I wish this had been around when I came to learn about chemical structures - things would have been a little easier. The book’s simple instructions and illustrations allow users of the Chemistry jigsaw kit to roll up their sleeves and have fun constructing hundreds of molecules whose names will already be familiar. But more than that, the text contains lots of interesting background information on the molecules, making the exercise even more enjoyable. Learn while you play - what better way is there?
This is an imaginative and invaluable tool for handling chemical structures and formulae. What’s more, guidance is given at different levels, making it useful for a wide range of ages and abilities. Highly recommended!
Dr Mike Bullivant (the chemist from BBC2’s Rough Science)

Education in Chemistry Review

Teaching chemistry to youngsters has always been absorbing and often great fun for everyone to enjoy. Not so long ago large numbers of young people owned a ‘chemistry set’ and this activity held pride of place on a Christmas wish list. Maybe this hobby holds less importance today when playtime is dominated by Play Stations and computer games. In fact the scarcity of chemistry sets and the heavy emphasis on safety and risk could be another reason for the apparent demise of chemistry as a hobby. So, chemistry now almost exclusively resides in the school domain and most pupils still enjoy the practical aspects of the subject. More often than not the subject holds a genuine fascination for learners but then eyes glaze over the moment chemical formulae and equations are drawn on the blackboard. Is it this aspect of learning chemistry that makes the subject hard and even boring or is it partly due to the way in which it is taught and restrictions placed on teaching by the National Curriculum? If chemistry is fun to do and has a relevance to everyday life and offers practical activities that consolidate understanding, allowing free rein to the subject so that youngsters learn at their own pace on items that interest them, that would make a refreshing change to the subject and re-introduce ‘chemistry’ as a hobby. This book and the chemistry jigsaws try to do exactly that. The jigsaw pieces allow two dimensional models of molecules to be modelled and together with plus signs and arrows, the construction of chemical reactions. They help demystify chemical formulae and equations by providing a practical, visual aid to a topic that has traditionally seemed very abstract. The jigsaws are a tactile medium allowing students to ‘play’ with chemical structures in an educational way. The book and the jigsaw kit is also designed to be challenging. Youngsters can grow with the book and the kit so there is something in it for all ages. The book offers clues to constructing the jigsaws and answers to the models in the appendix. In addition, interesting facts and figures accompany all the examples listed and the relevance of each one is based on the fact that all of them can be found in the home and garden.
A series of chemistry experiments can be performed in the kitchen using chemicals found in the home. They are all safe to do (some of them under the supervision of an adult) and can be modelled with the jigsaws. The kit was trialled with a number of 13/14 year olds. One of the youngsters was really enthusiastic. She reported that using the pieces helped her to understand formulae and equations in her first year of GCSE. The jigsaws really do work and had a very positive impact on her. Interesting sessions with 11 year olds mirrored the same positive benefits and even A level students reported favourably on the jigsaws. So the book is supposed to be engaging, having facts in it that are fun (e.g. smelly molecules) but it also has a serious side. It is designed to motivate young people to get to grips with that part of GCSE (or lower school chemistry) that causes problems, namely formulae and also to attract sixth formers since some of the content is at a higher level. The book (and jigsaw kit) therefore is accessible to all. The book and jigsaw kit is fun to use. It is challenging and absorbing and will almost certainly entertain youngsters and support their studies. It brings chemistry back to the kitchen table.
This is the Book and CDrom only.
Please see Chemistry Jigsaws Set for the combined Book, CDrom & Jigsaw set.