time microscopic recording of the kinetic behavior of dendritic growth. Integrating electrochemical principles with artistic creation not only stimulates exploratory interest through vivid dynamic beauty but also conveys the practical concept of “chemistry creating a better life”.

This paper is based on the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory and hybrid orbital theory from the high school chemistry elective course 2,combined with Lewis structure theory from university inorganic chemistry. By calculating the sum of the σ-bond electrons and lone pair electrons of the central atom,a criterion is proposed to determine whether AXⁿ_m-type species possess delocalized π bonds. Furthermore,the number of electrons provided by various types of delocalized π bonds to satisfy the octet rule is clarified. Through a series of deductions and derivations,a simplified formula for calculating the number of electrons in delocalized π bonds is established. This method does not require the use of molecular structure diagrams; the type of delocalized π bond can be directly determined solely through formulaic calculation. By integrating fundamental chemical concepts with mathematical thinking to address complex chemical problems,this approach helps promote the development of students’ evidential reasoning and model-based cognition abilities,effectively enhancing their core competencies in chemistry.

To address the uncertainty regarding the electrolysis products of FeSO₄ solution, a combination of experimental investigation and theoretical analysis was employed to systematically study the effects of solution concentration (0.010 16~1.025 mol/L) and electrolysis voltage (1.5~4 V) on the electrolysis products of FeSO₄ solution. The electrode reaction patterns were clarified under a carbon rod (anode)-copper rod (cathode) system. In the experiments, methods such as bubble observation, KSCN color reaction, and solid precipitation identification were used to verify the products. By integrating electrode potential calculations, ion behavior analysis, and overpotential effects, the essence of the electrolysis reaction of FeSO₄ solution was revealed, providing both theoretical and practical references for teaching electrochemical principles.

The construction of an ecological network of science enlightenment education resources is a key pathway to implementing core competency-oriented teaching reform. This paper takes the “Adventures in Chemistry” science activity resources from the American Chemical Society (ACS) as an example,systematically analyzing its core principles centered on children,embedding core competencies,and providing ecological support. It reveals how these resources effectively stimulate children’s curiosity and cultivate scientific inquiry skills through engaging experiments,interactive games,and life-themed topics. The study further considers the practical context of science education in China and proposes practical approaches to building science enlightenment education network resources with Chinese characteristics from four aspects: cultural reconstruction,system coordination,teacher empowerment,and social interaction,aiming to provide theoretical references and practical insights for the construction of a high-quality,open,and sustainable scientific education resource ecosystem in China.

Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty is not only a monumental work in pharmacology but also a scientific classic rich in chemical knowledge and rudimentary chemical concepts. This paper systematically reviews the classification system of inorganic drugs,chemical preparation processes,and observations on the properties and transformations of substances recorded in “Compendium of Materia Medica”,analyzing the empirical spirit,concepts of material transformation,and systematic classification ideas contained therein. At the same time,in combination with modern chemistry education concepts,it explores how to integrate this traditional cultural treasure into classroom teaching to provide feasible approaches for cultivating students’ core chemical literacy and enhancing cultural confidence. The research shows that the Compendium of Materia Medica holds unique value and significant importance in the fields of chemistry history and chemistry education.