How can we apply chemistry to real-world problems in the classroom? (BCCE 2026)

What if chemistry classes were organized around real-world problems instead of chapters in a textbook?In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with Vicente Talanquer about helping students think like chemists rather than simply memorize chemistry. They explore why authentic, real-world problems can transform learning, how instructors can make meaningful changes without rewriting an entire course, and why teaching chemistry is about developing a way of thinking—not just delivering content.   Important Links Submit a Question for Community Conversations bcce.divched.org/2026 YouTube.com/@chemforyourlife chemforyourlife.com Free resources Chemical Thinking Curriculum Structure: https://sites.google.com/site/chemicalthinking/structure More on Chemical Thinking Curriculum: https://sites.google.com/site/chemicalthinking/ General Chemistry - CLUE textbook & activities: https://www.chemistry.msu.edu/clue/general-chemistry.aspx Organic Chemistry OCLUE textbook & activities: https://www.chemistry.msu.edu/clue/organic-chemistry.aspx Time Stamps 0:00 – Introducing the Community Conversation series 2:40 – Meet Vicente Talanquer and this year’s discussion topic 4:10 – What does “authentic phenomena” actually mean? 7:40 – Memorization vs. meaningful understanding 12:10 – The two big questions guiding the Community Conversation 16:25 – What an authentically engaged chemistry classroom looks like 21:40 – Where should instructors begin making changes? 24:30 – Formative vs. summative assessment 26:50 – Free teaching resources and curriculum examples 30:50 – Why Vicente is excited about this year’s BCCE conversations Support this podcast on Patreon  Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.