Chemistry in the CommunityTM (ChemComTM) is a first-year high school chemistry textbook that covers chemistry concepts in the context of societal issues. The seven units use real-world examples to teach students topics in chemistry such as materials science, environmental chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and industrial chemistry.  

Students learn concepts on a need-to-know basis, evaluate data, and make decisions based on their observations and knowledge gained through the curriculum. The text features embedded labs and activities that give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of chemistry. Each unit ends with an “putting it all together” (PIAT) activity, where students collaborate and use their knowledge gained throughout the chapter, both chemistry and real-life scenarios, to evaluate a potentially real-life problem.

The first edition of ChemComTM was printed in 1988, and each edition revises and builds upon the previous one. The teachers who author the text (yes, real teachers comprise the author team!) have thoughtfully tested the activities with their own students. The ChemComTM community continues to grow.


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chemcom@acs.org