Bringing Chemical Kinetics to Life: A Week-Long Mini-Unit of Classroom Activities for High School Students

Chemical kinetics remains a conceptually and mathematically demanding topic for many high-school and undergraduate chemistry students. This paper presents a weeklong, inquiry-based instructional unit designed to build conceptual understanding of reaction rates without relying heavily on mathematical instruction. Implemented in a diverse Title IX high school setting, the activity sequence included visually rich, hands-on experiences such as a marble-based collision theory simulation, a fruit ripening investigation, and a catalyzed milk curdled experiment. These activities were scaffolded with guided discussions and kinesthetic modeling to support key kinetic concepts. Pre- and postassessments revealed significant learning gains across all targeted concepts, with average scores increasing from 1.7 to 7.7 out of 10, and over 89% of students demonstrating proficiency by the end of the unit. Anecdotal observations also indicated heightened student engagement and conceptual buy-in. The described approach offers a low-cost, adaptable model for teaching the kinetics conceptually and experientially, with potential for extension to diverse student populations and instructional settings.