Chemistry- Summer School

Our Great Hearts Chemistry course introduces students to the fundamental nature of matter and how it changes through a historical and model-based approach. Students engage in the process of scientific discovery by constructing, testing, and refining conceptual and quantitative models. Each unit builds upon the last, tracing the development of atomic theory from ancient philosophers to modern scientists. Students explore properties of matter, energy transfer, chemical reactions, and the structure of the atom using graphical, mathematical, and pictorial representations. Through these explorations, students gain a deeper understanding of how substances combine, react, and transform. Historical case studies and readings from classical texts are woven throughout the curriculum to show how scientific ideas have evolved over time. Core concepts like the conservation of mass, kinetic molecular theory, stoichiometry, and bonding are emphasized through a real-world “phenomenological” approach. The course culminates in an exploration of acids, bases, and chemical equilibrium, including the molecular structure of DNA. Students leave with a firm foundation in chemistry and an appreciation for its role in the pursuit of truth and discovery. Throughout the course, we utilize a version of the American Modeling Teachers Association (ATMA) Chemistry curriculum, with additions that weave it into the classical “Great Conversation.”