Ball and Stick Fun Model Kit for Stem Education

Abstract

The majority of students are expected to have strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in 21st-century learning.  Students can form mental habits that will help them succeed in any subject due to the emphasis on logical thought processes and problem-solving. The list of science, technology, Engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects is quite vast and chemistry is one of them. The STEM curriculum pushes students to think critically and develop original answers. Chemistry subject is believed as a major subject in the science field, however, in Malaysia, it is also deemed as one of the most challenging subjects. Crystal and chemical bonding topic are included in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), Diploma and Degree syllabus. In chemistry, the topic of crystal structure and chemical bonding is commonly taught via slide presentations explaining the theories. Thus, this kit introduces a new teaching method where students need to produce the chemical bonding or crystal structure by using the “Ball and Stick” model. The coloured balls made from styrofoam represent atoms, while a set of sticks represent the bonds that hold them together. It is a special set of tinker kits to represent how molecules look. This kit box has been sold at a fixed price of RM19.90 and it contains 200 pieces of molecular model kit, including 70 atoms (ball), 100 bonds (stick) and 30 parts for lone pair. It comes with CD-ROM for instruction, notes and exercises hence providing a fun learning tool kit for students from secondary to university level. The kits can be dismantled and rebuilt or can be used for display or as a model for teaching specific crystallographic or structural concepts. The different coloured balls represent atoms of different elements. A survey has been conducted on a small group of diploma students and 100% of students agree that this kit is both entertaining and useful in gaining insight into the subject matter.