search site  |  contact us  HOME PRODUCTS DOWNLOADS SALES SUPPORT NEWS Tutorials Teaching Science with CrystalMaker   Guiding Principles     Hands-On Learning     Educational Resources   Whilst CrystalMaker is ideal for learning about specific structural features, it also has an important role in the development of essential three-dimensional visualization skills, including the ability to relate tangible three-dimensional scenes to stylized two-dimensional representations and sketches. Learning Through Structured Play CrystalMaker makes a superb tool for use in teaching labs! Students can be provided with ready-made structures, and encouraged to explore different model representations and length scales. We have found that the most effective learning takes place with a combination of structured teaching and "play learning". For example, encourage students to explore and understand in their own ways, but also provide a clear "road map' for what they should be expected to achieve, with suggestions for doing this. This could be underlined with a series of directed questions. Example: Zeolites as Chemical Sieves Aims: To learn how to use CrystalMaker's screen tools. To identify significant structural channels in a number of important zeolites. To relate the relative sizes of common organic molecules to structural features (channels) in zeolite crystal structures. Activity: Using pre-prepared CrystalMaker "molecule" files, measure the approximate dimensions of some common organic molecules, e.g., benzene, amino acids, etc. Using pre-prepared CrystalMaker "crystal" files, identify the major structural channels for some important zeolites (e.g., ZSM-5, Faujasite, etc.). Using CrystalMaker's screen tools (e.g., bond distance tool; distance tool) and appropriate model types, measure the maximum channel diameters for your zeolites. (Important note: the channel diameters should take account of atom sizes, so space-filling models should be used when measuring distances.) Determine which zeolite would be best suited for the job of filtering various of the organic molecules (e.g., separating a mixture of benzene and fullerene. When preparing CrystalMaker files for student use, don't forget to use the Notebook pane to enter information sbout the structure and general guidance notes. Free Viewer Application for Self-Guided Learning If you have a large class of students, you may wish to distribute the CrystalMaker_demo program (which you can download from this web site) as a crystal viewer, so that students can explore the structures on their own computers at home, or off site. The demo version gives students full access to most of CrystalMaker's tools, so they can manipulate and rotate crystals, measure bond distances and angles, and print the structure. (Note that the demo version does not let you save, import, or export data or graphics - you need the full version to do this!) Next CrystalMaker is ideal as a tool for self-guided exploration and learning of three-dimensional structures. CrystalMaker includes powerful tools to make understanding complex structures easier. In this example, a single close-packed plane is being isolated from a face-centred cubic unit cell, using the Lattice Plane tool to slice away parts of the structure above and below the chosen plane. © 2008 CrystalMaker Software Limited. All rights reserved worldwide.