ISBN 978 0 582 54910 4
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United Book Co.
Beginning Chemistry is a 366 page full-colour text book for Level 2 (Year 12) Chemistry. It contains over 400 full-colour photographs, theory notes, biographies and stories about chemistry, practicals, questions and fully-worked answers.
Features of the text are:
- Clear, easy-to-read text with over 400 full-colour photographs to reach even the reluctant reader.
- A large number of worked examples, each with a parallel Now try this problem for students to try on their own.
- Formative Test yourself questions to develop understanding.
- Exam-style Additional questions at the end of each chapter.
- Fully-worked answers to all questions. Showing full working for all calculations models correct setting out of calculations as well as making it easy for students to spot errors.
- A, M, E judgement statements for all questions to help students learn what is required for each style of question in the exam.
- Demonstration and Practical Investigation sections summarise key practicals.
- Application sections show how the principles discussed in class are important in every-day life.
- Biographies in the Chemistry Hall of Fame, Chemistry at Work and Great Moments in New Zealand Chemistry tell stories of real people using chemistry.
Explore some of the features of Beginning Chemistry in these sample pages:
Beginning Chemistry sample
Beginning Chemistry can be used as a stand-alone resource, or alongside the Chemistry 12 Workbook. Chapters and some worked examples are the same in both books. The Workbook contains shorter theory notes sections and none of the stories, demonstrations or applications that enrich the full text book.
Why bother with a text book?
It's true that the internet allows students to find out just about anything they might want to know -- if they can find it! However, your students aren't going to search out information about Mendeleev or Perkin unless someone tells them about them. If all the resources your students have focus solely on the exam, how will they ever know that chemistry can be interesting or fun? And if it isn't interesting, why would they choose to carry on in the subject?We believe students need to have a copy of the text book at home, where they can read it. If you're using the Workbook as well as the text book, have them bring the Workbook to class and leave the text at home. Use the electronic file of the text book (on the Beginning Chemistry/Chemistry 12 Workbook Teachers' Guide) in class with a data projector. If you issue a text book, there may be a small number of students who won't read it, but if you don't issue the book then no student can read it. And it is surprising how many students, even those who are not especially motivated in chemistry, hunt through Beginning Chemistry to seek out all the stories.
Why upgrade from the first (white) edition of Beginning Chemistry?
The first edition of Beginning Chemistry was written for the 6th Form Certificate Chemistry course, while the second (purple) edition was updated for NCEA. The most important differences between these two editions are in the questions. Classes using the first edition of the text book without another modern resource (such as Chemistry 12 Workbook) will be learning the concepts required for Level 2 chemistry, but will not be well-prepared for the style of question asked in NCEA examinations. In addition, the second edition is in full colour, with many new photographs, while the text passages are shorter.
Teacher resources
The Beginning Chemistry/Chemistry 12 Workbook Teachers' Guide contains extra resources to support teachers using Beginning Chemistry including PowerPoint shows, additional practicals, exam papers, quizzes and electronic files for both books.Teachers who are using the earlier versions of the Beginning Chemistry Teachers' Guide (either the original pink printed Guide, or the 2004 CD) will find that material included in this Guide. However, any teacher teaching with a data projector will find that the electronic version of the text book and workbook, with all the hot links to other resources, makes the new version worth purchasing.