[tamim83]

OK I spent two months teaching my high school students how to name simple inorganic compounds, you know going from name to formula and back.  Now I was only an intern teacher and my mentor insisted on doing this.  I did not think that that much time was even necessary.  When I switched schools, my new mentor teacher spent about a month on the same topic.  I am pretty certain I can teach naming and writing chemical formulas now. 

Anyways my question to you is, do you feel that spending that much time on naming is even neccessary?  Sure, I feel that kids should learn how to name, but I wouldn't spend this much time on it.  Any thoughts?

[Mitch]

If you mean chlorates and sulfates, then yes its important that they know them.

[xiankai]

yeah, unless its about IUPAC nomenclature, i feel that you can usually go through the names occasionally when encountering them in other fields; devoting a month to learning common names doesnt sound that appealing at all.

[tamim83]

If you mean chlorates and sulfates, then yes its important that they know them.

Yes I agree that it is important to learn simple naming, and it is important for kids to know the difference between perchlorate and hypochlorate, for instance.  I just do not feel that naming should not take up a whole month.  I think maybe about two weeks; and perhaps small amounts of it during the year like  for naming acids. 

[rctrackstar2007]

OK I spent two months teaching my high school students how to name simple inorganic compounds, you know going from name to formula and back.  Now I was only an intern teacher and my mentor insisted on doing this.  I did not think that that much time was even necessary.  When I switched schools, my new mentor teacher spent about a month on the same topic.  I am pretty certain I can teach naming and writing chemical formulas now. 

Anyways my question to you is, do you feel that spending that much time on naming is even neccessary?  Sure, I feel that kids should learn how to name, but I wouldn't spend this much time on it.  Any thoughts?

being a AP HS chem student i think it's very important if you teach AP chem or your kids plan to go to AP chem because the reaction prediction section is all about knowing names. you don't need to spend too terribly long on it, just the basics and some of the odd cases like polyatomic ions and such because the rest they will pick up through experimentation and other work they do

[mrdeadman]

OK I spent two months teaching my high school students how to name simple inorganic compounds, you know going from name to formula and back.  Now I was only an intern teacher and my mentor insisted on doing this.  I did not think that that much time was even necessary.  When I switched schools, my new mentor teacher spent about a month on the same topic.  I am pretty certain I can teach naming and writing chemical formulas now. 

Anyways my question to you is, do you feel that spending that much time on naming is even neccessary?  Sure, I feel that kids should learn how to name, but I wouldn't spend this much time on it.  Any thoughts?

it shouldn't take a month to learn how to name stuff, it is really simple, they will also just pick it up as they go. basically it's memorization. don't spend that long on it. everything else ties to it anyway and they will just sort of start to get it.

[tamim83]

I agree with you both.  It shouldn't take that long.  When I was in High school, it didn't, but I was in an accelerated class.  I was told by my one mentor teacher that it was one of the most important things to be learned in chemistry.  I think 2 months or even one month is way too excessive, even for a "mainstream" class. I will not spend that much time on it when I have my own classes and more control over what I teach.  I mean, it is important and al, but it doesn't require a good part of the year to teach. 

[rctrackstar2007]

I agree with you both.  It shouldn't take that long.  When I was in High school, it didn't, but I was in an accelerated class.  I was told by my one mentor teacher that it was one of the most important things to be learned in chemistry.  I think 2 months or even one month is way too excessive, even for a "mainstream" class. I will not spend that much time on it when I have my own classes and more control over what I teach.  I mean, it is important and al, but it doesn't require a good part of the year to teach. 

look online at some websites that have old AP tests and notice what things they focus heavily on and that will give you a vague idea of how to plan your year

[tamim83]

Good Idea  .  I am in grad school for chemistry so probably the next "course" I will teach is some undergrad level chemistry class.  Otherwise, I am teaching lab and recitation anyway.  But thanks